Chapter 2 - Elements of Research

  1. Provide three examples of how a dependent variable in one study be could used as an independent variable in a different study.

  2. Some people claim that the radio ratings produced by Arbitron Inc. are unreliable because the numbers "jump up and down" from one survey to another.  First, why is this true?  Second, what could Arbitron do to help make radio ratings more reliable; that is, more consistent from one ratings period to another?

  3. What could cause problems with this operational definition of "female": Women between the ages of 25 and 34?

  4. What advantages are there in using a triangulation in research?  Why is triangulation a valuable research approach?

  5. Why aren't large sample qualitative research projects conducted frequently in mass media research?

  6. In your opinion, what type of rating scale do you think is the best to use: 3-point, 5-point, 7-point, or 10-point?  Why?

  7. Most people have difficulty understanding the difference between reliability and validity.  How would you describe these two concepts to someone who has no background in research?

  8. What is a marker variable?  Why do researchers often include marker variables in their studies?

  9. A person says, "I know that Tom must is a smart guy because he just looks smart."  In which category of validity does this comment fall?

  10. Conduct an Internet search for the following terms that are only briefly discussed in the text: