Communication Skills Research & Evidence-Based Practice 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A researcher studies how social media use affects workplace communication by collecting data at a single point in time. This is a:
- Longitudinal study
- Cross-sectional study (Correct answer)
- Panel study
- Experimental study
Correct answer: Cross-sectional study
A cross-sectional study collects data from participants at one point in time, providing a snapshot but making it difficult to establish temporal relationships.
Question 2: Which citation style is most commonly required for communication and social science research in the US?
- MLA
- Chicago/Turabian
- APA (Correct answer)
- IEEE
Correct answer: APA
APA (American Psychological Association) style is the standard for social sciences, including communication studies, in the United States.
Question 3: A focus group differs from an individual interview primarily because:
- Focus groups require written rather than spoken responses
- Interaction among participants generates data that individual interviews cannot (Correct answer)
- Focus groups are always conducted online
- Individual interviews allow more participants per session
Correct answer: Interaction among participants generates data that individual interviews cannot
The group dynamic in focus groups produces data through participant interaction, debate, and consensus-building that cannot emerge in one-on-one interviews.
Question 4: Operationalization in communication research means:
- Conducting the study in a real-world operational setting
- Defining abstract concepts in measurable, observable terms (Correct answer)
- Getting operational approval from an ethics board
- Applying research findings to organizational operations
Correct answer: Defining abstract concepts in measurable, observable terms
Operationalization translates abstract constructs like 'communication apprehension' into specific, measurable indicators that can be observed and quantified.
Question 5: An Institutional Review Board (IRB) primarily evaluates research proposals to ensure:
- The study will produce statistically significant results
- Participant rights and welfare are protected (Correct answer)
- The research will be published in a top-tier journal
- Funding is allocated appropriately
Correct answer: Participant rights and welfare are protected
IRBs review research involving human participants to ensure studies comply with ethical standards protecting participants' rights, privacy, and well-being.
Question 6: In a survey measuring communication confidence, a Likert scale response option would look like:
- Yes / No
- Open text field for participant response
- Strongly Disagree / Disagree / Neutral / Agree / Strongly Agree (Correct answer)
- Multiple correct answers from a list
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree / Disagree / Neutral / Agree / Strongly Agree
Likert scales present ordered response options ranging from one extreme to another, capturing the degree of agreement or disagreement with a statement.
Question 7: Which threat to internal validity occurs when participants in a long-term communication study change due to aging or life events rather than the treatment?
- Selection bias
- Attrition
- Maturation (Correct answer)
- Instrumentation
Correct answer: Maturation
Maturation refers to natural changes within participants over time that may explain outcome differences independent of the experimental treatment.
Communication Skills Research & Evidence-Based Practice 4
A researcher studies how social media use affects workplace communication by collecting data at a single point in time.
This is a: