Research Methods in Practice: Strategies for Description and Causation Second Edition Test Bank

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Chapter One1. Simply put, research methods refer to*A.The techniques and procedures that produce evidenceB.Using internet sources to uncover why research studies are conductedC.Identifying who sponsors research projectsD.All of the above2. Which of the following represents a way research has become a part of modern publicpolicy and management?A.Performance measureB.Program evaluationC.Evidence-based policy*D.All of the above3. A way that evidence can mislead audiences if not done properly is through:A.Misleading MeasurementsB.Misleading SamplesC.Misleading Correlations*D.All of the above* 4. Primary research includes:A.Research that can be conducted at the libraryB.Research that can be done by collecting original dataC.Research done with original analysis of existing data*D.B and C onlyE.None of the above5. Secondary research includes:*A.Research that can be conducted at the libraryB.Research that can be done by collecting original dataC.Research done with original analysis of existing dataD.B and C onlyE.None of the above6. The following is an example of a causal research question:A.What is the unemployment rate in Iceland?B.Do college graduates earn more than high school graduates?*C.Will free after-school tutoring raise graduation rates?D.B and C onlyE.All of the above

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7. Key features of research include:A.It comes in various shapes and sizesB.It is never perfectC.It aims to generalize*D.All of the above8. The following is an example of a descriptive research question:A.What is the unemployment rate in Iceland?B.Will free after-school tutoring raise graduation rates?C.Do college graduates earn more than high school graduates?*D.B and C only9. Practitioners consume research in the following forms:A.Reports of government agenciesB.Reports by advocacy organizationsC.Summaries in the mediaD.Journal articles*E.All of the above10. A reading test that shows an improvement in reading, when in fact no suchimprovement has occurred, is an example of a misleading ________________*a. measurement11. A poll that aims to describe the movie-going habits of all US adults, taken of peoplecoming out of movie theaters, is an example of a misleading _________________.*a. sample12. A study of grade school children found that shoe size is related to reading ability(children with bigger feet read better). But the study forgot to take account of thechildren’s ages.This is an example of a misleading _____________.*a. correlation13. Original data that are collected by the researcher him/herself is called______________ data, whereas data that collected by others is called _____________data.*a. primary;secondary14. Becausesocial and policy research is difficult to pin down, researchers often employ

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multiple methods to confirm their findings, an approach called _______________.*a. triangulation15. ____________ research is based on a practical need to know, whereas_____________ research refers to the pursuit of one’s own knowledge.*a. applied;basic16. The process of research involves competition and criticism, such that most researchjournals and funding programs use a ________________process to render a judgment onthe worth of the paper or proposal.*a. peer-review17. Descriptive research addresses the question ______________, whereas, causalresearch addressesthe question ______________.*a. what is; what if18. Philosophers refer to the many ways ofknowingabout the world as__________________.*a. epistemologies19. A researcher who makes observations and then develops a logical explanation isusing the ____________ approach to employ the scientific method.*a. inductive20. A research who begins with a logical explanation and then gathers evidence tosupport this explanation is utilizing the ______________ approach to employ thescientific method.a. deductive21. _________ is the ability to take the results of research and apply them in situationsother than the exact one in whichthe research was carried out.*a. generalizability22. Discuss how evidence can be misleading, if not embarrassing, if it is not doneaccording to proper methods@ (See page 6)*a. Answers will vary

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23. Identify and describe the key components of the scientific method. Why is itimportant to adhere to this method when conducting research studies?@(See page 13)*a. Answers will vary24. What does the statement mean, “Social phenomena are more complex and varied thanbiological phenomena.” How does this impact the use of the scientific method?@(See pages 13-14)*a. Answers will vary25. Why do researchers need to be concerned about ethics in conducting research? Howcan this impact the findings of the study?@ (See page 17)*a. Answers will vary26. In an area of interest to you, give an example of a descriptive research question. In thesame area, give an example of a causal research question*a. Answers will vary27. In an area of interest to you, discuss how research would help you to solve a problemor issue.*a. Answers will vary

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Chapter Two1.A theory has observable implications. In other words, it generatesA.AbstractionsB.ReplicationsC.Findings*D.Hypotheses2. Theories:A.Identify key variablesB.Tell causal storiesC.Explain variation*D.All of the above3. Hypotheses are:*A.predictions of what will happen if your theory is correctB.true statements based upon our researchC.not subject to falsificationD.vague and uncertain4. The path diagram X→Y represents a causal theory. An explanation ofhowchange in Xproduces change in Y is also an important part of the theory; it is called the*A.Causal mechanismB.Causal modelC.Causal informationD.Causal influence5. In the statement “Raising taxes stifles economic growth” which of the following are true:A.Taxes is the dependent variable*B.Taxes is the independent variableC.Economic growth is the independent variableD.Economic growth and taxes are positively relatedE.Both A and C6. Logic models …A.communicate an underlying theoryB.show the causal mechanisms of how a program is thought to workC.may include activities needed to implement the programD.are often required by funding agencies*E.All of the above

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7. Officials at a public housing agency wanted to know whether supportive housing, whichcombines affordable housing with social services, helps low-income single mothers recover fromsubstance abuse and maintain employment. A research study showed that length of residence insupportive housing was negatively correlated with substance abuse but was not significantlyrelated to employment. Which of the following is the dependent variable in this study?A. Length of residence in supportive housingB. Substance abuseC. EmploymentD. Social services*E. Both B and C8. A study looked at World Bank data on the political stability and economic growth of countriesin the world. It found that more politically stable countries experienced more economic growth.Which of the following is the unit of analysis in this study?A. Political stabilityB. Economic growth*C. CountriesD. World Bank dataE. None of the above9.Many citieshave created non-emergency phone numbers that citizens can call with questionsor comments about public services. However, complaints about government services may risejust because complaining is easier. In cities with very low service quality, that relationship maynot be as strong because citizens were already making a lot of complaints through other means.On the other hand, citizens often appreciate the non-emergency phone number service, whichcan improve local government’s reputation, and in turn, decrease the number of complaints aboutgovernment. Other factors, of course, affect the number of complaints besides the non-emergency phone number. For example, news coverage of local government affairs may raiseawareness of particular issues and generate additional complaints.A foundation interested in local government affairs developed a logic model and research designto test these hypotheses. The foundation wanted to find out whether the rate of citizencomplaints about local government was higher in cities with non-emergency lines, and whetherthe number of complaints increased after cities adopted non-emergency phone numbers.

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What is the unit of analysis in this model?*A. CitiesB. IndividualsC. ComplaintsD. Quantitative10. Many cities have created non-emergency phone numbers that citizens can call with questionsor comments about public services. However, complaints about government services may risejust because complaining is easier. In cities with very low service quality, that relationship maynot be as strong because citizens were already making a lot of complaints through other means.On the other hand, citizens often appreciate the non-emergency phone number service, whichcan improve local government’s reputation, and in turn, decrease the number of complaints aboutgovernment. Other factors, of course, affect the number of complaints besides the non-emergency phone number. For example, news coverage of local government affairs may raiseawareness of particular issues and generate additional complaints.A foundation interested in local government affairs developed a logic model and research designto test these hypotheses. The foundation wanted to find out whether the rate of citizencomplaints about local government was higher in cities with non-emergency lines, and whetherthe number of complaints increased after cities adopted non-emergency phone numbers.Service qualityAdopting a non-emergency city phonenumberNumber ofcomplaints per100,000peopleMedia coverage of localgovernment affairsPerceivedreputation ofgovernment+

