Ch8 Qualitative Methods And Data Analysis Exam Prep

Chapter 11: Mixing and Comparing Methods

Test Bank

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. In his ethnography in Oakland, California, Victor Rios (2011) conducted (11-2)
2. Survey research and participant observation
3. Participant observation, focus groups, and intensive interviews
4. Participant observation, Covert observation, and focus groups
5. Focus groups, participant observation, and covert observation

LOC: What We Have in Mind

TIP: What Are Mixed Methods?

[LO 1]

COG [Knowledge]

DIF [Easy]

1. A common reason for mixing quantitative and qualitative methods in one research project is to (11-2)
2. Take advantage of the strengths of each methodological approach
3. Add unique insights about the intervention process that cannot easily be obtained from the primary method used in an investigation
4. Derive a clearer picture of the social reality being studied by focusing on one perspective
5. Only A and B

LOC: What We Have in Mind

TIP: What Are Mixed Methods?

[LO 1]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Easy]

1. The use of multiple methods to study one research question is (11-2)
2. Mixated methods
3. Matched methods
4. Triangulation
5. Tripulation

LOC: What We Have in Mind

TIP: What Are Mixed Methods?

[LO 6]

COG [Application]

DIF [Medium]

1. In what has been called the ‘paradigm wars’, social scientists intensely debated between the 1970s and 1990s over (11-3)
2. The value of the deductive and inductive research philosophies
3. The value of positivist and construction research philosophies
4. The value of positivist and interpretivist/constructivist research philosophies
5. All of the above

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Should Methods Be Mixed?

[LO 2

COG [Analysis]

DIF [Medium]

1. Rather than the alternative perspectives of positivism and constructivism researchers developed the principle of (11-4)
2. Minimism
3. Maximism
4. Pragmatism
5. None of the above

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Should Methods Be Mixed?

[LO 1]

COG [Analysis]

DIF [Hard]

1. A philosophy developed by John Dewey and others that emphasized the importance of taking action and learning from the outcomes to generate knowledge is known as (11-4)
2. Maxed methods
3. Paradigm wars
4. Pragmatism
5. Constructionism

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Should Methods Be Mixed?

[LO 3]

COG [Application]

DIF [Hard]

1. The design where quantitative and qualitative methods are implemented at the same time is (11-4)
2. Exploratory sequential design
3. Convergent parallel design
4. Embedded design
5. Transformative design

LOC: Should Methods Be Mixed?

TIP: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

[LO 2]

COG [4]

DIF [Hard]

1. The multiphase design involves (11-5)
2. Components to add additional insight
3. A theoretical perspective with a social justice focus such as feminism
4. The quantitative and qualitative methods being implemented at the same time
5. None of the above

LOC: Should Methods Be Mixed?

TIP: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

[LO1]

COG [Synthesis]

DIF [Hard]

1. When the qualitative method is implemented first and followed by the quantitative method, the design is (11-5)
2. Embedded design
3. Transformative design
4. Exploratory sequential design
5. Explanatory sequential design

LOC: Should Methods Be Mixed?

TIP: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

[LO 4]

COG [Analysis]

DIF [Medium]

1. This design uses the theoretical perspective with a social justice focus to improve the well-being of vulnerable populations. (11-5)
2. Embedded design
3. Transformative design
4. Exploratory sequential design
5. Multiphase design

LOC: Should Methods Be Mixed?

TIP: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

[LO 5]

COG [Application]

DIF [Medium

1. For his research, Homeroom Security, Aaron Kupchik (2010) used the (11-6)
2. Multiphase design
3. Exploratory sequential design
4. Convergent parallel design
5. Embedded design

LOC: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

TIP: Case Study of Convergent Parallel Design: School Security and Discipline

[LO 4]

COG [Application]

DIF [Hard]

1. As in the research by Bachman (1992) about American Indian Homicide, some mixed methods designs begin with a qualitative method and then proceed with a quantitative method for confirmatory purposes, which is known as a(n) (11-6)
2. Explanatory sequential design
3. Explicatory sequential design
4. Exploratory sequential design
5. All of the above

LOC: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

TIP: Case Study of Exploratory Sequential Design: American Indian Homicide

[LO 4]

COG [Application]

DIF [Hard]

