Question 1

A cross-sectional study
A) is one that tests an entire population.
B) involves collecting successive independent samples.
C) involves collecting data only once.
D) is rarely used in survey research.

Accepted Answer

Cross-sectional studies involve collecting data at a single point in time, rather than over a period of time.

Question 2

Which of the following types of internet surveys would be preferred because of higher response rates and tighter control over multiple responses by a single individual?
A) e-mail surveys
B) pop-up surveys
C) website surveys
D) blog surveys

Accepted Answer

E-mail surveys tend to have higher response rates and allow for better control over who responds because the survey can be sent directly to specific individuals, reducing the likelihood of multiple responses from the same person.

Question 3

Changes in students' attitudes toward school are assessed in yearly surveys from grade 9 through 12. This would represent a____ design.
A) panel
B) trend
C) cross-sectional
D) between subjects

Accepted Answer

A panel design involves collecting data from the same subjects repeatedly over a period of time. In this case, assessing changes in students' attitudes from grade 9 through 12 by yearly surveys fits the definition of a panel study, as it tracks the same group of students over several years.

Question 4

For your study on attitudes toward abortion, you elect to do an electronic survey because of the advantages it affords over other ways of doing a survey. The advantages of an electronic survey consist of all the following except A) lowered cost. B) access to individuals anywhere in the world. C) being able to easily download the responses into a file that can be analyzed statistically. D) being able to insure the anonymity and privacy of the responses because they are made and transmitted in private.

Accepted Answer

Electronic surveys cannot guarantee the anonymity and privacy of responses due to potential security vulnerabilities and the possibility of tracking or intercepting responses online.

Question 5

Survey research is appropriate for which of the following situations?
A) to measure individuals' attitudes
B) to track changes in beliefs over time
C) to test theoretical models
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

Survey research is versatile and can be used to measure individuals' attitudes, track changes in beliefs over time, and test theoretical models, making all of the options correct.

Question 6

Compared to written surveys, phone interviews
A) reduce the problem of question ambiguity.
B) are a lot cheaper.
C) are immune from interviewer bias problems.
D) have a lower response rate.

Accepted Answer

Phone interviews allow for clarification of questions in real-time, reducing the problem of question ambiguity compared to written surveys where respondents might misinterpret questions without the opportunity for immediate clarification.

Question 7

A nationwide study was done in which samples of drivers were asked their opinions about the reliability of their cars. The results of the survey were analyzed for differences among drivers of different models and makes of cars. What survey design is being used in this study?
A) cross-sectional design
B) longitudinal design
C) successive independent samples design
D) correlated samples design

Accepted Answer

The survey design used in this study is a cross-sectional design because it involves collecting data at a single point in time from different individuals to compare and analyze differences among various groups, in this case, drivers of different models and makes of cars.

Question 8

When using the telephone interview method, the problem of unlisted numbers
A) is a significant problem resulting in biased samples.
B) can be overcome through follow-up questioning.
C) can be overcome through the use of random-digit dialing.
D) is not a problem because almost all numbers can be found on the internet.

Accepted Answer

Random-digit dialing allows researchers to reach both listed and unlisted numbers, thus overcoming the issue of unlisted numbers in telephone surveys.

Question 9

Interviews are generally preferred over questionnaires because
A) they are cheaper.
B) they reduce the potential for bias.
C) they allow the researcher to administer follow-up questions.
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

Interviews allow for immediate follow-up questions based on the respondent's answers, enabling a deeper understanding of the respondent's views, which is not as easily achieved with questionnaires.

Question 10

Each year the graduating class at Stoner High is given a survey to assess their drug use. The same survey has been used for 10 years allowing school administrators to track changes in drug use over time. This method of survey collection is referred to as
A) a cross-sequential study.
B) a panel study.
C) a trend study.
D) a cross-sectional study.

Accepted Answer

A trend study involves collecting data from different samples from the same population over time to identify trends or changes. In this case, the survey assesses drug use among different graduating classes at Stoner High across several years, making it a trend study.

Question 11

The distinguishing characteristic of the longitudinal design is that
A) several independent groups of individuals are tested once.
B) different groups of people are tested over time using the same survey.
C) the same sample of respondents is surveyed more than once.
D) the survey item is particularly lengthy.

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal design involves studying the same group of individuals over a period of time, allowing researchers to observe changes and developments in the sample.

Question 12

The director of marketing for a local company mails out 10,000 surveys in her city to evaluate the appeal of her company's new products. Based on what she learned in her college research methods course, she can expect a return rate of____ after the initial mailing.
A) less than 10%
B) 20-30%
C) about 60%
D) 80-90%

Accepted Answer

The answer of The director of marketing for a local...

Question 13

Previously, Dr. Winchester used anonymous written course evaluations to assess his teaching. This semester, he plans to ask each student in his seminar to see him privately, after grades are turned in, to discuss the course. Technically, Dr. Winchester will be doing what kind of survey?
A) private
B) evaluative
C) academic
D) face-to-face

Accepted Answer

Dr. Winchester's approach of asking each student to see him privately for a discussion constitutes a face-to-face survey, where feedback is collected through direct, personal interaction.

