Advanced Financial Accounting 12th Edition Christensen Test Bank
Advanced Financial Accounting 12th Edition Christensen Test Bank
Chapter 2
Research Approaches and Methods of Data Collection
Learning Objectives
Chapter Outline
– weaknesses
sometimes expensive
might be difficult to find a focus group moderator with good facilitative and rapport-building skills
reactive and investigator effects
might be dominated by one or two participants
difficult to generalize results if small, unrepresentative samples of participants are used
might include large amount of extra or unnecessary information
measurement validity might be low
usually should not be the only data collection methods used in a study
data analysis can be time consuming because of the open-ended nature of the data
• Observation
– naturalistic observation
done in real-world settings
– laboratory observation
conducted in a lab or other controlled environment
– time-interval sampling
observing during preselected time intervals
e.g., first 5 minutes of each 30-minute time interval
– event sampling
every time that a particular event takes place
• Existing or secondary data
– “data” that were originally left behind or used for some purpose other than the new research study
– most frequently used existing data
documents, physical data, and archived research data
– archived research data
• secondary research data that were collected by other researchers for other purposes
• Strengths of documents and physical data
– unobtrusive
– can be collected for time periods occurring in the past
– provides background and historical data
– useful for corroboration
– grounded in local setting
– useful for exploration
• Strengths of archived research data
– available on a wide variety of topics
– inexpensive
– often are reliable and valid
– can study trends
– ease of data analysis
– often based on high quality or large probability samples
• Weaknesses of documents and physical data
might be incomplete
–
might represent only one perspective
–
access may be limited
–
might not provide insight into participants’ personal thinking for physical data
–
might not apply to general populations
–
• Weaknesses of archived research data
– might not be available for the population of interest
– might not be available for your research questions
– data might be dated
– open-ended or qualitative data usually not available
– most important findings have already been mined from the data
Multiple-choice questions
1. What is the main difference between descriptive and experimental research approaches?
a. the former always uses qualitative data while the latter always uses quantitative data
b. descriptive research is done by social scientists while natural scientists do experimental research
c. descriptive research involves manipulating variables but experimental research does
not
* d. experimental research is designed to establish cause-and-effect relationships but descriptive research
focuses on describing something
a. Qualitative; quantitative
b. Experimental; descriptive
* c. Quantitative; qualitative
d. Quantity ; quality
a. pictures
b. ratings of teacher effectiveness
c. reaction time
* d. b and c
4. Which of the following is NOT an example of data collected in a quantitative research study?
a. reaction time
* b. gender
c. age
d. height
6. Which of the following is an example of a quantitative variable?
a. gender
b. religion
* c. College GPA
d. relationship status
7. The _________ variable is the presumed cause of another variable while the ________ variable is the
presumed effect.
* a. independent; dependent
b. dependent; independent
c. independent; extraneous
d. dependent; mediating
8. In a study designed to identify factors involved in helping behavior, a man on a crowded bus clutches his
chest and falls to the floor. In one of the conditions of the study the man is clean shaven and wearing a suit; in
the other condition he has a scraggly beard and is wearing a dirty t-shirt and jeans. The amount of time it takes
for someone to help the man is recorded. In this example the independent variable is
9. In a study designed to identify factors involved in helping behavior, a man on a crowded bus clutches his
chest and falls to the floor. In one of the conditions of the study the man is clean shaven and wearing a suit; in
the other condition he has a scraggly beard and is wearing a dirty t-shirt and jeans. The amount of time it takes
for someone to help the man is recorded. In this example the dependent variable is
10. A(n) ______________ variable is one that can compete with the independent variable in explaining the
outcome of the experiment.
a. independent
* b. extraneous
c. dependent
d. moderating
11. A researcher is interested in the effects of teaching styles on learning. She randomly assigns students to
either a lecture-based class taught at 8:00 a.m. or a discussion-based class taught at 2:00 p.m. Her results reveal
that students in the discussion-based class performed better than those in the lecture-based class. In this example
the time that the class is taught could be considered a(n) _________ variable, making it impossible to establish
a causal connection between teaching method and classroom performance.