1. Testa and colleagues (2011) supplemented their quantitative study of violence again women with a qualitative component because (11-8)
2. Violence against women turned out to be more straightforward than had been anticipated
3. The multi-faceted phenomenon was likely to occur around unexpected female sexuql scripts
4. Violence again women is “a complex multifaceted phenomenon within a social context”
5. Violence against women was found to be imbedded in general behavior than earlier thought

LOC: Types of Mixed Methods Designs

TIP: Case Study of Embedded Design: Investigating Rape

[LO1]

COG [Synthesis]

DIF [Hard]

1. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods within one research project can strengthen the project’s design by (11-9)
2. Enhancing measurement reliability
3. Enhancing causal validity
4. Disproving authenticity
5. Disproving nomothetic causal validity

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Strengths and Limitations of Mixed Methods

[LO 1]

COG [Analysis]

DIF [Hard]

1. A quantitative method for identifying patterns in findings across multiple studies of the same research question is (11-11)
2. Maxi-analysis
3. Pattern-analysis
4. Integration analysis
5. Meta-analysis

LOC: Comparing Results Across Studies

TIP: Meta-Analysis

[LO 4]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. A standardized measure of association is the (11-12)
2. Affect size
3. Association size
4. Effect size
5. None of the above

LOC: Comparing Results Across Studies

TIP: Meta-Analysis

[LO 4]

COG [Knowledge]

DIF [Easy]

1. Ferguson, et al., performed a meta-analysis of randomized experimental studies to examine the (11-12)
2. Efficiency of bullying programs across randomized experimental studies
3. Efficacy of anti-bullying programs across randomized experimental studies
4. Effectiveness of anti-bullying programs across the U.S.
5. None of the above

LOC: Strengths and Limitations of Mixed Methods

TIP: Comparing results Across Studies

[LO 1]

COG [Evaluation]

DIF [Hard]

1. Lundahl, Nimer, and Parsons (2006) were interested in the (11-13)
2. The effect of understanding how parent training can affect child rearing attitudes
3. The effect of adolescent training on reducing risk factors associated with child abuse
4. The effect of parent education programs on reducing risk factors associated with child abuse
5. The effect of multi-child mixed families on abuse rates

LOC: Comparing Results Across Studies

TIP: Case Study of a Meta-Analysis: Do Parent Training Programs Prevent Child Abuse?

[LO 4]

COG [Evaluation]

DIF [Medium

1. A method used to analyze and integrate findings from qualitative studies is known as (11-13)
2. Meta-aggregating
3. Meta-analysis
4. Meta-synthesis
5. All of the above may be used to describe the method

LOC: Comparing Results Across Studies

TIP: Meta-Synthesis

[LO 2]

COG [Application]

DIF [Medium]

1. One special ethical challenge which is heightened in mixed-method projects is (11-14)
2. Defining the researcher’s role in relation to members of their team
3. Defining the researcher’s role in relation to the research participants
4. Both A and B are correct
5. None of the above

LOC: Comparing Results Across Studies

TIP: Ethics and Mixed Methods

[LO 1]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. Complex mixed-methods projects in which quantitative surveying is interspersed with observational research (11-15)
2. and covert research may require explicit renegotiations
3. may require an addition of covert participation at some stages
4. may require renegotiation of participant consent at each stage
5. None of the above

LOC: Meta-Synthesis

TIP: Ethics and Mixed Methods

[LO 1]

COG [Knowledge]

DIF [Medium]

1. In the qualitative component of their study of Brazilian victims of domestic violence, Luxardo and colleagues (2011) adopted a(n) (11-15)
2. Inflexible qualitative interviewing approach to allow participants to avoid some topics
3. Flexible quantitative questionnaire approach to allow participants to avoid some topics
4. Flexible qualitative interviewing approach to allow participants to avoid some topics
5. None of the above

LOC: Comparing Results Across Studies

TIP: Ethics and Mixed Methods

[LO 5]

COG [Application]

DIF [Hard]

1. Combined mixed-methods projects in which quantitative surveying is interspersed with observational research or intensive interviews may also require the (11-15)
2. Renegotiation of explicit conceptualization of treatment of informed agreement
3. Negotiation of the underpinnings of the research
4. Renegotiation of participant consent to particular research procedures at each stage
5. All of the above

