Research Methods & Data Analysis Flashcards

A researcher finds a correlation of r = 0.85 between education and income. The coefficient of determination (r²) indicates that education explains approximately:

Answer: 72% of the variance in income

r² = 0.85² ≈ 0.72, meaning education accounts for roughly 72% of the variance in income.

A Type II error in hypothesis testing occurs when a researcher:

Answer: Fails to reject a false null hypothesis

A Type II error (false negative) occurs when a researcher fails to detect a real effect that actually exists.

Which qualitative method involves systematic analysis of texts, images, or media content?

Answer: Content analysis

Content analysis systematically examines communicative material to identify patterns, themes, or meanings.

In mixed-methods research, triangulation primarily serves to:

Answer: Enhance validity by converging findings from multiple methods

Triangulation uses multiple methods or data sources to cross-validate findings, strengthening confidence in conclusions.

A researcher studying poverty interviews only welfare office clients. This introduces:

Answer: Sampling bias

Sampling bias occurs when the sample is not representative of the target population, here excluding poor people who do not use welfare offices.

In multivariate analysis, a control variable is used to:

Answer: Rule out alternative explanations for the relationship between two variables

Holding a control variable constant allows researchers to examine whether a relationship holds independently of a potential confound.

The unit of analysis in a study of divorce rates across U.S. states is:

Answer: U.S. states

The unit of analysis is the entity about which data are collected; here each state is one case in the dataset.