a. independent
b. dependent
* c. extraneous
d. mediating
12. Several recent studies have found that moderate drinkers of alcohol have lowered levels of heart disease risk
than non-drinkers. It has been hypothesized that moderate drinking may reduce stress which in turn may lead to
a reduction in the risk of heart disease. In this example lowered stress levels would be considered a(n)
__________ variable.
a. independent
b. dependent
c. extraneous
* d. mediating
13. A(n) ___________ variable specifies how a causal relationship between two variables is different depending
on a particular situation or circumstance. For example, if a researcher finds that a new experimental drug is
effective in alleviating depression in young adult but not older adults.
a. mediating
* b. moderating
c. extraneous
d. independent
14. According to your text there are three conditions for making justified claims of cause and effect. Which of
the following is NOT one of these conditions?
15. An effect is
17. Experimental research, as opposed to nonexperimental research, allows us to make statements about cause-
and-effect relationships. Why is this so?
19. According to the text, “observations of phenomena that are made to occur” in a psychology experiment,
phenomenon refers to
a. an emotion.
b. a thought.
* c. an observable behavior.
d. a natural event.
21. What is the most critical aspect of the experimental method that allows us to make statements about cause
and effect based on experimental data?
a. real-life setting
b. operationalism
c. objectivity
* d. control
22. As noted in your text, one disadvantage of the experimental approach is the inability to:
a. control extraneous variables
b. establish cause and effect
* c. assess the effects of variables that cannot be manipulated
d. make objective observations
23. According to your text, what is probably the most commonly cited disadvantage of using laboratory
experiments to learn about human behavior?
* a. because they tend to be done in highly controlled settings, their results may not be generalizable to
the real world
b. with their mechanistic approach to human behavior, they ignore the participants' thoughts and
emotions
c. operational definitions reduce the abstract concept to a trivial level, making broad interpretations
difficult at best
d. because they tend to use other species, the results are usually irrelevant to human
behavior
25. What is the main difference between experimentation done in a field setting and experimentation done in a
laboratory?
26. Compared with field research, which of the following is true about laboratory research?
a. natural behaviors.
b. natural settings.
c. natural treatments.
* d. all of the above.
28. An advantage of doing experiments in the laboratory over the field setting is that
29. Why might laboratory experiments be criticized as less than valuable and potentially problematic?
30. An increasing number of researchers are conducting experiments over the Internet because of the
advantages it affords. Which of the following is NOT an advantage of using the Internet to conduct and
experiment?
31. An increasing number of researchers are conducting experiments over the Internet because of the
advantages it affords. Which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of using the Internet to conduct and
experiment?
* a. the experiment is brought to the participant instead of the participant coming to the
experiment
b. there is a less experimental control
c. there is a greater probability of self-selection
d. there is a greater probability of dropout of participants
34. In chapter 1, we learned that the main objectives of scientific research are description, explanation,
prediction, and control. Of all the nonexperimental research techniques studied, correlational research is
particularly well suited for which objectives?
* a. the possibility that two variables are correlated because both are caused by a third
variable.
b. the ambiguity introduced when doing more complex research with more than two
variables.
c. not considering “age” as a variable when doing developmental research.
d. the influence of the IV in quantitative experimental research.
37. Ramon determines that in his neighborhood “amount of ice cream consumed” and “number of violent
crimes” are positively correlated -- the more ice cream consumed, the more crimes are committed. He concludes
that something in ice cream leads people to commit violent crimes. What has Ramon overlooked?
* a. the "third variable" problem as some other variable could lead to an increase in both ice cream
consumption and violent crime
b. the reactive effect as the people in his neighborhood were probably aware that he was observing
them, and altered their behavior toward what they thought he wanted to see
c. his observations are qualitative and therefore inappropriate
d. he collected his data only after-the-fact
38. If we find that two variables are correlated, which of the following conclusions would be unjustified?
* a. we know that changes in one of the variables cause changes in the other
b. we know that we can predict to some extent the value of one variable if we know the value of the
other
c. we know that the two variables covary, i.e., change in value together
d. we know that we have quantified a relationship between the two variables
39. Although we cannot establish causality from a correlational study, statistical techniques are available to help
clarify relationships. One of these is known as _________ and involves identifying multiple variables that are
related to a single outcome either directly or indirectly (through mediating variables).
* a. path analysis
b. triangulation
c. multiple covariance
d. test of inference
40. You want to conduct a study to determine whether wedding proposals tend occur more frequently during
storm-related power outages. What kind of study would you be conducting?
a. meta-analysis
b. longitudinal
* c. natural manipulation
d. phenomenological
a. select groups of participants from each age group and study each group at one time.
b. observe and participate in the behavior in question.
c. measure the degree to which the behavior changed when a factor thought to influence it also changes.
* d. study one group of similarly aged people multiple times over a long period of time.
42. A researcher decides to measure the development of moral reasoning from early to late childhood. At a
single point in time she tests 20 four-year olds, 20 six-year olds, and 20 eight-year olds by presenting each with
the same moral dilemma and recording their responses on a questionnaire. She then compares the performance
of the three groups. The researcher is using a type of design referred to as:
a. longitudinal
* b. cross-sectional
c. cohort-sequential
d. qualitative
43. Suppose a researcher used a cross-sectional research design and found that older adults tend to be more
socially conservative than younger adults. He concludes that as we get older we tend to become more
conservative in our thinking. Which of the following is a potential problem with this conclusion?
44. A research technique that combines features of both longitudinal and cross-sectional designs – testing
cohorts of individuals but also retesting them over time – is referred to as a __________ design.
* a. cross-sequential
b. qualitative
c. repeated cross-sectional
d. grouped longitudinal
45. For his senior thesis, Jacob is studying the development of motor coordination in monkeys from birth to old
age, but only has one semester to collect his data. What kind of descriptive research design should he use?
a. longitudinal
b. experimental
* c. cross sectional
d. historical
49. ___________ research is primarily descriptive and useful in theory generation while _______ research is
more useful in testing hypotheses.
a. Quantitative; qualitative
* b. Qualitative; quantitative
c. Experimental; correlational
d. Cross-sectional; longitudinal
a. because it is typically conducted in an artificial laboratory setting the findings may not
apply to the real world
b. results from qualitative research are overly objective – not allowing for interpretation
of individual participants perspectives
c. it is not particularly useful for generating theoretical ideas
* d. different researchers may provide different interpretations of the same data
52. Focus groups are useful in which of the following types of research?
a. experimental
* b. qualitative
c. quantitative
d. correlational
53. ______________ observation is done in the real world, while ______________ observation is done in a
controlled environment.
a. Laboratory; naturalistic
b. Event; time-sampling
c. Participant; complete
* d. Naturalistic; laboratory
54. Which of the following is NOT a weakness of observation as a major method of data collection?
a. reactivity
* b. typically dominated by one participant
c. can be expensive
d. data analysis can be time consuming.
55. Which of the following methods of data collection is used to measure personality, aptitude, achievement, or
performance?
a. observation
b. focus groups
* c. tests
d. secondary data
56. Which of the following is a weakness of using tests at a method of data collection?
a. expense
b. reactivity
c. biased questions
* d. all of the above
57. ___________ are a paper and pencil self report method of collecting attitude and opinion information, while
___________ are a face to face self report method for collecting the same information.
* a. Questionnaires; interviews
b. Tests; interviews
c. Interviews; questionnaires
d. Questionnaires; focus groups
a. questionnaires
b. interviews
c. focus groups
* d. all of the above
59. Which of the following is a strength of a face to face interview over a paper and pencil questionnaire?
60. ______________ data is data that was left behind by another research or collected for some other purpose.
a. Primary
b. Interview
* c. Secondary
d. Observation
61. Tammy decided to explore public health data to find the percentage of individuals who have contracted
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as part of her thesis on program evaluation of educational materials
available to college students on STDs. This is an example of using
a. correlational data
b. qualitative data
c. interview data
* d. existing data
Vocabulary
Essay questions
1) Identify two non-experimental research techniques discussed in your textbook. Describe the major
advantages and limitations of each.