LOC: Comparing Results Across Studies

TIP: Ethics and Mixed Methods

[LO 5]

COG [Knowledge]

DIF [Medium]

1. The mixed-methods examples from Chapter 11 demonstrate that a research design (11-15)
2. Can stand alone
3. Is an integrated whole
4. Is a means to an end with regard to integration of the parts
5. Cannot give a better picture of the causal connections

LOC: Ethics and Mixed Methods

TIP: Conclusion

[LO 5]

COG [Synthesis]

DIF [Medium]

1. One mark of a sophisticated researcher is the ability to (11-16)
2. Integrate convergent techniques to a complex research question
3. Apply diverse techniques to address different aspects of a complex research question
4. Use mental concepts to reflect exactly what we measured
5. Generalize beyond the cases actually studied

LOC: Ethics and Mixed Methods

TIP: Conclusion

[LO 1]

COG [Synthesis]

DIF [Hard]

1. A realistic assessment of the weaknesses as well as the strengths of each method of data collection should(11-16)
2. Keep the researcher from advancing clear answers to diverse questions
3. Help the researcher to remember that excessive confidence in research is a virtue
4. Help the researcher to remember that humility in research is a virtue
5. Keep the researcher from being disillusioned by the research

LOC: Ethics and Mixed Methods

TIP: Conclusion

[LO 4]

COG [Application]

DIF [Medium]

1. The embedded design occurs when the primary method is qualitative or quantitative but the researcher adds the other component to (11-4)
2. Concurrently makes it nonsensical
3. Use convergent integration
4. Gain additional insight
5. Gain sequential insight

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

[LO 6]

COG [Knowledge]

DIF [Medium]

1. Creswell and Plano Clark (2011) suggest that the unique feature of a transformative design is (11-4)
2. That it uses a practical perspective with a social justice focus
3. That it uses a theoretical perspective with a social justice focus
4. When it improves the well-being of well-off populations
5. All of the above

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Types of Mixed Methods Designs

[LO 5]

COG [Analysis]

DIF [Medium]

1. This type of mixed methods research design involves a series of quantitative and qualitative designs, with each design informing the next phase (11-5)
2. Transformative design
3. Embedded design
4. Multiphase design
5. Convergent parallel

LOC: Should Methods Be Mixed?

TIP: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

[LO 4]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. As a part of her research, Bachman conducted face-to-face interviews with homicide offenders at (10-7)
2. Four American Indian reservations
3. Three Midwestern state prisons
4. Three Eastern state prisons
5. Four Mid-country federal prisons

LOC: Types of Mixed-Method Designs

TIP: Case Study of Exploratory Sequential Design: American Indian Homicide

[LO 4]

COG [Knowledge]

DIF [Easy]

TRUE/FALSE

1. The term triangulation derives from land surveying. (11-3)
2. True
3. False

LOC: What We Have in Mind

TIP: What Are Mixed Methods?

[LO 6]

COG [Knowledge]

DIF [Easy]

1. The use of mixed methods increased in the late 1980s. (11-3)
2. True
3. False

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Should Methods Be Mixed?

[LO 6]

COG [Knowledge]

DIF [Easy]

1. Paradigm wars were an intense debate from the 1970s to 1990s between social scientists over the value of positivist and interpretivist/constructivist research philosophies. (11-3)
2. True
3. False

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Should Methods Be Mixed?

[LO 2]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Easy]

1. Positivism is a philosophy developed by John Dewey and others that emphasized the importance of taking action and learning from the outcomes to generate knowledge. (11-4)
2. True
3. False

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Should Methods Be Mixed?

