Test Bank

Pollock, Essentials of Political Analysis, 5e

Chapter 4, Research Design and the Logic of Control

Essentials of Political
Analysis 5th Edition
Pollock III Test Bank
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1. Since there is only one possible explanation for any given phenomenon, it is
unnecessary to consider rival explanations when conducting political research.
a. True
*b. False
Learning Objective Number: 1
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Introduction

2. When conducting political research it is essential to include additional variables that

may lead to the rejection of the initial hypothesis.
*a. True
b. False
Learning Objective Number: 1
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Introduction

3. A researcher wishes to test the effect of media consumption on the political attitudes
of 100 college students. To ensure the validity of her research she must account for
___________________ of the students’ political attitudes.
*a. Rival explanations
Learning Objective Number: 1
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Introduction

4. A researcher hypothesizes that partisanship is closely related to individual attitudes

regarding same-sex marriage. To be sure the researcher should _______________ for
any additional explanations.
*a. Control
Learning Objective Number: 1
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Application
Test Bank
Pollock, Essentials of Political Analysis, 5e
Chapter 4, Research Design and the Logic of Control
Answer Location: Introduction

5. When conducting political research we should always ask ____________________?

a. How do we know our variables are correct?
*b. What else could explain the observed phenomenon?
c. What happened?
d. When did the observed phenomenon occur?
Learning Objective Number: 1
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Introduction
Test Bank
Pollock, Essentials of Political Analysis, 5e
Chapter 4, Research Design and the Logic of Control

6. Experimental research in political science follows the logic of _________________.

a. Methodological rigor
b. Validity
c. Reliability
*d. Control
Learning Objective Number: 1
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Introduction

7. A researcher is studying the formation of political attitudes in a group of individuals.

Some of the individuals are exposed to several fake news stories to determine if the
stories affect their attitudes while others are not. The exposed individuals are called the
__________________.
a. Guinea Pigs
b. Control Group
*c. Test Group
d. Subjects
Learning Objective Number: 1
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Introduction

8. In a political research experiment the group that is not exposed to a treatment is

referred to as the ___________________.
a. Isolation Group
*b. Control Group
c. Test Group
d. Subject Group
Learning Objective Number: 1
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Introduction

9. When conducting political research it is important that individuals in the two

experimental groups are ______________ in every way that could affect the dependent
variable.
*a. Identical
b. Different
c. Exposed
d. Anonymous
Learning Objective Number: 1
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Introduction
Test Bank
Pollock, Essentials of Political Analysis, 5e
Chapter 4, Research Design and the Logic of Control

10. A researcher who fails to account for gender when researching the effect of
partisanship on political attitudes has missed a potential __________________.
a. Dependent Variable
*b. Rival Explanation
c. Intervening Variable
d. Golden Opportunity
Learning Objective Number: 1
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Introduction

11. Experimental design ensures the research group and the control group are the same in
every way except on the ___________________.
*a. Independent Variable
Learning Objective Number: 2
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Introduction

12. Our ability to rule out worrisome alternative explanations depends upon the power of
our ___________________.
*a. Research Design
Learning Objective Number: 2
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Introduction

13. A strong research design rules out worrisome alternative explanations.

*a. True
b. False
Learning Objective Number: 2
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Introduction

14. If the two groups in an experimental design are the same in every way except on the
dependent variable it is a well-designed experiment.
a. True
*b. False (They should be the same on the independent variable)
Learning Objective Number: 2
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Introduction
Test Bank
Pollock, Essentials of Political Analysis, 5e
Chapter 4, Research Design and the Logic of Control

15. The most common type of political research is the ___________________.

a. Experimental Design
b. Research Design
c. Rival Explanation
*d. Controlled Comparison
Learning Objective Number: 2
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Introduction

16. A researcher studying individual attitudes divides participants into two groups and
has them watch news reports in a home theatre setting created in a college classroom.
This is an example of a _____________________.
a. Random experiment
*b. Laboratory experiment
c. Controlled comparison
d. Invalid experiment
Learning Objective Number: 2
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Experimental Designs

17. In any type of experiment it is essential that participants be _____________________

to ensure the absence of systematic bias.
a. Controlled
b. Identified
*c. Randomized
d. Anonymous
Learning Objective Number: 2
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Experimental Designs

18. A ___________________ experiment is one that occurs in the subject’s natural

environment.
*a. Field
b. Laboratory
c. Random
d. Valid
Learning Objective Number: 2
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Experimental Design
Test Bank
Pollock, Essentials of Political Analysis, 5e
Chapter 4, Research Design and the Logic of Control

19. A researcher is studying the social habits of 100 male college students. She divides
the subjects into two groups with each individual having the same likelihood of being in
either group. This is called ___________________.
a. Laboratory Experimentation
b. Field Research
c. Systematic Assignment
*d. Random Assignment
Learning Objective Number: 2
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Random Assignment

20. A researcher studying the attitudes of college students on social norms posts a survey
on her webpage. After receiving 150 responses she closes the survey and analyzes the
results by comparing the results against those of a survey conducted in the campus
library. What error has the researcher likely committed?
a. Field Research Error
*b. Selection Bias
c. Laboratory Bias
d. Dependent Variable Bias
Learning Objective Number: 2
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Random Assignment

