Communication Research Methods- Chapter 5 Exam Questions Answered Correctly!! (already Passed)
Measurement - Answers Use of number to represent a communication phenomenon; more broadly, a
process that includes everything the researcher does to arrive at the numerical estimates, including the
meaning device or instrument, how the device or instrument is used and attribute or characteristic
being measured.
Likert-Type-Scale - Answers Type of internal scale measurement widely used to in communication
research; participate are given a statement and then asked to respond, indicating they are or disagree
with the statement; a typical response set is "strongly disagree, disagree, undecided, agree, strongly
agree."
Semantic differential scale - Answers Form of interval measurement; using a stimulus statement,
participating are asked to locate the meaning they ascribe to the stimulus on a response scale anchored
by two opposites, usually bipolar adjectives.
Reliability - Answers Achieved when researchers are consistent in their use of data collection procedures
are when participants react similarly to them; other researchers using the same measure in another
project with comparable participants would produce similar results; measurement is stable, trustworthy,
or dependable; a reliable measure is one that is consistent or gives very similar results each time it is
used.
Validity - Answers Achieved when the measurement does what it is intended to do; related to
trustfulness or accuracy in measurement.
Internal Validity - Answers Extended to which one can draw valid conclusions the effects of one variable
on another; depended upon how the research is designed and the data collected; addressed the
relationship between the concept being measured and the process for measuring it.
Mortality - Answers Threat to the interval validity of research when participants can no longer be
observed or used for data collection because they have dropped out of the research project; also known
as attrition.
Attrition - Answers Threat to the internal validity of research when participants can no longer be
observed or used for data collection because they have dropped out of the research project; also known
as mortality.
Maturation - Answers Threat to the internal validity of research as participants change or mature, over
the course of the observations.
External Validity - Answers Degree to which the findings of a research project can be extended to
participants and settings beyond those studied.
Ecological Validity - Answers Form of external validity; the degree to which participants are like those
the researcher is really interested in and the degree to which the research setting is natural.
Measurement - Answers Use of number to represent a communication phenomenon; more broadly, a
process that includes everything the researcher does to arrive at the numerical estimates, including the
meaning device or instrument, how the device or instrument is used and attribute or characteristic
being measured.
Likert-Type-Scale - Answers Type of internal scale measurement widely used to in communication
research; participate are given a statement and then asked to respond, indicating they are or disagree
with the statement; a typical response set is "strongly disagree, disagree, undecided, agree, strongly
agree."
Semantic differential scale - Answers Form of interval measurement; using a stimulus statement,
participating are asked to locate the meaning they ascribe to the stimulus on a response scale anchored
by two opposites, usually bipolar adjectives.
Reliability - Answers Achieved when researchers are consistent in their use of data collection procedures
are when participants react similarly to them; other researchers using the same measure in another
project with comparable participants would produce similar results; measurement is stable, trustworthy,
or dependable; a reliable measure is one that is consistent or gives very similar results each time it is
used.
Validity - Answers Achieved when the measurement does what it is intended to do; related to
trustfulness or accuracy in measurement.
Internal Validity - Answers Extended to which one can draw valid conclusions the effects of one variable
on another; depended upon how the research is designed and the data collected; addressed the
relationship between the concept being measured and the process for measuring it.
Mortality - Answers Threat to the interval validity of research when participants can no longer be
observed or used for data collection because they have dropped out of the research project; also known
as attrition.
Attrition - Answers Threat to the internal validity of research when participants can no longer be
observed or used for data collection because they have dropped out of the research project; also known
as mortality.
Maturation - Answers Threat to the internal validity of research as participants change or mature, over
the course of the observations.
External Validity - Answers Degree to which the findings of a research project can be extended to
participants and settings beyond those studied.
Ecological Validity - Answers Form of external validity; the degree to which participants are like those
the researcher is really interested in and the degree to which the research setting is natural.