[LO 3]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. An embedded design is when quantitative and qualitative methods are added either concurrently or sequentially as a secondary method. (11-4)
2. True
3. False

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

[LO 4]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. In an exploratory sequential design the quantitative method is implemented first followed by the qualitative method. (11-4)
2. True
3. False

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

[LO 4]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. A multiphase design involves a series of quantitative and qualitative designs where each design and findings inform the next phase (11-5)
2. True
3. False

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

[LO 4]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. When quantitative and qualitative methods are implemented at different times it is a convergent parallel design. (11-5)
2. True
3. False

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

[LO 4]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. The transformative design uses the theoretical perspective with a social justice focus to improve the well-being of vulnerable populations. (11-5)
2. True
3. False

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

[LO 4]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. Aaron Kupchik (2010) provided an excellent example of quantitative research in practice in his book, Homeroom Security. (11-6)
2. True
3. False

LOC: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

TIP: Case Study of Convergent Parallel Design: School Security and Discipline

[LO 4]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. Bachman (1992) used an exploratory sequential design when she studied the social causes of rape, and then proceeded with a quantitative method for confirmatory purposes. (11-6)
2. True
3. False

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

[LO 4]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Hard]

1. Testa, Livingston, and VanZile-Tamsen (2011) supplemented their quantitative study of violence against women with a qualitative component because violence against women is a complex phenomenon. (11-8)
2. True
3. False

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

[LO 4]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods can strengthen design by enhancing generalizability. (11-9)
2. True
3. False

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Strengths and Limitations of Mixed Methods

[LO 5]

COG [Synthesis]

DIF [Hard]

1. True experimental designs are strongest for testing nomothetic causal hypotheses. (11-9)
2. True
3. False

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Strengths and Limitations of Mixed Methods

[LO 5]

COG [Synthesis]

DIF [Hard]

1. Qualitative methods tend to be preferred when exploratory research questions are posed. (11-10)
2. True
3. False

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Strengths and Limitations of Mixed Methods

[LO 5]

COG [Synthesis]

DIF [Hard]

1. Meta-analysis is a quantitative method for identifying patterns in findings across multiple studies of the same research question. (11-11)
2. True
3. False

LOC: Comparing Results Across Studies

TIP: Meta-Analysis

[LO 4]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. A standardized measure of association is an affect size. (11-12)
2. True
3. False

LOC: Comparing Results Across Studies

TIP: Meta-Analysis

[LO 4]

COG [Knowledge]

DIF [Hard]

1. Meta-synthesis is a method used to analyze and integrate findings from quantitative studies. (11-13)
2. True
3. False

LOC: Comparing Results Across

studies

TIP: Meta-Synthesis

[LO 2]

COG [Appication]

DIF [Medium]

1. Researchers who combine methods must be aware of the ethical concerns involved in using each of the separate methods. (11-14)
2. True
3. False

LOC: Comparing Research Across Studies

TIP: Ethics and Mixed Methods

[LO 3]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. Designing research means deciding how to measure empirical phenomena, how to identify causal connections and how to generalize findings. (11-15)
2. True
3. False

LOC: Ethics and Mixed Methods

TIP: Conclusion

[LO 1]

COG [Evaluation]

DIF [Hard]

ESSAY

1. What is the history of mixed methods? (11-2)

LOC: What We Have in Mind?

TIP: What Are Mixed Methods?

[LO 1]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. Explain the appeal of the mixed methods approach. (11-2)

Social scientists have long used multiple methods in their research, but only in recent decades have some focused attention on how best to combine qualitative and quantitative methods to better achieve research goals. We have seen several examples in this book already of research that has employed more than one method to investigate the same research question. For example, in his ethnography in Oakland, California, Victor Rios (2011) conducted participant observation, focus groups, and intensive interviews. But what exactly does mixed-methods research mean? While there are many definitions of mixed-methods research, the operationalization provided by the National Institute of Health’s Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research is useful. It defines mixed methods as focusing on research questions that call for real-life contextual understandings . . . employing rigorous quantitative research assessing the magnitude and frequency of constructs and rigorous qualitative research exploring the meaning and understanding of constructs . . . intentionally integrating or combining these methods to draw on the strengths of each. (Creswell, Klassen, Plano Clark, & Smith, 2011, p. 4)

LOC: What We Have in Mind

TIP: What Are Mixed Methods?

[LO 1]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. Describe both positions in the “paradigm wars” and present an argument for one. (11-3)

The argument goes like this: A researcher who accepts a positivist philosophy believes that there is a reality that exists apart from our perceptions or interpretations of it. As researchers, we test ideas that we have about the real world to see if the evidence we obtain with our research methods indicates that the real world is consistent with our ideas about it. We need to be objective so that our view of the real world is not distorted by what we want to see. If the evidence we obtain with our research methods indicates that our ideas were wrong, we have to revise our ideas accordingly (Morgan, 2014).

