CSP Research Methods & Data Analysis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Hawthorne effect refers to:
- Participants performing better due to observation awareness (Correct answer)
- Researchers unconsciously biasing results
- Random measurement error
- Historical events affecting study outcomes
Correct answer: Participants performing better due to observation awareness
The Hawthorne effect occurs when participants change their behavior because they know they are being observed.
Question 2: A chi-square test of independence is appropriate when:
- Both variables are continuous
- Both variables are categorical (Correct answer)
- One variable is continuous and one is ordinal
- The sample size is very small
Correct answer: Both variables are categorical
Chi-square tests of independence assess whether two categorical variables are related in the population.
Question 3: Grounded theory differs from other qualitative approaches because it:
- Relies on pre-existing theoretical frameworks
- Generates theory inductively from data (Correct answer)
- Requires large random samples
- Uses only archival sources
Correct answer: Generates theory inductively from data
Grounded theory builds theoretical explanations inductively through systematic data collection and constant comparison.
Question 4: When a study measures what it claims to measure, it demonstrates:
- Reliability
- Validity (Correct answer)
- Generalizability
- Objectivity
Correct answer: Validity
Validity refers to the degree to which a measurement instrument actually measures the intended concept.
Question 5: Proportionate stratified sampling ensures that:
- All strata are represented equally regardless of size
- Each stratum is represented in proportion to its size in the population (Correct answer)
- Participants self-select into strata
- Strata are formed after data collection
Correct answer: Each stratum is represented in proportion to its size in the population
Proportionate stratified sampling draws the same percentage from each stratum as that stratum represents in the population.
Question 6: Which research design is best suited to establishing temporal order between variables?
- Cross-sectional survey
- Longitudinal panel study (Correct answer)
- Focus group
- Content analysis
Correct answer: Longitudinal panel study
Longitudinal panel studies measure the same respondents at multiple time points, allowing researchers to establish which variable changed first.
Question 7: Cronbach's alpha is used to assess:
- Inter-rater reliability
- Internal consistency reliability (Correct answer)
- Test-retest reliability
- Parallel-forms reliability
Correct answer: Internal consistency reliability
Cronbach's alpha measures the degree to which multiple items in a scale consistently reflect the same underlying construct.
CSP Research Methods & Data Analysis 3
The Hawthorne effect refers to: