CRS Research Design & Methodology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A researcher wants to establish that a training program CAUSES improved employee performance. Which design best supports this causal claim?
- Cross-sectional survey
- Randomized controlled experiment (Correct answer)
- Correlational study
- Case study
Correct answer: Randomized controlled experiment
Randomized controlled experiments with random assignment to treatment and control groups are the gold standard for establishing causation.
Question 2: Which type of validity refers to whether a study's findings can be generalized to other populations, settings, and times?
- Internal validity
- Construct validity
- External validity (Correct answer)
- Face validity
Correct answer: External validity
External validity concerns the generalizability of research findings beyond the specific study sample and context.
Question 3: In a quasi-experimental design, what is the PRIMARY difference from a true experiment?
- No dependent variable is measured
- Participants are not randomly assigned to conditions (Correct answer)
- No control group is used
- The researcher does not manipulate any variable
Correct answer: Participants are not randomly assigned to conditions
Quasi-experiments lack random assignment, making it harder to rule out confounding variables compared to true experiments.
Question 4: A research study measures the same participants at ages 20, 30, and 40. This is an example of:
- Cross-sectional design
- Longitudinal design (Correct answer)
- Case-control design
- Retrospective design
Correct answer: Longitudinal design
A longitudinal design follows the same participants over an extended period to observe changes.
Question 5: Which research approach is best suited for generating hypotheses rather than testing them?
- Deductive research
- Exploratory research (Correct answer)
- Confirmatory research
- Experimental research
Correct answer: Exploratory research
Exploratory research is used to investigate understudied areas and generate hypotheses for future testing.
Question 6: When a researcher operationally defines 'stress' as the score on a validated stress scale, this addresses which measurement concern?
- Reliability
- Sampling bias
- Construct validity (Correct answer)
- Response bias
Correct answer: Construct validity
Construct validity ensures the measurement tool accurately captures the abstract concept it is intended to measure.
Question 7: Which of the following is an example of a within-subjects (repeated measures) design?
- Comparing test scores of students in two different schools
- Testing the same participants under both control and treatment conditions (Correct answer)
- Randomly assigning half a class to a new curriculum
- Surveying different age groups at one point in time
Correct answer: Testing the same participants under both control and treatment conditions
Within-subjects designs expose the same participants to all conditions, reducing error variance due to individual differences.
CRS Research Design & Methodology 2
A researcher wants to establish that a training program CAUSES improved employee performance.
Which design best supports this causal claim?