Research Design and Validity in Social Science Research “Examining the Impact of a Required Course on Personal Beliefs about Diversity: A Comparison of Student Responses” “Analyzing SPSS Output and Understanding Research Design in Social Sciences” “Using Data to Develop and Test Theories: An Exploration of Research Design and Statistical Analysis” “Exploring Relationships and Validity in Social Science Research: A Study on Burnout, Professional Discipline, Study Habits, and Recidivism”

The ultimate goal of qualitative research is to:
Establish cause-and-effect between independent and dependent variables
Obtain a representative sample
Establish the reliability of a survey
Give meaning to social experiences from the perspective of those involved
1 points   
QUESTION 2
Using the similarity of responses across items on a survey as a means of evaluating it measurement reliability is called:
predictive reliability incorrect
test-retest reliability
inter-rater reliability
internal consistency reliability
1 points   
QUESTION 3
As a threat to internal validity, history refers to: a. 
a client’s earlier life experiences
the possibility that other events may have coincided with the provision of the intervention and may be the real cause of the observed outcome.
the passage of time as the explanation for an outcome.
None of the above.
1 points   
QUESTION 4
The ethical principle to “do no harm” is called:
Beneficence
Respect
Justice
Rigor
UESTION 5
N
Minimum
Maximum
Mean
Std. Deviation
Skewness
Kurtosis
Statistic
Statistic
Statistic
Statistic
Statistic
Statistic
Std. Error
Statistic
Std. Error
Pre Score
60
40.00
99.00
75.43
11.71
-.47
.30
.75
.60
IQ
60
80.00
132.00
101.70
11.63
.86
.30
.61
.60
Family Income
60
10.00
66.00
40.63
15.05
-.13
.30
-1.00
.60
# sentences
60
3.00
28.00
13.62
6.30
.44
.30
-.52
.60
Valid N (listwise)
60
Using the table above
The mean family income for this sample is
75.43
101.7
40.63
13.62
1 points   
QUESTION 6
Required N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
Personal Beliefs about Diversity Scale No Required Course 202 2.08 0.45 0.03
Required Course 89 1.98 0.47 0.05
t-test for Equality of Means
t df Sig.  Mean Difference Std. Error Difference 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference
(2-tailed) Lower Upper
Personal Beliefs about Diversity Scale   1.79 289 0.07 0.1 0.06 -0.01 0.22
Using the above SPSS output answer  the following question…
Assuming the alpha level is 0.05, the researchers should:
Reject the null hypothesis
Fail to reject the null hypothesis
Reject the alternative hypothesis
Fail to reject the alternative hypothesis
1 points   
QUESTION 7
In order to reject the Null Hypothesis, the alpha level has to be _______ the p-value.
less than
equal to
larger than
the inverse of
1 points   
QUESTION 8
“A new randomized control trial of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) suggests that the treatment was not effective in reducing depression symptoms. However, the therapists in the trial were not trained in CBT. This is a problem with _____”
Treatment Diffusion
Treatment Fidelity
Resentful Demoralization
None of the above
1 points   
QUESTION 9
The degree to which the relationship between independent and dependent variables holds true outside the research study setting is called:
Face Validity
Construct Validity
Internal Experimental Validity
External Experimental Validity
1 points   
QUESTION 10
The PRIMARY factor in choosing a research design is the ..
Research question
Target population
Level of resources needed
Amount of time available
1 points   
QUESTION 11
One way to estimate reliability is through repeated measurement of the same participants over time. This is called:
predictive reliability
test-retest
inter-rater reliability
split-half reliability
1 points   
QUESTION 12
A researcher wants to study the effects of a new counseling technique for treating anxiety. He isn’t ethically able to randomly assign subjects to treatment or no treatment, so he decides to compare subjects in treatment to those on the waiting list. This is an example of which research design?
