Research Methods Flashcards

A rehabilitation counselor reviews 10 years of client records to examine trends in disability-related employment barriers. This is an example of:

Answer: Archival research

Archival research analyzes existing records or documents rather than collecting new primary data.

Which qualitative data collection method involves the researcher observing participants in their natural environment without manipulating variables?

Answer: Naturalistic observation

Naturalistic observation involves studying behavior in real-world settings without researcher interference.

In a multiple regression analysis, multicollinearity refers to:

Answer: High correlation among predictor variables

Multicollinearity occurs when independent variables are highly intercorrelated, making it difficult to isolate each predictor's effect.

The Hawthorne effect is a threat to internal validity because:

Answer: Participants change behavior simply because they are being observed

The Hawthorne effect occurs when awareness of being studied alters participant behavior, confounding results.

A researcher computes a 95% confidence interval for mean job placement rates. This interval means:

Answer: There is a 95% probability the true population mean lies within this interval across repeated sampling

A 95% CI means that if the study were repeated many times, 95% of such intervals would contain the true population parameter.

Which measure of central tendency is most resistant to the influence of extreme outliers?

Answer: Median

The median is not affected by extreme values because it reflects the middle rank, not the arithmetic average.

A single-subject research design that involves withdrawing a treatment to demonstrate its effect is called an:

Answer: ABA (reversal) design

The ABA reversal design reinstates baseline conditions after treatment to confirm the treatment caused behavioral change.