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Descriptive Research Quiz 10 (10 MCQs)

This set of multiple-choice questions evaluates understanding of descriptive research methods, including observational studies, cross-sectional designs, and detailed examination of population characteristics. It covers concepts such as behavior frequency, confounding variables, and the relationship between behaviors. The material also assesses skills in isolating variables, data collection techniques, and the use of visual aids for descriptive analysis.

Quiz Instructions

Select an option to see the correct answer instantly.

1. What type of descriptive research study measures a situation at only one point in time?

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (A) Cross-sectional studies.

Exam Relevance: AP Psychology, GRE Psychology, Research Methods in Psychology

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes: Cross-sectional studies measure a situation at a single point in time.

Common Mistakes: A common misunderstanding is that longitudinal studies also measure a situation at a single point in time, but they actually measure changes over multiple points in time.

Explanations: Cross-sectional studies are a type of descriptive research that captures data at a single point in time. This method provides a snapshot of the current state of the variables being studied, without tracking changes over time. Therefore, cross-sectional studies are the correct choice for measuring a situation at only one point in time.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. Cross-sectional studies measure a situation at a single point in time.
Option B: Incorrect. Longitudinal studies measure changes over multiple points in time.
Option C: Incorrect. "Point in Time studies" is not a standard term in descriptive research.
Option D: Incorrect. "One Point in Time studies" is not a standard term in descriptive research.

2. Descriptive research is the type of research that-

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (C) Includes fact-finding inquiries and surveys.

Exam Relevance: AP Psychology, GRE, MCAT, Research Methods Exams

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: Descriptive research is a type of research that aims to describe the characteristics of a population or phenomenon being studied. It involves collecting data through various methods such as surveys, observations, and interviews to provide a detailed description of the current state of affairs.

Common Mistakes: A common misunderstanding is that descriptive research is only about theoretical or abstract concepts, but it actually involves practical data collection methods like surveys and inquiries.

Explanations: Descriptive research focuses on gathering detailed information about a particular subject or phenomenon. This is typically achieved through fact-finding inquiries and surveys, which allow researchers to collect data that can be analyzed to provide a comprehensive description of the subject under study.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Descriptive research is not primarily theoretical or aimed at performing basic research. It is more focused on gathering empirical data.
Option B: Descriptive research is not intended to find solutions to problems; it is focused on describing the current state of affairs.
Option C: Descriptive research includes fact-finding inquiries and surveys, which are methods used to gather detailed information about a subject.
Option D: Descriptive research does not primarily use available information for critical evaluation; it focuses on collecting new data through surveys and inquiries.

3. Non-experimental that shows an image or picture of an individual or group.

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (A) Descriptive.

Exam Relevance: AP Psychology, Research Methods in Psychology, Undergraduate Psychology Exams

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes: Descriptive research involves the collection of data to describe characteristics of a population or phenomenon. It often includes visual representations such as images or pictures to provide a detailed description of the subject.

Common Mistakes: A common misunderstanding is that descriptive research involves manipulating variables or establishing cause-and-effect relationships, which it does not. Descriptive research is purely observational and aims to describe rather than explain or predict.

Explanations: Descriptive research is characterized by its focus on describing the characteristics of a population or phenomenon. It often uses visual aids such as images or pictures to provide a detailed and comprehensive description. This aligns with the question's description of a non-experimental method that shows an image or picture of an individual or group.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Descriptive research fits the description as it involves describing characteristics using visual aids.
Option B: Correlative research involves finding relationships between variables, which is not the focus of the question.
Option C: Comparative research involves comparing different groups or conditions, which is not the focus of the question.
Option D: None of the above is incorrect as descriptive research is a valid option.

4. Descriptive research describes the characteristics of the population or the phenomenon studied.

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (A) True.

Exam Relevance: AP Psychology, Research Methods in Psychology, Statistics Exams

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes: Descriptive research aims to describe the characteristics of a population or phenomenon as they exist at the time of the study.

Common Mistakes: A common misunderstanding is that descriptive research involves making inferences or predictions about the population, which it does not.

Explanations: Descriptive research is designed to provide a detailed and accurate description of the characteristics of a population or phenomenon. It does not aim to establish cause-and-effect relationships or make predictions, but rather to describe the current state of affairs. This aligns with the statement that descriptive research describes the characteristics of the population or the phenomenon studied.

