Test Bank for Social Development, 3rd Edition

TEST BANK FOR CLARKE-STEWART & PARKE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 2. RESEARCH METHODS: TOOLS FOR DISCOVERY Note: the highlighted items are included in the practice exam questions provided for students in the Student Resources available at www.wiley.com/college/clarke. Page numbers in the text are indicated in parentheses () at the end of each multiple choice, true/false, and short answer test item. Correct answers are indicated with asterisks (*). MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS 1. A form of research in which investigators study an individual person or group intensely is: (a) a specimen record (b) ethnography (c) participant observation (d) *a case study (41) 2. Which of the following is not an advantage of case studies? Case studies (a) allow the study of rare phenomena (b) facilitate intensive investigation and details about the process under study (c) *are easily generalizable to other individuals (d) are useful as a precursor or follow-up to studies using other methods (41) 3. An idea or concept, especially a complex one such as aggression or love, is: (a) a hypothesis (b) *a construct (c) an operationalization (d) an independent variable (35) 4. Which of the following is not a construct: (a) aggression (b) love (c) parenting (d) *number of instances a person hits another person (35) 5. Which of the following is not a characteristic of cortisol: (a) hormone involved in vigilance (b) hormone involved in the control of arousal (c) a natural steroid (d) *secreted in response to psychological stress alone (56) 6. Which of the following is not supported by research on cortisol in children? (a) *children in child care exhibit lower amounts of cortisol as the day wears on (b) children who have poorer relationships with other children at school have relatively higher levels of cortisol (c) children raised in physically abusive homes have higher levels of cortisol (d) children raised in crimeridden neighborhoods have higher levels of cortisol (56) 7. A research design in which researchers compare groups of individuals of different age levels at approximately the same point in time is: (a) event sampling (b) a longitudinal design (c) a sequential design (d) *a cross-sectional design (41) 8. Advantages of the cross-sectional design over the longitudinal design include: (a) comparatively low monetary cost (b) comparatively fast data collection (c) *both a and b (d) neither a nor b (41) 9. The factor that researchers expect to change as a function of change in the independent variable is the: (a) operationalization (b) substitute variable (c) construct (d) *dependent variable (37) 10. Which of the following is a reasonable dependent variable: (a) child age (b) child gender (c) *child aggression (d) all of the above (37) 11. When researchers go into settings in the real world or bring participants into the laboratory to observe behaviors of interest, it is called: (a) *direct observation (b) participant observation (c) a focus group (d) a field experiment (53) 12. Which of the following is not a type of direct observation: (a) naturalistic observation (b) structured observation (c) *participant observation (d) all of the above are examples of direct observation (55) 13. The degree to which a research study accurately represents events or processes that occur in the real world is: (a) observer bias (b) reactivity (c) effect size (d) *ecological validity (37) 14. Ecological validity is principally concerned with: (a) measurement accuracy (b) sample size (c) repeated observations across time (d) *generalizability (37) 15. An estimate of the magnitude of the difference between groups or the strength of the association between the factors is: (a) *an effect size (b) meta-analysis (c) quantitative study (d) dependent variable (46) 16. An effect size can represent: (a) the magnitude of the difference between treatment and control groups (b) the strength of association between factors in a correlational study (c) *both a and b (d) neither a nor b (46) 17. The use of intensive observations and interviews to gather data about the beliefs, practices, and behaviors of individuals in a particular context or culture is: (a) experience sampling method (b) naturalistic observation (c) *ethnography (d) structured observation (55) 18. The data offered by the ethnographic approach is frequently: (a) subjective (b) in-depth (c) biased/of limited generalizability (d) *all of the above (55) 19. Investigators record participants’ behavior only when a behavior of particular interest occurs in: (a) experience sampling method (b) *event sampling (c) participant observation (d) structured observation (55) 20. Researchers interested in studying the way a child responds to a parent’s directions would most likely use: (a) a specimen record (b) time sampling (c) ethnography (d) *event sampling (55) 21. A data collection strategy in which participants are signaled at random times throughout the day and record answers to researchers’ questions is called: (a) *the experience sampling method (b) event sampling (c) participant observation (d) structured observation (49) 22. A question less likely to be used with the experience sampling method would be: (a) Where are you? (b) Who are you with? (c) *Do you consider yourself religious? (d) What are you doing right now? (49) 23. An experiment in which researchers deliberately create a change in a real-world setting and then measure the outcome of their manipulation is called: (a) an intervention (b) a natural experiment (c) a quantitative study (d) *a field experiment (38) 24. Which of the following is an advantage of field experiments: (a) strict control over extraneous variables (b) *some degree of ecological validity (c) high degree of control over the assessment of the dependent variable (d) low expense and low effort (38) 25. A type of group interview in which an interviewer poses a set of questions that are answered by the participants of the group is called: (a) a representative sample (b) a structured observation (c) *a focus group (d) a field experiment (51) 26. Focus groups can increase the validity of a study by: (a) making sure researchers ask the right questions (b) helping researchers identify cultural preferences in interviewing styles (c) making sure researchers include all the relevant factors (d) *all of the above (51) 27. An individual reacts with less and less intensity to a repeatedly presented stimulus until he or she responds only faintly or not at all. This is called: (a) observer bias (b) *habituation (c) participant observation (d) reactivity (56) 28. Habituation is found as early as: (a) *infancy (b) toddlerhood (c) kindergarten (d) adolescence (56) 29. Which of the following is true regarding hormones: (a) hormones are powerful (b) hormones have a regulatory effect (c) hormones are highly specialized (d) *all of the above (56) 30. The assessment of hormone levels in the body is an example of a: (a) neurological technique (b) self-report (c) meta-analysis (d) *psychophysiological technique (56) 31. What is the factor that researchers deliberately manipulate in an experiment? (a) operationalization (b) *independent variable (c) construct (d) dependent variable (36) 32. Whether or not a participant is part of the experimental treatment or a control group is an example of: (a) an operationalization (b) *random assignment (c) an intervention (d) a quantitative study (36) 33. Agreement to participate in a study based on a full understanding of its purposes and procedures is: (a) *informed consent (b) specimen record (c) case study (d) ethnography (59) 34. To secure a child’s participation in a study, it may be necessary to obtain informed consent from: (a) the child (b) the child’s parent or legal guardian (c) teachers or school administrators (d) *all of the above (59) 35. A program provided to improve a situation or relieve psychological illness or distress is: (a) a field experiment (b) a natural experiment (c) a focus group (d) *an intervention (38) 36. An intervention: (a) deliberately introduces change in the normal environment (b) seeks to change behavior (c) can be broader in focus than a field experiment (d) *all of the above (38) 37. A type of experiment in which researchers try to duplicate in the laboratory features or events that occur naturally in everyday life in order to increase the ecological validity of their results is: (a) a field experiment (b) a natural experiment (c) *a laboratory analogue experiment (d) an intervention (37) 38. Laboratory analogue experiments typically differ from regular experiments in that: (a) they have no control group (b) participants are not randomly assigned to groups (c) they have lower ecological validity (d) *none of the above (37) 39. A study in which investigators follow the same people over a period of time (often years), observing them repeatedly is: (a) a cross-sectional design (b) time sampling (c) a quantitative study (d) *a longitudinal design (41) 40. Advantages of longitudinal designs over cross-sectional designs include allowing researchers to: (a) follow children’s development over time (b) study whether individual children’s patterns are stable (c) analyze links between early events and later behaviors while controlling for early behaviors (d) *all of the above (41) 41. Disadvantages of longitudinal designs over cross-sectional designs include the following: (a) they take a long time (b) participants drop out (c) they are not flexible to changing conditions or to new assessments (d) *all of the above (41-42) 42. A statistical technique that allows the researcher to summarize the results of many studies on a particular topic and to draw conclusions about the size and replicability of observed differences or