By contrast, a researcher who accepts a constructivist philosophy believes that the reality experienced by different people differs because reality only exists in relation to each individual’s unique perspective. As researchers, we can learn about others’ experiences and beliefs and interpret what we learn with our theories, but there is no single reality that we can test our ideas against. The evidence we obtain with our research methods enables us to understand others’ perspectives and to develop an understanding of larger social contexts, but it does not allow us to conclude one perspective is correct (Morgan, 2014).

As you can see, these different research philosophies can lay the groundwork for a paradigm war to emerge. Those who insist that there is an objective reality can find little basis for collaborating with those who believe that reality only exists in the eyes of the beholder. Therefore, if the logic of quantitative methods necessarily reflects a positivist philosophy and the logic of qualitative methods necessarily reflects a constructivist philosophy, there is little basis for combining these methods in one project.

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Should Methods Be Mixed?

[LO 2]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. Explain the philosophy of pragmatism and its relevance for mixed methods. (11-4)

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Should Methods Be Mixed?

[LO 3]

COG [Analysis]

DIF [Medium]

1. Identify in a table or diagram the major features that distinguish the four major types of mixed methods. (11-5)

Convergent parallel design In mixed methods research, when quantitative and qualitative methods are implemented at the same time. The findings are integrated and interpreted together.

Exploratory sequential design The qualitative method is implemented first followed by the quantitative method.

Transformative design In mixed methods research, this design uses theoretical perspective with a social justice focus to improve the well-being of vulnerable populations.

Embedded design In mixed methods research, when the primary method is qualitative or quantitative but the researcher adds the other component to gain additional insight.

Multiphase design In mixed methods research, this design involves a series of quantitative and qualitative designs; each design and the findings inform the next phase.

LOC: Should Methods Be Mixed?

TIP: Types of Mixed Methods Designs

[LO 4]

COG [Analysis]

DIF [Medium]

1. State at least one reason for the use of each major type of mixed method. (11-6)
2. Convergent Parallel Design: Aaron Kupchik (2010) provides an excellent example of triangulation in practice in his book, Homeroom Security. His methodology would be classified as a convergent parallel design because both quantitative and qualitative methods were implemented at the same time and the findings were integrated. The research question was primarily interested in how school security measures, particularly the presence of police officers, affect students.
3. Exploratory Sequential Design: Some mixed-methods designs begin with a qualitative method to explore a phenomenon and then proceed with a quantitative method for confirmatory purposes. This is referred to as an exploratory sequential design. This was the design used by Bachman (1992) when studying the social causes of homicide within contemporary American Indian communities
4. Embedded Design: Testa and colleagues (Testa, Livingston, & VanZile-Tamsen, 2011) supplemented their quantitative study of violence against women with a qualitative component because violence against women is “a complex, multifaceted phenomenon, occurring within a social context that is influenced by gender norms, interpersonal relationships, and sexual scripts” and “understanding of these experiences of violence is dependent on the subjective meaning for the woman and cannot easily be reduced to a checklist” (p. 237). This was an embedded—QUAN(qual)—design.
5. Transformative Design: *
6. Multiphase Design: *

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Types of M

ixed-Methods Designs

[LO 4]

COG [Knowledge]

DIF [Medium]

1. Define triangulation and explain its value. (11-3)

LOC: What We Have in Mind

TIP: What Are Mixed Methods?

[LO 6]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. Define the convergent parallel design. Describe it, using the case study “School Security and Discipline.” (11-4)

Aaron Kupchik (2010) provides an excellent example of triangulation in practice in his book, Homeroom Security. His methodology would be classified as a convergent parallel design because both quantitative and qualitative methods were implemented at the same time and the findings were integrated. The research question was primarily interested in how school security measures, particularly the presence of police officers, affect students. In four high schools, two in a Southwestern state and two in a mid-Atlantic state, Kupchik engaged in more than 100 hours of observation at each school, shadowing administrators and security guards as well as surveying classrooms and common areas. He also conducted more than 100 semi-structured interviews with administrators, security personnel, students, and parents. These interviews “sought to acquire an understanding of the respondents’ views of the school rules and punishments, his or her experiences with school discipline, and his or her perceptions of school violence and appropriate responses to it” (Kupchik, 2010, p. 225). In addition to these two methods, student survey data were also collected at each school that, among other things, recorded students’ experiences with punishment at school and their perceptions of the fairness of these incidents. Thus, to more fully understand the reality of school discipline, Kupchik used three very different research methods, each providing him with a somewhat different angle to examine the issue, and each method complemented the others’ weaknesses.

