Mass Comm Bachelor of Communication Communication Theory and Research Methods 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'hypothesis' in communication research?
- A testable prediction about the relationship between two or more variables (Correct answer)
- A proven fact established through prior research
- The final conclusion of a completed study
- A theoretical framework guiding a literature review
Correct answer: A testable prediction about the relationship between two or more variables
A hypothesis is a specific, testable prediction that researchers investigate to determine whether a relationship between variables exists.
Question 2: Which research method involves observing subjects in their natural environment without intervention?
- Ethnography (Correct answer)
- Experiment
- Survey
- Content analysis
Correct answer: Ethnography
Ethnography involves researchers immersing themselves in a community or setting to observe behaviors naturally, without controlling variables.
Question 3: What is 'content analysis' as a research method?
- Systematic coding and analysis of media content to identify patterns (Correct answer)
- A focus group reviewing media effectiveness
- A journalist's personal review of published articles
- A legal audit of copyrighted media content
Correct answer: Systematic coding and analysis of media content to identify patterns
Content analysis is a systematic research method that categorizes and quantifies elements within media texts to identify patterns, themes, or trends.
Question 4: What does 'reliability' mean in the context of research measurement?
- Consistency of results when the same measure is applied repeatedly (Correct answer)
- Whether a study measures what it claims to measure
- The accuracy of a study's conclusions
- The representativeness of the sample chosen
Correct answer: Consistency of results when the same measure is applied repeatedly
Reliability refers to the consistency and repeatability of a measurement tool — a reliable measure produces the same result under the same conditions.
Question 5: What is 'spiral of silence theory' in communication?
- People with minority opinions stay silent to avoid social isolation (Correct answer)
- Broadcast media suppress minority viewpoints through editorial silence
- Audiences become silent when overwhelmed by information overload
- Governments use media silence to suppress political dissent
Correct answer: People with minority opinions stay silent to avoid social isolation
Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann's spiral of silence theory argues that individuals who perceive their opinions as minority views tend to self-censor to avoid social rejection.
Question 6: What is 'random sampling' in communication research?
- Every member of a population has an equal chance of being selected (Correct answer)
- Participants are selected based on convenience
- Researchers choose subjects with the most relevant expertise
- Subjects self-select by volunteering for the study
Correct answer: Every member of a population has an equal chance of being selected
Random sampling gives every individual in a population an equal probability of selection, reducing bias and allowing findings to be generalized.
Mass Comm Bachelor of Communication Communication Theory and Research Methods 2
What is a 'hypothesis' in communication research?