Option Analysis:

Option A: This option is correct because descriptive research indeed aims to describe the characteristics of the population or phenomenon being studied.
Option B: This option is incorrect because it contradicts the fundamental purpose of descriptive research.

5. Which of the following is an example of a correlation (relational)?

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (B) Classes with elementary PE specialists tend to have higher levels of active learning times (ALT) in their classes than non PE specialists.

Exam Relevance: AP Psychology, GRE, MCAT

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: In descriptive research, the focus is on describing the characteristics of a phenomenon or the relationship between variables. Correlation (relational) studies aim to identify patterns or associations between variables without establishing causation.

Common Mistakes: A common misunderstanding is to confuse correlation with causation. Just because two variables are correlated does not mean one causes the other.

Explanations: The correct answer is B because it describes a correlation between the presence of elementary PE specialists and higher levels of active learning times (ALT). This statement indicates a relationship between two variables without implying causation, which is characteristic of descriptive research.

Option Analysis:

Option A: This is a logical deduction rather than a correlation. It does not describe a relationship between variables.
Option B: This describes a correlation between the presence of PE specialists and higher ALT, fitting the definition of a relational study in descriptive research.
Option C: This is a simple statement about a specific school and does not describe a relationship between variables.
Option D: This is a simple statement about a specific school and does not describe a relationship between variables.

6. Three descriptive methods of psychological research.

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (D) Case studies, naturalistic observation, surveys.

Exam Relevance: AP Psychology, IB Psychology, GRE Psychology

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: Descriptive research methods aim to describe the characteristics of a phenomenon without manipulating variables. These methods include case studies, naturalistic observation, and surveys.

Common Mistakes: A common mistake is confusing descriptive methods with experimental methods, which involve manipulating variables to establish cause-and-effect relationships.

Explanations: Descriptive research methods are used to describe the characteristics of a phenomenon without manipulating variables. Case studies provide in-depth analysis of a single individual or group. Naturalistic observation involves observing subjects in their natural environment without interference. Surveys collect data through questionnaires or interviews. These methods are all descriptive in nature, as they aim to describe the phenomenon without altering it.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Experiments involve manipulating variables, which is not a descriptive method. Correlations and case studies can be descriptive, but experiments are not.
Option B: Dependent variable and inferential statistics are not descriptive methods. Case studies can be descriptive, but the other two options are not.
Option C: Experiments involve manipulating variables, which is not a descriptive method. Naturalistic observation and case studies are descriptive, but experiments are not.
Option D: Case studies, naturalistic observation, and surveys are all descriptive methods used to describe phenomena without manipulating variables.

7. "a research question that asks about the presence of behaviour, how frequently it is exhibited, or whether there is a relationship between different behaviours" This is a .....

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (A) Descriptive research question.

Exam Relevance: AP Psychology, IB Psychology, Undergraduate Research Methods

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes: Descriptive research questions aim to describe the characteristics of a phenomenon, such as the presence of a behavior, its frequency, or relationships between different behaviors.

Common Mistakes: A common misunderstanding is confusing descriptive research with causal research, which seeks to establish cause-and-effect relationships.

Explanations: Descriptive research questions focus on describing the nature, presence, and frequency of behaviors or relationships between behaviors. The question in the prompt fits this definition as it asks about the presence of behavior, its frequency, or relationships between behaviors.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. Descriptive research questions aim to describe the characteristics of a phenomenon, such as the presence of a behavior, its frequency, or relationships between different behaviors.
Option B: Incorrect. Predictive research questions aim to forecast future outcomes based on current data, which is not the focus of the question in the prompt.
Option C: Incorrect. Causal research questions aim to establish cause-and-effect relationships, which is not the focus of the question in the prompt.
Option D: Incorrect. The question clearly fits the definition of a descriptive research question.

8. Involves making a judgement of worth or value

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (B) Descriptive-evaluative.

Exam Relevance: GRE, GMAT, Research Methodology Exams

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: Descriptive-evaluative research involves making a judgement of worth or value. It describes the characteristics of a phenomenon and evaluates its quality or effectiveness.

Common Mistakes: A common misunderstanding is confusing descriptive-evaluative with descriptive-correlational, which focuses on identifying relationships between variables rather than making value judgments.

Explanations: Descriptive-evaluative research involves both describing the characteristics of a phenomenon and making a judgment about its worth or value. This aligns with the question's requirement of making a judgment of worth or value.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Descriptive-correlational research focuses on identifying relationships between variables, not on making value judgments.
Option B: Descriptive-evaluative research involves both describing characteristics and making value judgments, which matches the question's requirement.
Option C: Descriptive-comparative research involves comparing different groups or conditions, but does not necessarily involve making value judgments.
Option D: Descriptive documentary research involves documenting phenomena without necessarily making value judgments.

Mnemonic: DEEVE (Descriptive-Evaluative: Evaluate Value)

9. Cross-sectional studies where researchers test and compare people of various ages are flawed because they not only compare people of different ages, they also compare what?

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (D) All answers are correct.

Exam Relevance: AP Psychology, GRE Psychology, Research Methods in Psychology

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: Cross-sectional studies in descriptive research compare different age groups at a single point in time. However, these studies are flawed because they not only compare people of different ages but also people from different eras, locations, and backgrounds.

Common Mistakes: A common misunderstanding is that cross-sectional studies only compare people of different ages, ignoring other variables such as era, location, and background.

Explanations: Cross-sectional studies in descriptive research compare different age groups at a single point in time. However, these studies are flawed because they not only compare people of different ages but also people from different eras, locations, and backgrounds. This means that differences observed could be due to age, era, location, or other factors, making it difficult to isolate the effect of age alone.

Option Analysis:

Option A: People with higher education to lower education. This is a valid point as educational background can vary significantly between different age groups and eras.
Option B: People from large families to people from small families. Family size and structure can also differ between different age groups and eras, affecting the results.
Option C: People from different locations. Geographic location can influence various factors such as lifestyle, culture, and access to resources, which can affect the outcomes of the study.
Option D: All answers are correct. This option correctly identifies that cross-sectional studies are flawed because they compare people not only by age but also by era, location, and other factors.
Option E: People from different eras. This is also a valid point as people from different eras can have different experiences and exposures that affect the study outcomes.

10. A case study is an example of which type of research design?

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (B) Descriptive.

Exam Relevance: AP Psychology, Research Methods in Psychology, Graduate Research Methods

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: Descriptive research aims to describe characteristics of a population or phenomenon being studied. It does not involve manipulation of variables or experimental conditions.

Common Mistakes: A common misunderstanding is that case studies involve manipulation of variables, which would make them experimental. However, case studies typically involve detailed observations and descriptions without manipulation.

Explanations: A case study is a detailed examination of a particular instance or situation. It involves collecting and analyzing data to describe the characteristics of the case. This aligns with the definition of descriptive research, which focuses on describing the current state of affairs without manipulating variables.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Experimental research involves manipulating variables to determine cause-and-effect relationships, which is not the focus of a case study.
Option B: Descriptive research aims to describe the characteristics of a population or phenomenon, which is consistent with the detailed examination provided by a case study.
Option C: Quasi-experimental research involves some manipulation of variables but lacks the random assignment found in true experiments, which is not the focus of a case study.
Option D: Correlational research examines relationships between variables without manipulation, but it does not provide the detailed, in-depth description that a case study offers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is descriptive research?

Descriptive research is a type of research that aims to describe the characteristics of a population or phenomenon. It focuses on providing a detailed examination and visual representation of the current state of affairs.

What are some common methods used in descriptive research?

Common methods include surveys, observational studies, and case studies. These methods help researchers gather data on behavior frequency, population characteristics, and phenomenon description.

How does descriptive research differ from evaluative research?

Descriptive research focuses on describing what is happening, while evaluative research involves making judgments of worth or value assessment. Descriptive-evaluative research combines both aspects to provide a comprehensive analysis.

What are confounding variables in descriptive research?

Confounding variables are extraneous factors that can influence the relationship between the variables being studied. They can distort the results and make it difficult to determine the true relationship between behaviors or phenomena.

How are cross-sectional studies used in descriptive research?

Cross-sectional studies are used to collect data from a population at a single point in time. This method helps researchers understand the current state of behaviors or characteristics within a specific group without considering changes over time.

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