IRBs exist in order to _____.
A. guarantee complete, informed consent is obtained from participants
B. apply knowledge gained from research
C. evaluate the research design chosen
D. evaluate the allocation of expenses in the project
E. protect the researchers from legal liability
Which of the following situations favors the use of unbalanced rating scales rather than
balanced rating scales?
A. Participants’ scores lean in one direction
B. Object being rating is familiar to participants
C. Participants are known to be easy raters
D. Participants are known to be hard raters
E. All of the above
_____ is the extent to which a measurement is accurate and precise.
A. Reliability
B. Validity
C. Practicality
D. Significance
E. Standardization
Data points that exceed plus 1.5 the interquartile range are called _____.
A. extremists
B. outcasts
C. errors
D. outliers
E. skewed data
Which characteristic of mapping rules refers to ordered numbers in which one number
is greater than, less than, or equal to another number?
A. Classification
B. Order
C. Distance
D. Origin
E. Exclusivity
Which type of written research report contains all possible report modules?
A. Short memo
B. Short letter
C. Long technical
D. Short technical
E. Long management
Which of the following statistical techniques is appropriate when the variables to be
analyzed are interrelated without designations as to whether they are criterion and
predictor variables?
A. Multiple regression
B. Multivariate analysis of variance
C. Discriminant analysis
D. Factor analysis
E. Path analysis
Consider the following array of numbers: 5 6 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 9 10 15 19 20 21
In the array provided, what is the median?
A. 7
B. 9
C. 10
D. 15
E. Both A and B
A privacy guarantee not only protects participants but also protects _____.
A. research from legal liability
B. the sponsoring organization
C. the validity of the study
D. the value of the research
E. against fraud
All of the following are contained in a written research report EXCEPT _____.
A. findings
B. analysis of findings
C. interpretations
D. conclusions
E. all of the above are part of a written research report
In evaluating a secondary source, identifying the ______ allows you to evaluate degree
to which the data might suit your necessary level of knowledge or expertise.
A. Purpose
B. Scope
C. Authority
D. Audience
E. Format
A general planning list for an oral research presentation should include answers to all
but one of the following _____
A. who makes up the audience?
B. why is the presentation occurring?
C. what does the audience want to learn about?
D. where will the presentation take place?
E. when is the best time to reveal your expertise to the audience?
The ultimate success of an oral research report depends on the speaker’s ability to ____.
A. know why listeners should really care about the information presented
B. understand the demographic and dispositional audience characteristics
C. anticipate audience response
D. know the needs of key audience members either through informal or formal advance
conversations or feedback
E. all of the above
Which type of sampling technique involves selecting research participants with no
attempt at generating a statistically representative sample?
A. Probability
B. Nonprobability
C. Random
D. Systematic
E. Cluster
When a calculated sample size must be adjusted due to the size of the population
relative to the size of the sample, which of the following formulas should be applied?
A. Divide the calculated n by the standard error of the mean
B. Multiply the calculated n by the precision estimate
C. Reduce the calculated n by 5% of the population size
D. Multiply the calculated n by the square root of (N – n)/(N – 1)
E. Divide the calculated n by the standard deviation squared
Our perception of a presenter’s character affects how believable or convincing we find
that person. The projection of credibility via personal character is the researcher’s ____.
A. logos
B. pathos
C. epideictic
D. ethos
E. enthymeme
Brittany is developing a sampling plan for a study of alcohol consumption among
college students at Metro University. She wants to ensure that students from each class
level are represented. She also wants to be able to compare students who are members
of Greek organizations to non-Greeks. Finally, she wants to consider patterns by gender.
Brittany plans to cross-reference Metro University’s student directory with membership
lists from each Greek organization on campus to develop a sample frame.
In the alcohol consumption study at Metro University, students who do not belong to
Greek organizations outnumber those who do by 6 to 4. If Brittany draws the study
sample such that 60% of the sample is made up of non-Greek-affiliated students and
40% of Greek-affiliated students, what type of sampling has she used?
A. Simple random
B. Quota
C. Systematic
D. Proportionate stratified
E. Disproportionate stratified
All of the following are popular bibliographic databases used by business researchers
except____.
A. ABI/Inform
B. Business Source
C. InfoTrac
D. Dow Jones Interactive
E. Lexis-Nexis
What type of data is produced by constant-sum scales?
A. Nominal
B. Ordinal
C. Interval
D. Ratio
E. Nominal and interval
Ensuring consistency among respondents, locating omissions, and reducing errors in
recording are all benefits of _____.
A. data collection
B. data editing
C. sampling
D. coding
E. data analysis
The executive summary of a research report includes _____.
A. all the materials necessary for replication
B. a synopsis of the problem, findings, and recommendations
C. a summary of findings from secondary sources and the research design
D. recommendations and implementation strategies
E. a list of expenses
Consider the following survey question and response categories: Where do you like to
go on vacations? Check all that apply. The response options are 1) beach, 2) spa, 3)
adventure, 4) big city, 5) foreign travel, 6) cruise.
For the vacation survey, how many variables would be represented in the codebook
with this question?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
E. 6
When participants are intentionally or accidentally deceived, they should be _____ once
the research is complete.
A. paid
B. debriefed
C. thanked
D. all of the above
E. none of the above
When evaluating an information source, the time period and geographic limitations are
considered as part of the _____ factor.
A. purpose
B. scope
C. authority
D. audience
E. format
Photographic framing or creating a focal point for all visuals involves.
A. use high contrast to quickly draw audience attention to the main point.
B. rule of thirds: the cross-hairs form nine cells with four intersecting crossing points
which may be used to line up the image, creating a balanced, arresting visual.
C. reduce clutter and use only the information and visual techniques necessary to
convey the data, idea, or conclusion.
D. conceptualize the visual support materials on paper before composing the digital
versions.
E. the audience should be able to perceive meaning from the location of elements on the
slide or handout.
Ford Motor Company investigated the durability of Firestone tires on Explorers at
various speeds and conditions but likely utilized _____ to protect itself from legal
activity.
A. purpose nondisclosure
B. findings nondisclosure
C. identity nondisclosure
D. sponsor nondisclosure
E. facts nondisclosure
In the example, the use of the response option “other” is used to meet the requirement
that categories be _____.
A. appropriate
B. exhaustive
C. mutually exclusive
D. of a single dimension
E. numeric
Which of the following is necessary for a code of ethics to be effective?
A. Regulative nature
B. Protective of public interest
C. Enforceable
D. Behavior-specific
E. Protective of the interests of the profession
Mike resents getting calls from telemarketers and pollsters. A research firm called
yesterday to question him concerning his preference for radio stations. When Mike was
asked to report his household income, he inflated his income to the highest range
offered. He also misreported his age and occupation. Which of the following sources of
error in communication research is presented in this example?
A. Measurement questions
B. Observers
C. Interviewers
D. Participants
E. All of the above
Which section of a written research report describes how data were handled and the
statistical tests used?
A. Methodology
B. Introduction
C. Findings
D. Limitations
E. Appendix
When all the elements in a population are included in a study, the result is a _____.
A. poll
B. census
C. sample
D. sample frame
E. probability sample
A _____ is equal to the observation minus the mean.
A. standard deviation
B. deviation score
C. range
D. mode
E. quartile