True Experiment Design
Quasi Experiment Design
Causal Comparative Design
Pre-experimental/One-group Design
1 points   
QUESTION 13
The process of using multiple data collection methods to measure the same thing is referred to as:
double-blind strategies
diffusion
selective instrumentation
triangulation
1 points   
QUESTION 14
Which of the following questions is/are important when critically appraising a study that purports to test the effectiveness of an intervention, program or policy?
From a logical standpoint, was the intervention, program or policy the most plausible cause of the observed outcome, or is some alternative explanation also quite plausible?
Was outcome measured in a valid and unbiased manner?
What is the probability that the apparent effectiveness, or lack thereof, can be attributed to statistical chance?
Do the study participants, intervention procedures and results seem applicable to your practice context?
All of the above.
1 points   
QUESTION 15
N
Minimum
Maximum
Mean
Std. Deviation
Skewness
Kurtosis
Statistic
Statistic
Statistic
Statistic
Statistic
Statistic
Std. Error
Statistic
Std. Error
Pre Score
60
40.00
99.00
75.43
11.71
-.47
.30
.75
.60
IQ
60
80.00
132.00
101.70
11.63
.86
.30
.61
.60
Family Income
60
10.00
66.00
40.63
15.05
-.13
.30
-1.00
.60
# sentences
60
3.00
28.00
13.62
6.30
.44
.30
-.52
.60
Valid N (listwise)
60
Using the table above
Which variable has a kurtosis of -.52 with a standard error of .60?
Pre_score
IQ
Family income
# sentences
1 points   
QUESTION 16
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are considered the best form of evidence because they 
Use Random Control Trials
Have random selection
Systematically integrate the best research evidence
Combine the best research methods
All of the above.
1 points   
QUESTION 17
An effective sampling strategy for recruiting “hidden” or hard to locate participants is a:
Convenience sample
Snowball sample
Systematic random sample
Quota sample
1 points   
QUESTION 18
If a scale on aggressive attitudes given to 10 year old children correlated well with aggressive acts they committed in teenage years, the scale is said to have good:
Discriminant validity
Content validity
Criterion validity
Internal consistency
1 points   
QUESTION 19
If you interview participants for a qualitative study and you ask each participant the same questions in the same order, you are most like using what type of interview format?
Rigid
Structured
Semi-structured
Unstructured
1 points   
QUESTION 20
Unstructured interviews are best when a researcher wants to … 
have the respondent address specific issues. 
allow the respondent to be spontaneous.
ensure objectivity.
none of the above
1 points   
QUESTION 21
Using an informed consent form and making participation voluntary are examples of this ethical principle:
Beneficence
Respect
Justice
Rigor
1 points   
QUESTION 22
The ultimate goal of experimental research is to:
Establish cause-and-effect between independent and dependent variables
Obtain a representative sample
Create theory
Give meaning to social experiences from the perspective of those involved
1 points   
QUESTION 23
Which of the following sampling strategies will theoretically yield the most representative sample?
Convenience sample
Snowball sample
Systematic random sample
Quota sample
1 points   
QUESTION 24
Required N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
Personal Beliefs about Diversity Scale No Required Course 202 2.08 0.45 0.03
Required Course 89 1.98 0.47 0.05
t-test for Equality of Means
t df Sig.  Mean Difference Std. Error Difference 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference
(2-tailed) Lower Upper
Personal Beliefs about Diversity Scale   1.79 289 0.07 0.1 0.06 -0.01 0.22
Using the above SPSS output answer the question…
What is the actual probability of committing a Type I error rate if the researcher rejects the null hypothesis?