The school observations allowed Kupchik to observe the interactions in the school in real time. He observed on numerous occasions how relatively minor problems escalated into larger problems as a result of police involvement, resulting in students unnecessarily being sent to the criminal justice system rather than having their issues dealt with at the school level only. With the in-depth interviews, Kupchik was able to identify how some of the school administrators perceived the behavior of the police officers in their schools.

LOC: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

TIP: Case Study of Convergent Parallel Design: School Security and Discipline

[LO 5]

COG [Analysis]

DIF [Medium]

1. What is an embedded design? Give an example. (11-4)

Victims’ responses to structured questions indicated an association between alcohol and rape, but when victims elaborated on their experiences in qualitative interviews, their comments led to a new way of understanding this quantitative association. Although this association has often been interpreted as suggesting “impaired judgment” about consent by intoxicated victims, the women interviewed by Testa et al. (2011) all revealed that they had had so much to drink that they were unconscious or at least unable to speak at the time of the rape. Testa and her colleagues concluded that the prevalence of this type of “incapacitated rape” required a new approach to the problem of violence against women (2011, p. 242)

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Case Study of Embedded Design: Investigating Rape

[LO 5]

COG [Application]

DIF [Medium]

1. Describe research that utilizes the transformative design. (11-4)

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Types of Mixed-Methods Designs

[LO 5]

COG [Knowledge]

DIF [Medium]

1. Define Exploratory Sequential Design and describe “American Indian Homicide” case study from our text.

The theoretical model that emerged from her interview data is displayed in Exhibit 11.3. The model demonstrates the causal forces of social disorganization, economic deprivation, a culture of honor or violence, and the psychological mechanisms of culture conflict and perceived powerlessness with the intervening variable of alcohol or drug abuse. Also included in the theoretical guide is the antecedent variable to each of these concepts: internal colonialism. Although this concept was not explicitly derived from the qualitative analysis, Bachman (1992) explained, “No model explaining any phenomenon with regard to American Indians would be complete without acknowledgment of the colonization process to which our government has subjected this population” (p. 36).

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Case Study of Exploratory Sequential Design: American Indian Homicide

[LO 5]

COG [Analysis]

DIF [Medium]

1. What were the three hypotheses Bachman tested in the deductive phase of her research? (11-7)

1. The higher the level of social disorganization within a reservation community, the higher the rate of homicide.

2. The higher the level of economic deprivation within a reservation community, the higher the rate of homicide.

3. The more traditional and integrated a reservation community, the lower the rate of homicide.

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Case Study of Exploratory Sequential Design: American Indian Homicide

[LO 5]

COG [Analysis]

DIF [Medium]

1. What are the strengths of using mixed methods in research? (11-

As you can see in Exhibit 11.5, none of these methods is superior to the others in all respects, and each varies in its suitability to different research questions and goals. Choosing among them for a particular investigation requires consideration of the research problem, opportunities and resources, prior research, philosophical commitments, and research goals.

True experimental designs are strongest for testing nomothetic causal hypotheses and are most appropriate for studies of treatment effects as well as research questions that are believed to involve basic social/psychological processes. Random assignment reduces the possibility of preexisting differences between treatment and comparison groups to small, specifiable, chance levels, so many of the variables that might create a spurious association are controlled. But despite this clear advantage, an experimental design requires a degree of control that cannot always be achieved in other settings. Researchers may be unable to randomly assign participants to groups or have too few participants to assign to groups, and unfortunately, most field experiments also require more access arrangements and financial resources than can often be obtained. In lieu of these difficulties, quasi- and nonexperimental designs are used, but often at the cost of causal validity.