associations is: (a) a quantitative study (b) a sequential design (c) *a meta-analysis (d) a regression analysis (46) 43. Meta-analysis: (a) yields an overall estimate of effect size across studies (b) permits researchers to draw conclusions about the reliability of observed differences across studies (c) is only as valid as the studies from which it is based (d) *all of the above (46) 44. An experiment in which researchers measure the results of events that occur naturally in the real world is: (a) a naturalistic observation (b) *a natural experiment (c) a meta-analysis (d) a laboratory analogue experiment (38) 45. Natural experiments: (a) are different from quasi-experiments (b) cannot be done when researchers are unable to introduce changes into the natural environment (c) incorporate random assignment to experimental conditions (d) *involve comparing children who are naturally exposed to a set of conditions to those not exposed to those conditions (38) 46. Information collected in the child’s natural settings, at home, in child care, or in school without interfering with the child’s activities is: (a) *a naturalistic observation (b) a natural experiment (c) a meta-analysis (d) a laboratory analogue experiment (53) 47. Distortions in naturalistic observations can be reduced by: (a) conducting repeated observations (b) using less obtrusive observational methods (c) *both a and b (d) neither a nor b (53) 48. An observer’s tendency to be influenced by knowledge about the research design or hypothesis is: (a) a naturalistic observation (b) participant observation (c) *observer bias (d) reactivity (53) 49. Observer bias is most frequently a problem with: (a) self reports (b) *naturalistic observations (c) psychophysiological approaches (d) the experience sampling method (53) 50. The process of defining a concept so that it is observable and measurable is: (a) ethnography (b) focus group (c) structured observation (d) *operationalization (35) 51. Turning a theory into hypotheses involves: (a) meta-analysis (b) qualitative study (c) *operationalization (d) quantitative study (35) 52. A research strategy used to gain familiarity with a group of individuals by means of intensive involvement in their activities, usually over an extended period of time, is: (a) *participant observation (b) focus group (c) structured observation (d) qualitative study (55) 53. An element that distinguishes participant observation from other ethnographic approaches is: (a) *living as a member of the community (b) increased time spent in data collection (c) focusing exclusively on field notes (d) none of these distinguish participant observation from other ethnographic approaches ( 55) 54. Physiological bases of psychological processes measured by brain activity, brain waves, heart rate, and so on are best described as (a) event sampling (b) specimen record (c) experience sampling method (d) *psychophysiological methods (56) 55. Psychophysiological research may focus on measuring: (a) respiration (b) brain activity (c) hormone levels (d) *all of the above (55) 56. Research using nonstatistical analysis of materials gathered from a relatively small number of participants to gain an in-depth understanding of behavior and contexts: (a) ethnography (b) quantitative approach (c) meta-analysis (d) *qualitative study (58) 57. Qualitative studies: (a) are ideal for establishing causal effects (b) aid in generate hypotheses (c) can help interpret findings from more objective research (d) *b and c (58) 58. Research involving statistical analysis of numerical data is: (a) *a quantitative study (b) an ethnographic study (c) a lab analogue study (d) a qualitative study (58) 59. Quantitative studies: (a) interpret responses to lengthy interviews or narratives (b) are often based solely on a researchers’ field notes (c) are less concerned with generalizability than indepth understanding of a specific target (d) *turn observations, interviews, and test results into numbers to analyze (58) 60. The change in a person’s behavior because he or she is being observed is: (a) habituation (b) observer bias (c) event sampling (d) *reactivity (53) 61. Reactivity: (a) is never a problem with naturalistic observation (b) is always a problem with structured observation (c) *becomes less a problem with repeated observations (d) is usually worse when researchers fade into the background as compared with being in close proximity to the participants (53) 62. A research sample in which participants are drawn from strata or categories in the same proportions as they are found in the larger population is: (a) cross-sectional (b) *representative (c) ecological (d) experiential (45) 63. The following elements are thought of as important for making a sample representative: (a) participant gender (b) participant social class (c) geographic location of participants (d) *all of the above (45) 64. Information that