MMC 3420 Midterm | Questions with 100% Verified Answers | Latest Update
Question: Examples of research methods
Answer:
experiment, survey, content analysis, focus groups, in-depth interviews
Question: any form of communication transmitted through a medium (channel) that simultaneously
reaches a large number of people.
Answer:
mass communication
Question: a system of methods used in a particular area of study or activity
Answer:
Methodology
Question: What historical events/ periods encouraged the growth of mass media research?
Answer:
1. World War 1
-Propaganda
-hypodermic needle model of communication: mass communicators need only shoot messages at an
audience and those messages would produce pre-planned and universal effects
2. Realization by Advertisers in the 50's and 60's
-research data are useful in developing ways to persuade customers to buy products and services
-efficiency, exposure, demographics, placement, selection of medium
3. Increasing interest of citizens
-in effects of the media on the public (especially children)
-result was interest in research related to violence and sexual content
-prosocial (positive) antisocial (negative)
4. Increasing competition among media
-in terms of ad dollars
-audience fragmentation = niches = demassification> increases need for trend studies, image studies,
segmentation studies
-survival kit contains info about consumers changing values, tastes, shifts, etc
Question: Examples of non scientific ways of knowing:
Answer:
•Intuition (Believe something to be true because you feel it is true; from within)
•Tenacity (hear something and just believe it. Ex: We use only 10% of our brains)
•Authority (believing something because Beyonce says it)
Question: What are the six basic characteristics of the scientific method?
,Answer:
Scientific research is:
-Public
-Objective
-Empirical (Evidence that is observable)
-Systematic and cumulative
-Predictive
-Self-correcting
Question: researchers concerned with a world that is knowable and potentially measurable.
Answer:
Empirical Research
Question: an abstract idea formed by generalization
Answer:
Concept:
Question: dictionary-like definition. Gives a concept a meaning.
Answer:
Conceptual definition
Question: Empirical counterpart of a concept or construct. Links the empirical with the theoretical.
Events that are measured or manipulated in research.
-What factor are we going to look at to measure something?
-If measuring kindness, are we measuring how many times someone opens a door for others?
-Can have more than one value along continuum. For example: "satisfaction with pay- per-view TV
programs" can take on different values. A person can be satisfied a lot, little or not at all.
Answer:
Variable
Question: defining observations that can be used to measure the concept Ex: for measuring kindness:
how often do people open doors for others and give to charity. example: scale. How are you measuring
it?
Answer:
Operational definition
Question: Expand knowledge, increase understanding of principles
Answer:
Basic (academic) Research
, Question: Answer questions to address practical questions, assist decision-making
Answer:
Applied (private) Research
Question: Steps in developing research
Answer:
1.Select problem 2.Review literature 3.Develop research questions/hypotheses 4.Determine appropriate
research methods 1.Quantitative: enumerating, generalizable 2.Qualitative: unique, text based 5.Collect
data 6.Analyze and interpret results 7.Present results 8.Replicate study
Question: How well can the results of the study be generalized to larger settings or populations. EX:A
study that lacks external validity cannot be projected to another situation; it is valid only for the sample
tested
Answer:
External Validity
Question: are the study results based on expected conditions and not extraneous variables - are we
measuring what we think we are measuring? An experiment that is high in internal validity is able to
prove that the independent variable caused the dependent variable and no other variable did EX: control
over the research conditions - rule out incorrect explanations of results The presence of an artifact
represents lack of internal validity = the study has failed to investigate the hypothesis.
Answer:
Internal Validity
Question: Threats to internal validity:
Answer:
-History
-Maturation
-Testing
-Instrumentation
-Statistical regression
-Experimental Mortality
-Demand characteristics
-Casual time-order
Question: Did some unanticipated event occur while the experiment was in progress and did these events
affect the dependent variable?
Answer:
History
Question: Examples of research methods
Answer:
experiment, survey, content analysis, focus groups, in-depth interviews
Question: any form of communication transmitted through a medium (channel) that simultaneously
reaches a large number of people.
Answer:
mass communication
Question: a system of methods used in a particular area of study or activity
Answer:
Methodology
Question: What historical events/ periods encouraged the growth of mass media research?
Answer:
1. World War 1
-Propaganda
-hypodermic needle model of communication: mass communicators need only shoot messages at an
audience and those messages would produce pre-planned and universal effects
2. Realization by Advertisers in the 50's and 60's
-research data are useful in developing ways to persuade customers to buy products and services
-efficiency, exposure, demographics, placement, selection of medium
3. Increasing interest of citizens
-in effects of the media on the public (especially children)
-result was interest in research related to violence and sexual content
-prosocial (positive) antisocial (negative)
4. Increasing competition among media
-in terms of ad dollars
-audience fragmentation = niches = demassification> increases need for trend studies, image studies,
segmentation studies
-survival kit contains info about consumers changing values, tastes, shifts, etc
Question: Examples of non scientific ways of knowing:
Answer:
•Intuition (Believe something to be true because you feel it is true; from within)
•Tenacity (hear something and just believe it. Ex: We use only 10% of our brains)
•Authority (believing something because Beyonce says it)
Question: What are the six basic characteristics of the scientific method?
,Answer:
Scientific research is:
-Public
-Objective
-Empirical (Evidence that is observable)
-Systematic and cumulative
-Predictive
-Self-correcting
Question: researchers concerned with a world that is knowable and potentially measurable.
Answer:
Empirical Research
Question: an abstract idea formed by generalization
Answer:
Concept:
Question: dictionary-like definition. Gives a concept a meaning.
Answer:
Conceptual definition
Question: Empirical counterpart of a concept or construct. Links the empirical with the theoretical.
Events that are measured or manipulated in research.
-What factor are we going to look at to measure something?
-If measuring kindness, are we measuring how many times someone opens a door for others?
-Can have more than one value along continuum. For example: "satisfaction with pay- per-view TV
programs" can take on different values. A person can be satisfied a lot, little or not at all.
Answer:
Variable
Question: defining observations that can be used to measure the concept Ex: for measuring kindness:
how often do people open doors for others and give to charity. example: scale. How are you measuring
it?
Answer:
Operational definition
Question: Expand knowledge, increase understanding of principles
Answer:
Basic (academic) Research
, Question: Answer questions to address practical questions, assist decision-making
Answer:
Applied (private) Research
Question: Steps in developing research
Answer:
1.Select problem 2.Review literature 3.Develop research questions/hypotheses 4.Determine appropriate
research methods 1.Quantitative: enumerating, generalizable 2.Qualitative: unique, text based 5.Collect
data 6.Analyze and interpret results 7.Present results 8.Replicate study
Question: How well can the results of the study be generalized to larger settings or populations. EX:A
study that lacks external validity cannot be projected to another situation; it is valid only for the sample
tested
Answer:
External Validity
Question: are the study results based on expected conditions and not extraneous variables - are we
measuring what we think we are measuring? An experiment that is high in internal validity is able to
prove that the independent variable caused the dependent variable and no other variable did EX: control
over the research conditions - rule out incorrect explanations of results The presence of an artifact
represents lack of internal validity = the study has failed to investigate the hypothesis.
Answer:
Internal Validity
Question: Threats to internal validity:
Answer:
-History
-Maturation
-Testing
-Instrumentation
-Statistical regression
-Experimental Mortality
-Demand characteristics
-Casual time-order
Question: Did some unanticipated event occur while the experiment was in progress and did these events
affect the dependent variable?
Answer:
History