Question 14

Group-administered questionnaires
A) are commonly used as part of focus groups.
B) are of questionable value due to ethical concerns.
C) typically have a low response rate.
D) are commonly used in workplace setting.

Accepted Answer

Group-administered questionnaires are often used in workplace settings to gather data from multiple employees efficiently.

Question 15

When conducting a survey, face-to-face or telephone interviews yield the most complete information, but are expensive and time consuming. An alternative is to mail surveys, but a major problem with mail surveys is that
A) they are usually sent to an unrepresentative sample.
B) the survey return rate is typically low.
C) people are more likely to misrepresent their views by mail.
D) people are inclined to add lengthy written comments on surveys and these are hard to quantify.

Accepted Answer

Mail surveys often suffer from low return rates, which can bias the results if the respondents differ significantly from those who did not respond.

Question 16

All of the following characterize face to face interviews except A) cost can be a problem. B) the interviewer can clarify ambiguous questions. C) getting a representative sample is easier than with the other methods. D) they might be limited to a small geographical area.

Accepted Answer

Getting a representative sample is not necessarily easier with face-to-face interviews compared to other methods. This method can be limited by geographical constraints and cost, making it challenging to reach a diverse and representative sample without significant resources. Other methods, such as online or telephone surveys, can more easily and cost-effectively reach a broader audience.

Question 17

Sax and her colleagues 2003) studied changes in the values and goals of college freshman from 1966 to the present. They drew random samples from each year's incoming class. Which survey research design did these researchers use?
A) cross-sectional design
B) successive independent samples design
C) longitudinal design
D) convenience design

Accepted Answer

Sax and her colleagues used a successive independent samples design, which involves drawing random samples from the same population at different points in time. This allows researchers to compare changes over time without needing to follow the same individuals longitudinally.

Question 18

A researcher interested in assessing marital satisfaction mailed surveys to 1,000 participants including various age groups and ethnicities. If the individuals are only surveyed one time this would represent a design.
A) cross-sectional
B) panel
C) longitudinal
D) successive independent samples

Accepted Answer

Cross-sectional studies involve collecting data from a population at one specific point in time, which matches the description of surveying individuals only once.

Question 19

Which of the following is a problem for written surveys?
A) question ambiguity
B) return rate
C) both 'a' and 'b'
D) none of the above

Accepted Answer

Both question ambiguity and return rate are common problems for written surveys. Ambiguous questions can lead to unreliable data because respondents may interpret the questions differently. A low return rate can skew the survey results because it might not accurately represent the target population.

Question 20

Volunteer sampling which may produce non-representative samples is a particular problem with
A) face to face interviews.
B) mail questionnaires.
C) group-administered questionnaires.
D) internet surveys.

Accepted Answer

Internet surveys often rely on volunteer sampling, which can lead to non-representative samples because individuals choose whether or not to participate, potentially skewing the results towards those with strong opinions or particular interests.

Quiz 12: Survey Research

A cross-sectional study

Which of the following types of internet surveys would be preferred because of higher response rates and tighter control over multiple responses by a single individual?

Changes in students' attitudes toward school are assessed in yearly surveys from grade 9 through 12. This would represent a____ design.

For your study on attitudes toward abortion, you elect to do an electronic survey because of the advantages it affords over other ways of doing a survey. The advantages of an electronic survey consist of all the following except

Survey research is appropriate for which of the following situations?

Compared to written surveys, phone interviews

A nationwide study was done in which samples of drivers were asked their opinions about the reliability of their cars. The results of the survey were analyzed for differences among drivers of different models and makes of cars. What survey design is being used in this study?

When using the telephone interview method, the problem of unlisted numbers

Interviews are generally preferred over questionnaires because

Each year the graduating class at Stoner High is given a survey to assess their drug use. The same survey has been used for 10 years allowing school administrators to track changes in drug use over time. This method of survey collection is referred to as

The distinguishing characteristic of the longitudinal design is that

The director of marketing for a local company mails out 10,000 surveys in her city to evaluate the appeal of her company's new products. Based on what she learned in her college research methods course, she can expect a return rate of____ after the initial mailing.

Previously, Dr. Winchester used anonymous written course evaluations to assess his teaching. This semester, he plans to ask each student in his seminar to see him privately, after grades are turned in, to discuss the course. Technically, Dr. Winchester will be doing what kind of survey?

Group-administered questionnaires

When conducting a survey, face-to-face or telephone interviews yield the most complete information, but are expensive and time consuming. An alternative is to mail surveys, but a major problem with mail surveys is that

All of the following characterize face to face interviews except

Sax and her colleagues 2003) studied changes in the values and goals of college freshman from 1966 to the present. They drew random samples from each year's incoming class. Which survey research design did these researchers use?

A researcher interested in assessing marital satisfaction mailed surveys to 1,000 participants including various age groups and ethnicities. If the individuals are only surveyed one time this would represent a design.

Which of the following is a problem for written surveys?

Volunteer sampling which may produce non-representative samples is a particular problem with