6%
7%
10%
22%
1 points   
QUESTION 25
The set of objects, events or persons that are the subject of a study is a:
population
cohort
class
sample
1 points   
QUESTION 26
Required N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
Personal Beliefs about Diversity Scale No Required Course 202 2.08 0.45 0.03
Required Course 89 1.98 0.47 0.05
t-test for Equality of Means
t df Sig.  Mean Difference Std. Error Difference 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference
(2-tailed) Lower Upper
Personal Beliefs about Diversity Scale   1.79 289 0.07 0.1 0.06 -0.01 0.22
Using the above SPSS output answer the question…
Assuming that lower scales on the Personal Beliefs about Diversity Scale indicate more positive attitudes, we can conclude from these results that:
Students with a required course have significantly more positive attitudes
Students without a required course have significantly more positive attitudes
Students without a required course have significantly more negative attitudes
There is no significant difference in attitudes between the two groups of students
1 points   
QUESTION 27
Which of the following statements is an example of a null hypothesis?
Females will score higher on the SAT than males.
Level of parental engagement positively affects children’s success in school.
Professional social workers make the same amount of money, on average, as professional psychologists.
Children with higher IQs will have higher GPAs than children with lower IQs.
1 points   
QUESTION 28
Internal experimental validity is the degree to which one can infer that the observed change in the dependent variable is caused by the:
variation in the sample and any extraneous variables
sample size
introduction of the extraneous variable and other independent variable(s)
influence of the independent variable(s) and nothing else
1 points   
QUESTION 29
Which of the following is an example of an evidence-based practice research question?
“What intervention, program, or policy has the best effect? ”
What factors best predict desirable or undesirable outcomes?
What is it like to have had my clientâ s experiences?
All of the above
1 points   
QUESTION 30
When appraising a study on the rates of post-partum depression diagnoses the most important study characteristic is…
Random selection into experimental and control groups
Random probability sampling
Triangulation of depression instruments
None of the above
1 points   
QUESTION 31
The quantitative research design that compares individuals from naturally formed groups, often based on demographics, is called the _____________ design.
True experimental
Quasi experimental
Causal comparative
Pre-experimental
1 points   
QUESTION 32
The best method for answering the research question “What experiences do gay and lesbian clients have at your agency” would be …
Open-ended qualitative interview of gay and lesbian clients
Random probability survey of all agency clients
Randomized Control Trial
None of the above
1 points   
QUESTION 33
If every person in a population has an equal chance of being in the sample, then you have a ________ sample.
Non-probability sample
Minimum probability sample
Reverse probability sample
Probability sample
1 points   
QUESTION 34
The acceptable probability of committing a Type I error is established by the researcher. This value is referred to as the:
Alpha level
p-value
Significance level
Standard deviation
1 points   
QUESTION 35
In qualitative research, the degree to which the results “ring true” is called:
aesthetics
verit
validity
reliability
1 points   
QUESTION 36
To best answer the research questions “What childhood characteristics distinguish abusive parents from non-abusive parents” you would conduct a…
Randomized clinical trial
Panel Study
Cross sectional study
Random probability survey
None of the above
1 points   
QUESTION 37
Which of the following values represents the strongest correlation?
-0.85
-0.01
0.26
0.75
1 points   
QUESTION 38
A free, voluntary continuing education workshop in EBP is offered to practitioners in a large agency. Several months after the workshop is provided, a program evaluator finds that workshop attendees are much more likely to be engaging in EBP than those who did not attenFrom this information we can clued that: 
the workshop was effective.
the difference in outcome might be due to a selectivity bias.
the study had a high degree of internal validity.
“Both a and c, only, above are correct.”
1 points   
QUESTION 39
Qualitative research is more closely aligned with the ___________ process in which observations from a few individuals are used to develop a theory about the larger population.
Deductive
Retroductive
Inductive
Pre-experimental
1 points   
QUESTION 40
N
Minimum
Maximum
Mean
Std. Deviation
Skewness
Kurtosis
Statistic
Statistic
Statistic
Statistic
Statistic
Statistic
Std. Error
Statistic
Std. Error
Pre Score
60
40.00
99.00
75.43
11.71
-.47
.30
.75
.60
IQ
60
80.00
132.00
101.70
11.63
.86
.30
.61
.60
Family Income
60
10.00
66.00
40.63
15.05
-.13
.30
-1.00
.60
# sentences
60
3.00
28.00
13.62
6.30
.44
.30
-.52
.60
Valid N (listwise)
60
Using the table above
What is the range of scores for IQ?