people provide about themselves either in a direct interview or in some written form, such as a questionnaire is best described as a: (a) case study (b) informed consent (c) *self-report (d) participant observation (47) 65. The following illustrate why self-report data are thought of as problematic for children: (a) compared with adults, children are less attentive (b) compared with adults, children lie more (c) compared with adults, children are less likely to understand the questions (d) *both a and c (48) 66. A way of studying change over time that combines features of both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs is: (a) *a sequential design (b) event sampling (c) time sampling (d) metaanalysis (43) 67. Which of the following is not an advantage of a sequential design: (a) the ability to examine age-related changes (b) *the ability to determine cause–effect relations (c) the ability to look at generational effects (d) the ability to look at practice effects (43) 68. Researchers record everything a person does within a given period of time in: (a) a naturalistic observation (b) event sampling (c) time sampling (d) *specimen record (54) 69. Specimen records are described as most useful: (a) *if researchers are interested in a broad range of behaviors (b) when researchers want to record a set of predetermined behaviors (c) when researchers want to examine a continuous stream of predetermined behaviors (d) when researchers want to record behaviors in a particular time interval (54) 70. A form of observation in which researchers structure a situation so that behaviors they wish to study are more likely to occur is called: (a) *a structured observation (b) event sampling (c) time sampling (d) specimen record (53-54) 71. One limitation of structured interactions is: (a) researchers cannot address a broad range of behaviors (b) *researchers cannot know if the observed behavior is similar to behavior in everyday situations (c) researchers cannot examine a continuous stream of behaviors (d) researchers cannot look at child reactions to particular behaviors (54) 72. A technique by which researchers record any of a set of predetermined behaviors that occur within a specified period of time is referred to as: (a) structured observation (b) event sampling (c) *time sampling (d) specimen record (55) 73. Limitations of time sampling include: (a) researchers cannot address the sequential order in which behaviors occur (b) researchers are restricted to a set of predetermined behaviors (c) researchers cannot assess the duration of a particular behavior (d) *all of the above (55) 74. Which of the following is a reason to review prior literature before conducting a study? (a) to know if the research question has already been answered in prior studies (b) to know how the constructs were measured in prior studies (c) to know how to situate your findings (whatever they end up being) into the existing literature (d) *all of the above (35) 75. If two variables are correlated +1.00: (a) *for every increase in one variable, there is a comparable increase in the other (b) for every increase in one variable, there is a comparable decrease in the other (c) there is no systematic association between the two variables (d) correlations cannot go as high as 1.00 (35-36) 76. Correlational studies do not allow us to determine whether a factor is actually causing a child’s behavior, yet researchers conduct them because: (a) we cannot always design a suitable experiment to study our research question (b) ethical concerns prevent random assignment into some conditions we want to study (c) understanding causal processes is not the only goal of research (d) *all of the above (36) 77. For a study to be a true experiment requires: (a) random assignment (b) a control group (c) *both a and b (d) neither a nor b (36) 78. Research on the consequences of adoption for children from Romanian orphanages is an example of: (a) a lab experiment (b) *a natural experiment (c) a lab analogue study (d) a field experiment (38) 79. A researcher who wants to maximize control over the independent variable and maximize ecological validity on the dependent variable can collect the independent variable in the ____ and the dependent variable in the ____: (a) *lab, field (b) field, lab (c) lab, lab (d) field, field (40) 80. In an ABAB design, the B represents: (a) the control group (b) the normal condition that exists without the experimental treatment (c) the post-treatment measurement (d) *none of the above (40) 81. The Terman study is an example of: (a) a cross-sectional design (b) *a longitudinal design (c) a sequential design (d) a focus group (41) 82. The problems with national surveys include: (a) *cost in terms of time and labor (b) an overdeveloped capacity to identify psychological processes underlying development (c) low levels of representativeness (d) all of the above (45-46) TRUE/FALSE