©Jason MacConnell 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Comm 201 Midterm Exam Questions With
Correct Answers A+
Two characteristics of the scientific method are observation and the attempt to rule out alternate
explanations. - Answer✔True
Researchers may use both qualitative and quantitative methods in their research. - Answer✔True
Researchers never mix qualitative and quantitative methods in their research. - Answer✔False
Rhetoricians study the use of language in persuasion and argumentation. - Answer✔True
At its simplest, empiricism can be defined as research based on observation. - Answer✔True
Focus groups bring together a small group of people in order to elicit their reactions in their own
words to a message, issue or - Answer✔True
Focus groups depend on bringing together large groups of people. - Answer✔False
Critical analysis of communication starts from a basic assumption that communication maintains
and promotes power structures in society. - Answer✔True
Action researchers engage in research aimed at improving people's lives. - Answer✔True
The interpretive perspective seeks to understand how humans make sense of events in their lives.
- Answer✔True
Social scientists assume that human behavior and thought can be measured objectively. -
Answer✔True
Triangulation is a process by which a researcher uses multiple methods to ensure that she has a
good "fix" on a problem. - Answer✔True
A "pilot" study is a follow-up study done after an initial study. - Answer✔False
"Peer review" means that scholars from outside your field of research assess your work. -
Answer✔False
Three "classic" appeals identified by Aristotle were - - Answer✔ethos, logos and pathos
1
, ©Jason MacConnell 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
NCA, in this course, should be understood as the - - Answer✔National Communication
Association
Which of the following research approaches is most likely to involve statistical analysis? -
Answer✔content analysis
A good starting point for research is to observe the communication phenomena you are most
interested in. - Answer✔True
Deduction means reasoning from observations to a theory. - Answer✔False
Induction means reasoning from theory to observations that will test the theory. - Answer✔False
Abduction means reasoning from a probable cause to its effects. - Answer✔False
A hypothesis is a statement about the relationships you expect to find between two or more
variables. - Answer✔True
Exploration is not a legitimate purpose of research. - Answer✔False
Exploration is curiosity-based research. - Answer✔True
Control of people is never a goal of human communication research - Answer✔False
Criticism is not a legitimate purpose of research. - Answer✔False
Generally, research findings have greater credibility if they are capable of prediction. -
Answer✔True
Interpretive studies are best understood as an attempt to place oneself "in the other person's
shoes." - Answer✔True
Starting from the work of others is never a good idea. - Answer✔False
The nomothetic approach to communication research emphasizes measurement and
generalization from research results. - Answer✔True
The idiographic approach to communication research emphasizes the subjectivity and
individuality of human communication. - Answer✔True
Ontological questions address the nature of what we study and what it is that language actually
refers to. - Answer✔True
Operationalizing a construct means to define it in such a way that it can be measured. -
Answer✔True
Variables are the aspects of a construct that are capable of being measured. - Answer✔True
Two-tailed hypotheses state the direction of the relationship between variables. - Answer✔False
2
Comm 201 Midterm Exam Questions With
Correct Answers A+
Two characteristics of the scientific method are observation and the attempt to rule out alternate
explanations. - Answer✔True
Researchers may use both qualitative and quantitative methods in their research. - Answer✔True
Researchers never mix qualitative and quantitative methods in their research. - Answer✔False
Rhetoricians study the use of language in persuasion and argumentation. - Answer✔True
At its simplest, empiricism can be defined as research based on observation. - Answer✔True
Focus groups bring together a small group of people in order to elicit their reactions in their own
words to a message, issue or - Answer✔True
Focus groups depend on bringing together large groups of people. - Answer✔False
Critical analysis of communication starts from a basic assumption that communication maintains
and promotes power structures in society. - Answer✔True
Action researchers engage in research aimed at improving people's lives. - Answer✔True
The interpretive perspective seeks to understand how humans make sense of events in their lives.
- Answer✔True
Social scientists assume that human behavior and thought can be measured objectively. -
Answer✔True
Triangulation is a process by which a researcher uses multiple methods to ensure that she has a
good "fix" on a problem. - Answer✔True
A "pilot" study is a follow-up study done after an initial study. - Answer✔False
"Peer review" means that scholars from outside your field of research assess your work. -
Answer✔False
Three "classic" appeals identified by Aristotle were - - Answer✔ethos, logos and pathos
1
, ©Jason MacConnell 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
NCA, in this course, should be understood as the - - Answer✔National Communication
Association
Which of the following research approaches is most likely to involve statistical analysis? -
Answer✔content analysis
A good starting point for research is to observe the communication phenomena you are most
interested in. - Answer✔True
Deduction means reasoning from observations to a theory. - Answer✔False
Induction means reasoning from theory to observations that will test the theory. - Answer✔False
Abduction means reasoning from a probable cause to its effects. - Answer✔False
A hypothesis is a statement about the relationships you expect to find between two or more
variables. - Answer✔True
Exploration is not a legitimate purpose of research. - Answer✔False
Exploration is curiosity-based research. - Answer✔True
Control of people is never a goal of human communication research - Answer✔False
Criticism is not a legitimate purpose of research. - Answer✔False
Generally, research findings have greater credibility if they are capable of prediction. -
Answer✔True
Interpretive studies are best understood as an attempt to place oneself "in the other person's
shoes." - Answer✔True
Starting from the work of others is never a good idea. - Answer✔False
The nomothetic approach to communication research emphasizes measurement and
generalization from research results. - Answer✔True
The idiographic approach to communication research emphasizes the subjectivity and
individuality of human communication. - Answer✔True
Ontological questions address the nature of what we study and what it is that language actually
refers to. - Answer✔True
Operationalizing a construct means to define it in such a way that it can be measured. -
Answer✔True
Variables are the aspects of a construct that are capable of being measured. - Answer✔True
Two-tailed hypotheses state the direction of the relationship between variables. - Answer✔False
2