25
52
56
59
1 points   
QUESTION 41
The process of Evidence-Based Practice involves all of the following except…
Critically apprising research evidence
Integrating client preferences
Using practitioner expertise
Remaining faithful to past agency practices.
1 points   
QUESTION 42
Which of the following procedures yields the strongest internal experimental validity?
random assignment
random sampling
random control
random error
1 points   
QUESTION 43
Which of the following is not a part of choosing an evidenced-based practice intervention?
Empirical results from published research
Insurance reimbursement guidelines
Professional expertise
Client characteristics
1 points   
QUESTION 44
A researcher develops a study to answer the question, does amount of sleep affect midterm grades in graduate school? In this study, midterm grades is the ___________ variable.
Independent
Dependent
Extraneous
Confounding
1 points   
QUESTION 45
The process of identifying and stating the researcher’s bias in qualitative research is called:
Member checking
Triangulation
Prolonged engagement
Bracketing
1 points   
QUESTION 46
N
Minimum
Maximum
Mean
Std. Deviation
Skewness
Kurtosis
Statistic
Statistic
Statistic
Statistic
Statistic
Statistic
Std. Error
Statistic
Std. Error
Pre Score
60
40.00
99.00
75.43
11.71
-.47
.30
.75
.60
IQ
60
80.00
132.00
101.70
11.63
.86
.30
.61
.60
Family Income
60
10.00
66.00
40.63
15.05
-.13
.30
-1.00
.60
# sentences
60
3.00
28.00
13.62
6.30
.44
.30
-.52
.60
Valid N (listwise)
60
Using the table above
Which variable is the most skewed?
Pre_score
IQ
Family income
# sentences
1 points   
QUESTION 47
The benefit of probability sampling over non-probability sampling is ..
Generalizability
Reliability
Validity
Interpretability
1 points   
QUESTION 48
Using random assignment to create experimental and control groups is a characteristics of which research design?
True experimental
Quasi experimental
Causal comparative
Pre-experimental
1 points   
QUESTION 49
Choose the correct statistical test for each research question. Place the letter corresponding to the correct statistical test in the space at the end of each question.
–           A.           B.           C.           D.           E.           F.           G.      
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
–           A.           B.           C.           D.           E.           F.           G.      
Paired Samples t-Test
–           A.           B.           C.           D.           E.           F.           G.      
Chi-square (x2)
–           A.           B.           C.           D.           E.           F.           G.      
Independent Samples t-Test
–           A.           B.           C.           D.           E.           F.           G.      
Correlation
–           A.           B.           C.           D.           E.           F.           G.      
Linear Regression
–           A.           B.           C.           D.           E.           F.           G.      
Logistic Regression
A.
Is there a difference in # of days to family reunification for families receiving case managements services compared to families receiving non-traditional peer counseling?
B.
Is there a difference in clientsâ levels of depression before they begin group therapy compared to after they complete therapy?
C.
Are scores on the Compassion Fatigue Inventory survey different between Social Workers, Psychologists, and Clergy?
D.
Is there a relationship between number of years working in the field and level of burnout among public child welfare workers?
E.
Are professional discipline and political party affiliation related?
F.
Are the number of hours spent studying and the number of classes missed predictive of score (0-25 points) on this exam?
G.
Are race, gender, and age predictive of whether or not someone released from prison will be rearrested?
1 points   
QUESTION 50
Which of the following does not apply to establishing the measurement validity of a research instrument?
face validity
construct validity
criterion validity
internal validity
1 points   
QUESTION 51
If a measurement has __________ validity, then we feel confident that it covers the entire range of elements that make up the construct being measured.
Criterion
Content
Concurrent
Construct

Comments

Leave a Reply