Appendix A Test Items

1. If Adeline observes a class, collects questionnaire data, and conducts interviews, which qualitative methodology is she using?

a. focus group

b. open-ended questionnaire

c. observer

d. triangulation

2. Which of the following is not a type of qualitative research method?

a. focus group

b. open-ended questions

c. interviews

d. Likert-type questionnaire

3. Qualitative research methods involve open-ended questionnaires. Which focal point of open-ended questions is described as the researcher trying to achieve intimacy with the participant?

a. natural setting

b subjects are able to qualify their answers

c. selected

d. parasocial relationship

4. Reactivism involves several forms. Which form of reactivism is defined as the tendency of participants to choose to respond based on only one part of their personality?

a. guinea pig

b. response sets

c. selected

d. role selection

5. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of qualitative research?

a. natural setting

b. researcher as participant

c. subject-based communication

d. selected inclusion

6. Which of the following labels is NOT used to describe qualitative research?

a. naturalistic

b. interpretive

c. ethnographic

d. inferential

7. Which form of reactivism results in participants changing their behavior because they are being tested?

a. guinea pig effect

b. role selection

c. response set

d. interviewing effects

8. Which form of reactivism is best described as researchers having unintended consequences on their research as a result of how they interview participants.

a. guinea pig effect

b. role selection

c. response set

d. interviewing effects

9. _____ is best described as an interrogative sentence asked of subjects in a natural setting that is designed to permit spontaneous and unguided responses and that allows subjects to offer qualifiers or contingencies or introduce situational variables they see fit to provide when answering questions.

a. open-ended questions

b. focus groups

c. Liker-type questionnaire

d. action/applied research

10. _____ is best described as research which attempts to resolve “real-world” problems.

a. open-ended questions

b. focus groups

c. Liker-type questionnaire

d. action/applied research

11. Ethnography focuses on the researcher’s perspective in a specific, natural setting.

a. True

b. False

12. Qualitative research takes the form of words rather than numbers.

a. True

b. False

13. When conducting qualitative research, the researcher should never be perceived as participating in the study by participants of the study.

a. True

b. False

14. The results obtained in qualitative research do not usually have immediate utility.

a. True

b. False

15. Triangulation uses only qualitative methods.

a. True

b. False

Essays:

16. Explain how to conduct a focus group.

17. Explain four types of reactivism.

18. Explain three methods for conducting qualitative research.

19. Explain three commonly shared characteristics of qualitative research.

20. What are the three threads of inquiry? Define each.

Matching:

21. Match each of the following terms with the correct statement.

a. Critical Research = Focuses on values and value judgments.

b. Naturalistic = Research that seeks to make the research experiences as much a part of the participant’s everyday experience as possible.

c. Field Research = Research that is like an experiment in that the researcher may exercise control over the manipulation of independent variables but takes place in a natural environment.

d. Qualitative Research = Focuses on how people communicate in their natural environment.