GENERAL REVIEW FOR FINAL EXAM
BUSN 364
Özge Can
Final Exam:
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Exam Date & Place:
June 5, 2013 –Wednesday, 11:00 -12:30
Classroom: O 001-O 002
Exam Format:
Open-ended questions (%50)
Short essay question based on one research case
(%50)
Final Exam Content:
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Major topics for the exam:
 Conducting ethical research (week 9)
 Measurement and Sampling (week 11)
 Survey research (week 12)
 Experimental research (week 12)
 Esixting statistics/ Secondary research (week 13)
 Quantitative data analysis (week 13)
Final Exam Content:1QAa1szx
 Field
Research: Observation & Interview (week 14)
 Focus groups (week 14)
 Analysis of qualitative data (week 14)
 Writing the research report (week 15)
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Course Textbook – Neuman (2011):
Chapters 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
Exercise 1:
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Sherman, G. D., Haidt, J., & Coan, J. A. (2009).
Viewing cute images increases behavioral carefulness.
Emotion, 9, 282-286.
This article examined how the perception of cuteness
influences behavioral carefulness, enhancing people’s
ability to care for infants. While researchers took
physiological measures of heart activity and skin
conductance, they exposed participants to a slide show of
pictures of either i) infant animals (kittens and puppies)
previously judged as very cute, or ii) adult animals (cats
and dogs) judged to be less cute.
Exercise 1 (con’t)
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Both before and after the slideshow, participants played
the game “Operation” that required them to use
tweezers to remove plastic body parts without touching
the sides of the compartments. The game served as an
assessment of behavioral carefulness. Participants
exposed to cute infant animals displayed greater
improvements in fine-motor control from before to after
the slide show. Lack of consistent changes in
physiological measures ruled out general physiological
arousal as an explanation. Results indicated that
cuteness not only motivates people to nurture, but also
enhances their ability to do so.
Exercise 1 (con’t)
1. What are the Independent Variable; Dependent Variable
and their operational (measurable) definitions here?
2. What are the potential confounding variables?
3. What are the key strengths and weaknesses of the above
study design?
4. How strong is the external validity of this research design?
5. One element in this design was a pretest and posttest
measure. What are the advantages of using this type of
design? Was it necessary?
6. Can you find other ways to manipulate “cuteness” and
measure “carefulness” in this experiment?
Exercise 1 - Answers
1. Independent variable => perception of cuteness
(measured by slide show of infant animal pictures)
Dependent variable => behavioral carefulness
(measured by the game “Operation”)
Exercise 1 - Answers
2. Confounding variables (definiton): Factors that are not
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part of the intended hypothesis but have effects on
variables of interest
Possible confounds in this study:
Personal factors: personality, prior experience with
infant animals, general skill and ability level, general
physiological arousal (controlled in the study) and etc.
Other: the pictures selected (is there a shared
understanding on what is “cute”?), knowing that you are
in an experiment (anxiety, excess motivation and etc)
Exercise 1 - Answers
3. We should evaluate it based on how much it fits to
a classic experimental design:
There is an experiment and a control group (strength)
There is pre-test and post-test of the DV (strength)
Controls for a potential confounding variable (strength)
No random sampling to two groups (weakness)
How good are the measurements and the manipulation. They
may somewhat “artificial” and not represent the real world
(weakness)
Exercise 1 - Answers
4. To increase external validity:
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We should have random sampling and random
assignment. Do we have these in the research?
Manipulation of “cuteness” effective enough? Can
we measure it in a better way?
Can the performance in the game “Operation”
really explain nurturing behavior in life?
Exercise 1 - Answers
5. Pre-test and post-test => measuring dependent
variable both before the treatment (manipulation)
and after the treatment
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In this study, participants play the game “Operation”
both before and after watching the slide show
Pre-test and post-test design better grasps the real
impact of the IV (manipulation) by enabling us to
compare the situation before and after and see
whether there is any difference.
Exercise 1 - Answers
6. Alternative measures:
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For “cuteness” => the smell of baby powder versus
deodorant; watching babies smiling and sleeping
innocently versus older children playing aggressively
and fighting; showing a video of little children with
bunny customes vs. witch costumes
For “carefulness” => walking a balance beam,
carrying an egg on a spoon, playing a videogame,
simulation of driving a car in the traffic, carrying a
tray with one hand, taking a test, solving a puzzle
Exercise 2:
Please indicate whether the following measures are
nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio scales
a) Prices on the stock market
b) Marital status, classified as “married” and “single”
c) Academic rank: instructor, assistant professor,
associate professor, or professor
d) Letter grades at school: A, B, C, and D
Levels of Measurement
Exercise 2- Answers
a) Prices on the stock market => ratio
b) Marital status, classified as “married” and “single”
=> nominal
c) Academic rank: instructor, assistant professor,
associate professor, or professor => ordinal
d) Letter grades at school: A, B, C, and D => interval
Exercise 3:
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Please identify and briefly comment on
which type of sampling is more appropriate
for each case
a) Economists try to come up with a consumer price index
which involves a sample of market items which they think
serves the economic purpose best
b) Selection of people for jury duty without giving anyone
any priority
Exercise 3 (con’t)
c) We want to know about the general technology
preferences of the subscribers of an engineering journal.
Subscribers are composed of mechanical engineers,
electrical engineers and civil engineers.
d) Special interest on the lifes and problems of heavy
drinking (alcoholic) people
Exercise 3 –Answers:
a) Non-random sampling (e.g. theoretical or
judgmental sampling)
b) Random sampling (e.g. simple random sampling)
c) Random sampling (e.g. stratified sampling)
d) Non-random sampling (e.g. snowball sampling)
Exercise 4:
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Please identify what is wrong with each of the
following survey questions and make
suggestions on how they can be improved
Do you ever feel alienated from your work?
 All
the time
 Often
 Occasionally
 Never
Exercise 4 (con’t)
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What is your annual salary?
 Below
5,000 TL
 5,000 – 10,000 TL
 10,000 – 15,000 TL
 15,000 – 20,000 TL
 20,000 – 25,000 TL
 25,000 – 30,000 TL
 30,000 TL and above
Exercise 4 (con’t)
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How satisfied are you with the provision of educational
services and social services in your area?
 Very
satisfied
 Fairly satisfied
 Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
 Fairly dissatisfied
 Very dissatisfied
Exercise 4 (con’t)
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Do you think scientists should step up the research
for new, more effective, affordable detection
methods?
Yes
 No
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Exercise 5:
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a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Please design each of the above sources in the
appropriate APA reference style
308-324.
Journal of Culinary Science & Technology
Ruetzler, T.
21(4)
Food, bevarage, and service quality: Does culture impact
satisfaction with university food services?
f) (2008).
Exercise 5- Answers:
Exercise 5 (con’t):
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
APA Online
(2004).
retrieved May 22, 2008
American Psychological Association
from http://apa.org/pi.vio&tv.html
Violence on television: What do children learn? What
can parents do?
Exercise 5- Answers: