Research Methods Flashcards
7 cards from real BCA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Research Methods flashcards as text
The Hawthorne effect refers to changes in participant behavior that occur because:
Answer: They know they are being observed
The Hawthorne effect occurs when participants alter their behavior simply because they are aware of being watched or studied.
Which type of research design is best suited for establishing cause-and-effect relationships?
Answer: True experiment
True experiments with random assignment and controlled conditions are the gold standard for establishing causal relationships.
In qualitative research, 'saturation' refers to the point at which:
Answer: New data no longer yields new themes
Saturation occurs when additional data collection produces no new information or themes, signaling sufficient depth.
A researcher systematically selects every 10th person from a list of 500 names. This is an example of:
Answer: Systematic sampling
Systematic sampling involves selecting every nth element from an ordered list after a random starting point.
Which measure of central tendency is most affected by extreme outliers?
Answer: Mean
The mean is calculated using all values, so a single extreme outlier can substantially shift it in one direction.
Informed consent in research primarily protects participants' right to:
Answer: Know the purpose and voluntarily agree to participate
Informed consent ensures participants understand what the study involves and freely choose to participate without coercion.
A variable that is measured or observed as an outcome in an experiment is the:
Answer: Dependent variable
The dependent variable is the outcome that the researcher measures to determine the effect of the independent variable.