2) Compare and contrast quantitative and qualitative research. Give an example of each and then give an
example of a research study that combines both in one study.
3) Describe a simple experiment (do not use one discussed in your text) and identify the independent and
dependent variables.
6) How does your book define a psychological experiment? Discuss each of the four important components of
this definition.
7) List and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the experimental approach.
8) One of the advantages of the experimental approach is the ability to control extraneous variables. What are
extraneous variables? Describe a simple experiment illustrating how extraneous variables might be controlled.
Why is the control of extraneous variables important?
9) Experiments are sometimes criticized because they often take place in highly artificial laboratory settings
where the experimenter has a lot of control over the environment. Explain why this is actually an advantage in
establishing a causal relationship between two variables.
10) How does a field experiment differ in practice from naturalistic observation? How does a field experiment
differ from a laboratory experiment? What are the strengths and weaknesses associated with field
experimentation?
11) Compare and contrast laboratory experiments, field experiments and Internet experiments. Include the
relative advantages and disadvantages of each.
12) What is the distinguishing characteristic of nonexperimental quantitative research? Identify the methods
presented in your text as examples of nonexperimental quantitative research.
13) What is the third variable problem, and why is it critical to the understanding of the misuse of correlational
evidence to imply causation?
14) What is natural manipulation research? Explain how natural manipulation research is similar to and
different from correlational research.
15) Describe a cohort-sequential design and explain how it is a combination of the longitudinal and cross-
sectional designs. What advantages does the cohort-sequential design have over the longitudinal and cross-
sectional designs?
16) What is qualitative research? What are the strengths and limitations of this type of research?
17) What are the most commonly used tests in psychological research? What are some strengths and
weaknesses of using tests as a method of data collection?
18) What is a questionnaire? Give an example question that you might find on a questionnaire. What are some
strengths and weaknesses of using questionnaires as a method of data collection?
19) How do questionnaires and interviews differ? What are some advantages of interviewing over using a
questionnaire?
20) What type of research takes advantage of the focus group method of data collection? Describe a basic focus
group. What are some strengths and weaknesses of using focus groups as a method of data collection?
22) Give some examples of existing or secondary data. What are some strengths and weaknesses of using
existing or secondary data as a method of data collection?
Ask the class to generate ideas of student behaviors that they would be interested in studying (e.g.,
chatting on Facebook, partying, couples holding hands etc.). Lead the discussion toward a single
behavior that could be researched. After a behavior is selected, this should lead to a discussion of
operational definitions as you define precisely the behavior that will be studied. This is a good
opportunity to point out that many psychological constructs can be operationalized in multiple ways.
After the target behavior has been properly defined, have students think of the different research
approaches presented in the chapter and how they might use these to study the behavior. Depending on
the behavior chosen, students should have no trouble identifying several different methods that could be
used. Finally, you should also prompt them to relate each method to an objective of science (description,
prediction, etc.) presented in Chapter 1.
As an alternative to the activity above, you might provide groups of students with a simple hypothesis
and ask them to brainstorm ideas of how it could be tested. Providing each group with the same
hypothesis will give you (and the other students) an opportunity to discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of each suggested multiple research approaches.
I use one or both of the activities above and then continue to reference them throughout the semester. As
we discuss more advanced designs, our original research idea becomes more and more complex.
2) At this point in the semester, it will be difficult for most students to decipher scientific journal articles, but
one easy way to help them distinguish different research methods is by utilizing popular media reports of
scientific research. This also encourages students to exercise their critical thinking skills – an important goal of
the course. There are several ways you might incorporate this in your discussion:
Have students bring to class popular media reports of scientific research (e.g., from magazines,
newspapers, or from online sites like Google news). Ask students to indicate the type of research
approach used (e.g., experimental or correlational), the most important results of the study, and any
explicit or implied implications of the findings. In many cases. students will find it difficult to determine
the type of research design that was used in the original study (e.g., correlational or experimental). They
may also find unwarranted implications of causality – for instance. when the original research design
was simply correlational.