Surveys typically use standardized, quantitative measures of attitudes, behaviors, or social processes. Closed-ended questions are most common and are well suited for the reliable measurement of variables that have been studied in the past and whose meanings are well understood. Of course, surveys often include measures of many more variables than are included in an experiment, but this feature is not inherent in either design. Many surveys rely on random sampling for their selection of cases from some larger population, and this feature makes them preferable for research that seeks to develop generalizable findings. However, survey questionnaires can only measure what respondents are willing to report; they may not be adequate for studying behaviors or attitudes that are regarded as socially unacceptable. Surveys are also often used to test hypothesized causal relationships. When variables that might create spurious relationships are included in the survey, they can be controlled statistically in the analysis and thus eliminated as rival causal influences.

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Strengths and Limitations of Mixed Methods

[LO 1]

COG [Application]

DIF [Medium]

1. What kind of challenges might be faced by a researcher using mixed methods in research? Why?

LOC: What Are Mixed Methods?

TIP: Strengths and Limitations of Mixed Methods

[LO 4]

COG [Comprehension]

DIF [Medium]

1. What is a Meta-Analysis? What are the benefits and weaknesses of using it? (11-11

Meta-analysis The quantitative analysis of findings from multiple studies.

Meta-analysis can be used when a number of studies have attempted to answer the same research question with similar quantitative methods. It is not typically used for evaluating results from multiple studies that used different methods or measured different dependent variables. It is also not very sensible to use meta-analysis to combine study results when the original case data from these studies are available and can actually be combined and analyzed together (Lipsey & Wilson, 2001). Rather, meta-analysis is a technique to combine and statistically analyze the statistical findings in published research reports.

After a research problem is formulated about prior research, the literature must be searched systematically to identify the entire population of relevant studies. Typically, multiple bibliographic databases are used; some researchers also search for related dissertations and conference papers. Eligibility criteria must be specified carefully to determine which studies to include and which to omit as too different. Mark Lipsey and David Wilson (2001) suggest that eligibility criteria include the following:

• Distinguishing features. These include the specific intervention tested and perhaps the groups compared.
• Research respondents. These specify the population to which generalization is sought.
• Key variables. These must be sufficient to allow tests of the hypotheses of concern and controls for likely additional influences.
• Research methods. Apples and oranges cannot be directly compared, so some trade-off must be made between including the range of studies about a research question and excluding those that are so different in their methods as not to yield comparable data.
• Cultural and linguistic range. If the study population is going to be limited to English-language publications or in some other way, this must be acknowledged, and the size of the population of relevant studies in other languages should be estimated.
• Time frame. Social processes relevant to the research question may have changed for such reasons as historical events or new technologies, so temporal boundaries around the study population must be considered.
• Publication type. Will the analysis focus only on published reports in professional journals, or will it include dissertations and/or unpublished reports?

Once the studies are identified, their findings, methods, and other features are coded (e.g., sample size, location of sample, strength of the association between the independent and dependent variables). Statistics are then calculated to identify the average effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable as well as the effect of methodological features and other characteristics of the studies (Cooper & Hedges, 1994). The effect size statistic is the key to capturing the association between the independent and dependent variables across multiple studies. The effect size statistic is a standardized measure of association—often the difference between the mean of the experimental group and the mean of the control group on the dependent variable, adjusted for the average variability in the two groups (Lipsey & Wilson, 2001).

Effect size A measure of association—often the difference between the mean of the experimental group and the mean of the control group on the dependent variable, adjusted for the average variability in the two groups.

The meta-analytic approach to synthesizing research results can produce more generalizable findings than those obtained with just one study. Methodological weaknesses in the studies included in the meta-analysis are still a problem; only when other studies without particular methodological weaknesses are included can we estimate effects with some confidence. In addition, before we can place any confidence in the results of a meta-analysis, we must be confident that all (or almost all) relevant studies were included and that the information we need to analyze was included in all (or most) of the studies (Matt & Cook, 1994).

One of the challenges of meta-analysis is that the authors of the articles to be reviewed may not always report sufficient information. For example, the study reports (whether a journal article or unpublished report) may not contain information about participant characteristics, an especially important variable if we are to consider the generalizability of the results to different population groups.

LOC: Comparing Results Across Studies

TIP: Meta-Analysis

[LO 4]

COG [Analysis]

DIF [Medium]