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Which of the following is NOT an independent variable in the model?A. Perceived reputation of governmentB. Media coverage of local government affairs*C. ComplaintsD. Both A and C11. Many cities have created non-emergency phone numbers that citizens can call with questionsor comments about public services. However, complaints about government services may risejust because complaining is easier. In cities with very low service quality, that relationship maynot be as strong because citizens were already making a lot of complaints through other means.On the other hand, citizens often appreciate the non-emergency phone number service, whichcan improve local government’s reputation, and in turn, decrease the number of complaints aboutgovernment. Other factors, of course, affect the number of complaints besides the non-emergency phone number. For example, news coverage of local government affairs may raiseawareness of particular issues and generate additional complaints.A foundation interested in local government affairs developed a logic model and research designto test these hypotheses. The foundation wanted to find out whether the rate of citizencomplaints about local government was higher in cities with non-emergency lines, and whetherthe number of complaints increased after cities adopted non-emergency phone numbers.Service qualityAdopting a non-emergency city phonenumberNumber ofcomplaints per100,000peopleMedia coverage of localgovernment affairsPerceivedreputation ofgovernment+

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Which of the following is NOT a dependent variable in this model?A. ComplaintsB. Adopting a non-emergency city phone numberC. Media coverage*D. Both B and C12. Many cities have created non-emergency phone numbers that citizens can call with questionsor comments about public services. However, complaints about government services may risejust because complaining is easier. In cities with very low service quality, that relationship maynot be as strong because citizens were already making a lot of complaints through other means.On the other hand, citizens often appreciate the non-emergency phone number service, whichcan improve local government’s reputation, and in turn, decrease the number of complaints aboutgovernment. Other factors, of course, affect the number of complaints besides the non-emergency phone number. For example, news coverage of local government affairs may raiseawareness of particular issues and generate additional complaints.A foundation interested in local government affairs developed a logic model and research designto test these hypotheses. The foundation wanted to find out whether the rate of citizencomplaints about local government was higher in cities with non-emergency lines, and whetherthe number of complaints increased after cities adopted non-emergency phone numbers.Service qualityAdopting a non-emergency city phonenumberNumber ofcomplaints per100,000peopleMedia coverage of localgovernment affairsPerceivedreputation ofgovernment+

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Which of the following is a moderator variable in this model?A. Perceived reputation of governmentB. Media coverage of local government affairs*C. Service qualityD. Adopting a non-emergency city phone number13.Many cities have created non-emergency phone numbers that citizens can call with questionsor comments about public services. However, complaints about government services may risejust because complaining is easier. In cities with very low service quality, that relationship maynot be as strong because citizens were already making a lot of complaints through other means.On the other hand, citizens often appreciate the non-emergency phone number service, whichcan improve local government’s reputation, and in turn, decrease the number of complaints aboutgovernment. Other factors, of course, affect the number of complaints besides the non-emergency phone number. For example, news coverage of local government affairs may raiseawareness of particular issues and generate additional complaints.A foundation interested in local government affairs developed a logic model and research designto test these hypotheses. The foundation wanted to find out whether the rate of citizencomplaints about local government was higher in cities with non-emergency lines, and whetherthe number of complaints increased after cities adopted non-emergency phone numbers.Service qualityAdopting a non-emergency city phonenumberNumber ofcomplaints per100,000peopleMedia coverage of localgovernment affairsPerceivedreputation ofgovernment+

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Which of the following is a mediator (intervening) variable in this model?*A. Perceived reputation of governmentB. Media coverage of local government affairsC. Service qualityD. Adopting a non-emergency city phone number14.Many cities have created non-emergency phone numbers that citizens can call with questionsor comments about public services. However, complaints about government services may risejust because complaining is easier. In cities with very low service quality, that relationship maynot be as strong because citizens were already making a lot of complaints through other means.On the other hand, citizens often appreciate the non-emergency phone number service, whichcan improve local government’s reputation, and in turn, decrease the number of complaints aboutgovernment. Other factors, of course, affect the number of complaints besides the non-emergency phone number. For example, news coverage of local government affairs may raiseawareness of particular issues and generate additional complaints.A foundation interested in local government affairs developed a logic model and research designto test these hypotheses. The foundation wanted to find out whether the rate of citizencomplaints about local government was higher in cities with non-emergency lines, and whetherthe number of complaints increased after cities adopted non-emergency phone numbers.Service qualityAdopting a non-emergency city phonenumberNumber ofcomplaints per100,000peopleMedia coverage of localgovernment affairsPerceivedreputation ofgovernment+

