Deck 3: Communication Theory and Research

Question 1

The most reliable form of knowledge is knowledge from:

A) An authority figure
B) Intuition
C) Research
D) Faith
E) Experience

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following statements about scholarly research is true?

A) Scholarly research is more systematic than everyday research.
B) Scholarly research is more precise than everyday research.
C) Scholarly research considers only one possible explanation, whereas everyday research considers multiple explanations.
D) Scholarly research considers only one possible explanation, whereas everyday research considers multiple explanations.
E) Only statements A and B are true.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

When a baseball player gains knowledge about how to hit a curve ball by actually trying to hit curve balls, his knowledge will come from:

A) Intuition
B) Research
C) Authority
D) Experience
E) Tradition

Answer 3

D

Question 4

All of the following steps are part of the research process, EXCEPT:

A) Formulate a question or prediction
B) Identify data
C) Analyze and interpret the data using personal intuition
D) Report research findings
E) Replicate the study

Question 5

Consider the following hypothesis: Everyone either avoids or embraces interpersonal conflict. This hypothesis is:

A) Verifiable, but not falsifiable
B) Falsifiable, but not verifiable
C) Both verifiable and falsifiable
D) Neither verifiable nor falsifiable

Question 6

All of the following criteria can be used to evaluate research, EXCEPT:

A) Is the research trustworthy>
B) Is the research appropriately simple?
C) Does the research reflect reality?
D) Does the research lead to social change?
E) Does the research provide insights?

Question 7

When there are competing explanations for a finding, the explanation with the fewest assumptions should be preferred. This principle refers to:

A) Occam's razor
B) Parsimony
C) Heuristic value
D) All of the above
E) A and B only

Question 8

In a research study of group leadership, a scholar specifies that "direct commands, corrections of members, and statements of personal opinion count as evidence of an authoritarian style of leadership." This statement is a(an)

A) Research hypothesis
B) Research question
C) Operational definition
D) Laws-based explanation
E) Descriptive generalization

Question 9

Some scholars have criticized social exchange theories for failing to generate interesting or useful questions beyond those that the theory was designed to answer. In this instance, scholars are using which criterion for evaluating theories?

A) Testability
B) Scope
C) Parsimony
D) Heuristic value
E) Utility

Question 10

Dr. Kory Floyd's affection exchange theory helps us understand how expressing and receiving affection produces physiological and psychological benefits. His theory is a prime example of a _______ theory.

A) Grand
B) Narrow
C) Middle-range
D) Long-range
E) Short-range

Question 11

After reading about a communication theory of texting in class, Micaela tells her professor that "the theory is so specific it has little value for explaining mediated communication." In this instance, Micaela is using which criterion for evaluating theories?

A) Scope
B) Parsimony
C) Utility
D) Verifiability
E) Falsifiability

Question 12

When compared with everyday research, scholarly research is:

A) More systematic
B) Less scrutinized
C) More precise
D) All of the above
E) A and C only

Question 13

Whereas a(n) ___________ definition provides an explanation of what variables mean, a(n) _______ definition tells how the variables will be observed or measured.

A) Operational; conceptual
B) Denotative; connotative
C) Denotative; operational
D) Conceptual; operational
E) Conceptual; denotative

Question 14

After completing her undergraduate honors thesis, Cailin prepares a manuscript and submits it for possible publication in the Journal of Family Communication. Which step of the research process has Cailin just completed?

A) Analyzing and interpreting data
B) Formulating a set of predictions
C) Inviting and responding to scrutiny
D) Identifying data
E) Replicating the study

Question 15

All of the following statements about the connection between research and theory are true, EXCEPT:

A) Our epistemologies guide our research questions and methods.
B) The act of interpreting and understanding research results is often guided by theory.
C) An inductive approach begins with theory and gathers data to test the theory.
D) In the post-positivist tradition, theories and methods are separate but interconnected.
E) In the critical paradigm, the theory and the research method are essentially one and the same.

Question 16

For his final research project, Lavonte derived three hypotheses from uncertainty reduction theory, tested his hypotheses through research, and found that only two of his hypotheses supported the theory. In this instance, Lavonte used what kind of an approach to communication research?

A) An inductive approach
B) A deductive approach
C) An intuitive approach
D) A transferable approach
E) A constitutive approach

Question 17

Two scholars observed saleswomen at Victoria Secrets and wrote an ethnography of how these women generated a sense of rapport with their customers. Their study is an example of _______ research.

A) Qualitative
B) Quantitative
C) Experimental
D) Survey-based
E) Content analytic

Question 18

Quantitative researchers seek to make claims that are ______, whereas qualitative researchers may attempt to show how their results are ______.

A) Transferable; generalizable
B) Interpretable; numerical
C) Numerical; transferable
D) Generalizable; transferable
E) Interpretable; transferable

Question 19

All of the following methods are qualitative research methods, EXCEPT:

A) They work to illuminate hidden power structures.
B) They focus on how language and discourse shape social experience.
C) They are heavily engaged with issues of gender, race, and socioeconomic status.
D) All of the above.
E) B and C only.

Question 20

The epistemological position that scholars take is important because it helps to determine the questions they ask and the methods they use to answer them.

Question 21

Qualitative researchers seek to make claims that are generalizable.

Question 22

In content analyses, one variable is manipulated in order to see what effect it has on another variable.

Question 23

Grand theories have a broader scope than middle-range theories.

Question 24

An inductive approach to research begins with theory and gathers data to test the theory.

Question 25

A formal theory that is created inductively is called a _____ theory.

Question 26

The specific points of information that researchers want to know are referred to as _______.

Question 27

The fact that scholarly research uses a more ordered method of inquiry means that it is more _______ than everyday research.

Question 28

When we apply ______ to a knowledge claim, it means we are examining the claim carefully for any mistakes.

Question 29

For theories that assume an objective reality, an important criterion for goodness is that they lead to predictions that are both ______ and _______.