21. In an experiment testing the effects of media consumption on attitudes the experiment
has ____________________ if the effect of the independent variable on the dependent
variable is isolated from other possible explanations.
*a. Internal Validity
Learning Objective Number: 3
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: A Laboratory Experiment

22. When the results of a laboratory experiment cannot be generalized to the outside
world the study is said to lack ___________________________________.
*a. External Validity
Learning Objective Number: 3
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: A Laboratory Experiment

23. A researcher studying the effectiveness of Get Out The Vote (GOTV) methods in a
community is likely conducting a field experiment.
*a. True
b. False
Learning Objective Number: 3
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: A Field Experiment
Test Bank
Pollock, Essentials of Political Analysis, 5e
Chapter 4, Research Design and the Logic of Control

24. A controlled comparison is done by examining the relationship between an

independent variable and a dependent variable while allowing the values of other
variables to fluctuate.
a. True
*b. False (other variables are held constant)
Learning Objective Number: 3
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Controlled Comparisons

25. A researcher examining partisan differences on gun control opinions while holding
gender constant is conducting a _______________________.
a. Field Experiment
b. Laboratory Experiment
*c. Controlled Comparison
d. Random Comparison
Learning Objective Number: 3
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Controlled Comparisons

26. A characteristic upon which subjects in a study have variable values is known as a
_______________________.
a. Demographic Difference
*b. Compositional Difference
c. Random Difference
d. Selection Difference
Learning Objective Number: 3
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Controlled Comparisons

27. An individual’s race is an example of a ________________ difference.

*a. Compositional
b. Categorical
c. Random
d. Variable
Learning Objective Number: 3
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Controlled Comparisons
Test Bank
Pollock, Essentials of Political Analysis, 5e
Chapter 4, Research Design and the Logic of Control

28. A researcher studying partisan attitudes towards the use of contraceptives finds stark
differences between men and women within the same party. This is an example of a
___________________.
a. Gender Difference
b. Categorical Difference
*c. Compositional Difference
d. Random Difference
Learning Objective Number: 3
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Controlled Comparisons

29. The gender gap predicts that a researcher will find differences between men and
women across categories of the ________________ variable.
a. Dependent
b. Antecedent
c. Intervening
*d. Independent
Learning Objective Number: 3
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Controlled Comparisons

30. Field experiments often lack _____________________ because it is sometimes

difficult to ensure that all members of the test group are exposed to the treatment.
*a. Internal Validity
b. External Validity
c. Reliability
d. Substantive questions
Learning Objective Number: 3
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: A Field Experiment

31. A relationship between X and Y that disappears when controlling for Z is said to be
__________________.
*a. Spurious
Learning Objective Number: 4
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Three Scenarios

32. A control variable that acts as a cause of the dependent variable while defining a
small compositional difference across values of the independent variable is said to have
a(n) __________________.
*a. Additive Relationship
Learning Objective Number: 4
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Three Scenarios
Test Bank
Pollock, Essentials of Political Analysis, 5e
Chapter 4, Research Design and the Logic of Control

33. In an interactive relationship, the relationship between X and Y depends on the value
of Z.
*a. True
b. False
Learning Objective Number: 4
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Three Scenarios

34. When examining gun control attitudes and partisanship a researcher notices that
partisanship loses its explanatory power when gender is considered. This means an
interactive relationship is present.
a. True
*b. False (the relationship is spurious)
Learning Objective Number: 4
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Three Scenarios, Spurious Relationships

35. Suppose that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to support abortion rights.
Now suppose that women are more likely than men to support abortion rights. Finally,
assume that women and men comprise an equal percentage of Democrats and
Republicans. What effect are partisanship and gender having on support for abortion
rights?
a. Spurious
*b. Additive
c. Interactive
d. It is impossible to tell
Learning Objective Number: 4
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Three Scenarios, Additive Relationships

36. Suppose that for women (Z) partisanship (X) has a weak effect on support for same-
sex marriage (Y) but for men it has a strong effect. What kind of relationship is gender
exerting on the relationship between partisanship and attitudes towards same-sex
marriage?
a. Spurious
b. Additive
c. Summative
*d. Interactive
Learning Objective Number: 4
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Three Scenarios, Interactive Relationships
Test Bank
Pollock, Essentials of Political Analysis, 5e
Chapter 4, Research Design and the Logic of Control

37. If a researcher is examining the relationship between X and Y but finds that the
relationship dissipates when controlling for Z it means the relationship between X and Y
is __________________.
a. Interactive
b. Additive
*c. Spurious
d. Indifferent
Learning Objective Number: 4
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Three Scenarios, Spurious Relationships

38. An additive relationship means that our understanding of the relationship between X
and Y is ____________ by controlling for Z.
a. Weakened
*b. Enhanced
c. Eliminated
d. Spurious
Learning Objective Number:
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Three Scenarios, Additive Relationships

39. If a control variable has a large effect on one category of an independent variable but
a small effect on another category of the independent variable then _____________ is
present.
*a. Interaction
b. Spuriousness
c. Additive Relationship
d. Interference
Learning Objective Number: 4
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Three Scenarios

40. Which of the following is NOT an possible type of relationship between X and Y?
a. Spurious
b. Additive
*c. Indecisive
d. Interactive
Learning Objective Number: 4
Bloom's Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Three Scenarios
Test Bank
Pollock, Essentials of Political Analysis, 5e
Chapter 4, Research Design and the Logic of Control