QUESTIONS 1. T/F: A small group of individuals can be the focus of a case study (true) (41) 2. T/F: There is usually only one good way to measure a given construct (false) (35) 3. T/F: A secure attachment to the mother regulates the neurobiology of stress in infants and young children (true) (56-57) 4. T/F: The most common way to investigate age-related differences is to use a cross-sectional design (true) (41) 5. T/F: The factor that researchers deliberately manipulate in an experiment is the dependent variable (false) (36) 6. T/F: Direct observations of behavior cannot occur in laboratory settings (false) (37) 7. T/F: Ecological validity refers to the degree to which a research study accurately represents events or processes that occur in the real world (true) (37 ) 8. T/F: An effect size cannot represent the magnitude of the difference between treatment and control groups (false) (46) 9. T/F: Ethnographic work often involves the use of participant observations (true) (55) 10. T/F: Researchers observing relatively rare events would probably use event sampling over time sampling (true) (55) 11. T/F: One problem with field experiments compared with laboratory experiments is that results from field experiments cannot easily be generalized to real life (false) (38) 12. T/F: Focus groups are only valuable in the early stages of a study (false) (51) 13. T/F: Hormones have a regulatory effect on the activity of certain organs (true) (56) 14. T/F: Whether or not a participant is assigned to the treatment or control condition is an example of an independent variable (true) (36) 15. T/F: All research with human subjects requires that researchers obtain informed consent from participants before they are enrolled in the study (true) (59) 16. T/F: A principal difference between field experiments and interventions is that interventions have the explicit goal of changing behavior (true) (38) 17. T/F: Laboratory analogue experiments are not typically designed to address problems of artificiality (false) (37) 18. T/F: Practice effects, or the effect of repeatedly testing participants over many years, is not a problem with longitudinal designs (false) (42) 19. T/F: The problem of observer bias cannot be reduced by carefully training observers (false) (53) 20. T/F: Use of psychophysiological approaches including cortisol, EEG, and fMRI allow researchers to clearly argue for causation (false) (56) SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS 1. Field experiments and natural experiments are both used in studying social development. Describe an example of each and indicate its strength and its limitation. (38) 2. What is a lab analogue experiment? What are the pros and cons of this approach? (37) 3. What is a focus group and what is its use? (51) 4. Describe 3 advantages and 3 disadvantages of longitudinal designs (41-42) 5. What are 3 advantages and 3 disadvantages of cross-sectional designs? (41) 6. What are 3 main features of the ethnographic method? (55) 7. List the main characteristics of the cohort sequential design (43-44) 8. List 4 ethical principles that guide research with children (60-61) 9. List several biological markers for studying social development (56-57) 10. List 3 advantages of survey approaches to studying social behavior (45-46) 11. Define meta-analysis and explain its usefulness (46) 12. List the advantages of neurological assessments of social development (56-57) 13. What hormones are assessed in studies of social development? What do they measure? (56, 58) 14. Name 3 factors that need to considered in selecting a sample (45) 15. Define a cohort and give 2 examples (42-43) ESSAY QUESTIONS 1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of field experiments, natural experiments, and lab experiments for studying social development. 2. There is nothing like a great question as a guide to research, even if the methods may not be all that you could wish for in an ideal research world. Discuss. 3. Why are longitudinal designs so important in social development? 4. Hybrid designs involving different kinds of field–lab experiments are becoming increasingly common. Describe these hybrid experimental designs and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. 5. Discuss the role of survey research in social development. 6. What is the value of an ethnographic approach to social development? 7. Why is it valuable to use a mixed methods approach, such as using qualitative and quantitative methods, in the same study? 8. Discuss the importance of clear guidelines for the ethical treatment of children in research and outline the main principles of ethical treatment of children. 9. Is it important to include biological measures in studies of social development? Give examples and discuss their importance. 10. What challenges do cohort related changes play in the study of social development and how do you overcome these challenges?