Jonathan Mueller maintains a very good Web site containing links to media reports (and often
misrepresentations) of scientific research. In many instances, research findings from correlational
studies are reported in a way that implies causality. In addition to the article links, this site also includes
multiple student activities that would be appropriate to accompany your discussion of this chapter.
http://jonathan.mueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/100/correlation_or_causation.htm
Finally, Hall and Seery (2006) present an activity in which students compare media reporting of a
research finding to the original source. They report that the activity is effective in making students more
aware of the limitations of media reporting of research findings.
Hall, S.S. & Seery, B.L. (2006). Behind the facts: Helping students evaluate
media reports of psychological research. Teaching of Psychology, 33, 101-104.
3) The text points out that correlational research is helpful in accomplishing the scientific objectives of
description and prediction. To extend this discussion, you might describe how correlational research often
stimulates hypotheses that are tested in an experimental manner – thus establishing causality and accomplishing
the objective of explanation. For example, correlational research finding a positive association between playing
violent video games and aggressive behavior is difficult to interpret because of issues of direction of effect and
potential third variables. However, these findings have stimulated a wealth of experimental research
investigating the precise nature of the causal relationship. For the correlational findings below, have students
generate ways to test the relationship experimentally. The discussion should naturally lead to issues of random
assignment and control of extraneous variables. This may also serve as a preview of ethical issues involved in
using random assignment.
Students who sit at the front of the classroom make better grades than those that sit in the back.
Researchers have found a positive relationship between the degree of satisfaction couples feel in
their relationship and the amount of time they spend together.
There is a negative relationship between exercise and anxiety.
Participation in leisure activities has been associated with a lower risk of dementia in older
adults.
4) The site below, maintained by Alan Levine, presents simple explanations for five different research
methodologies (experimental, correlational, naturalistic observation, surveys, and case studies). The site is well-
done and contains summaries and quizzes for each of the five methodologies.
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/proj/res_meth/login.html
5) This University of Denver site provides links to various online experiments in which students can participate.
You may find this to be more appropriate for later in the course.
http://www.du.edu/psychology/methods/
6) Simons and Levin (1998) demonstrate change blindness in a field experiment. A video demonstrating the
field study can be found at the YouTube link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWSxSQsspiQ&feature=share&list=UUoUA-CpKaFCCV2Uz__qNJZw
Simons, D. J., & Levin, D. T. (1998). Failure to detect changes to people during a real-world interaction.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 5(4), 644-649. doi:10.3758/BF03208840
7) The Web site Clips for Class (www.clipsforclass.com) has an extensive list of videos for use in many
different psychology classes. Under the Research tab there are several videos that could help students in this
chapter. They are listed below with descriptions found on the Web site and suggested questions for students
after watching each clip.
Research Methods
This video covers the different research methods in psychology: introspection, case studies, survey
research, archival research, and experimental research.
What is the oldest research method? Why was the method effective? In what ways was it limited?
The headless professor mentions archival research in his lesson. What is it? How can it be done on
the Internet? Give an example or two. Surveys often provide correlational data. Can experimental
research be done on paper? Explain your reasoning.
Using this commercial as your evidence, which research method do you favor—quantitative or
qualitative? Why? Evaluate the limitations noted in this short commercial. Which of the limitations
is most distressing to you as a researcher? Why?
8) YouTube video explaining research using The Strange Situation developed by Mary Ainsworth. Good
demonstration of structured laboratory observation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTsewNrHUHU
9) The Discovering Psychology series (2001) provides an online viewing of the video “Understanding
Research.”
Description from the Web site “This program examines how we know what we know. You'll explore the
scientific method, the distinction between fact and theory, and the different ways in which data are collected
and applied, both in labs and in real-world settings.”
http://www.learner.org/series/discoveringpsychology/02/e02expand.html