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Which of the following is true?A.The causal arrow from perceived reputation to complaints should have a + sign,indicating a positive relationshipB.The causal arrow from perceived reputation to complaints should have a-sign,indicating a negative relationshipC.The causal arrow from media coverage to complaints should have a + sign, indicatinga positive relationshipD.A and C*E.B and C15. Theories are created from a number of sources, including:A.Grand theoriesB.Academic disciplinesC.Induction and deduction*D.All of the above16. A ______________ is a graphical or mathematical representation that serves to articulate andcommunicate a theory.A.paradigmB.empirical function*C.modelD.descriptiveService qualityAdopting a non-emergency city phonenumberNumber ofcomplaints per100,000peopleMedia coverage of localgovernment affairsPerceivedreputation ofgovernment+

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17. In the statement, disorder causes crime, disorder is the ____________ variable, and crime isthe _______________ variable.*A.independent, dependentB. intervening, uncertainC. dependent, independentD. first, second18. ________________ variables represent steps in the causal process leading from theindependent to the dependent variable.A.disjointedB.unregulated*C.interveningD.none of the above19. A _____________ represents the objects or things described by the variables in a model, andcan also be thought of as the level of aggregation or disaggregation.*A. unit of analysisB.unit of functionC.unit of ratioD.unit of idea20. Which ismost clearlyan example of a positive (not normative) question?A.Why doesn’t the government provide more money for childcare?B.Who deserves childcare vouchersmore—single working mothers or parents of children withdisabilities?C.Should childcare vouchers cover only licensed day care or also care by a family member?*D.Does receiving a childcare voucher lead to increased family income?21. Over the last few decades, data shows that fertility rates have been falling steadily in Asia.This statement refersto _______________ variation.*a. longitudinal22. In 2009, fertility rates were lower in European countries and higher in Latin Americancountries. This statement refers to _______________ variation.*a. cross-sectional23. Age is a major risk factor for heart disease, yet researchers often choose to study factors thatpeople have control over, such as diet and exercise. In this example, age is a _____________variable while diet and exercise are_____________ variables.

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*a. nonmodifiable; modifiable24. A path diagram is composed of circles and arrows. The circles represent ___________ andthe arrows represent _____________.*a. variables; relationships25. Densely populated cities tend to have lower rates of obesity but higher rates of asthma. Withrespect to their direction , density→obesity is a __________ relationship, and density→ashma isa __________ relationship.*a. negative; positive26.Please discuss several specific tips for creating a logic model. Why are these in particularimportant to the process?*a. Answers will vary27.Please discuss the importance of identifying inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes as partof developing a logic model.*a. Answers will vary28.An environmental advocacy group is interested in whether a tax on companies that pollutethe air based on CO2 emissions would decrease the firms’ emissions. However, members of thegroup are concerned that while small businesses might decrease emissions as much as possible toavoid the tax, large corporations might be able to afford the tax and just continue polluting.Based on the group’s theory, write in the names of the independent, dependent, and moderatorvariables, and add signs to indicate the directions of the relationships.

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*a. Answers will vary29.A human resources department wanted toincrease job satisfaction among employees byoffering more health benefits. But there are many factors that may affect job satisfaction besidesbenefits, including organization characteristics such as leadership, job characteristics such asinteresting work, and individual characteristics such as level of experience. Further, better healthbenefits may lead to improvements in employees’ general health and wellbeing, which has alsobeen found to affect job satisfaction. Finally, increasing benefits may send a message toemployees that they are valued contributors to the organization, which could also increase theirjob satisfaction. Create a path model showing the hypothesized relationship between benefitsand job satisfaction and including other causes and intervening variables.*a. Answers will vary30.Please discuss one example of an applied research question that you may be interested inexamining specific to your field of study.*a. Answers will vary

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