Colin RM

1a

A researcher visits a foreign country to study the local

agriculture. After having seen three farms that cultivate

rice, she says to herself: ‘This must be a rice cultivating

country’. Her reasoning is best described as:

• Observation

• Induction

• Deduction

• Testing

1b

Consider the following two statements

I: A single research project can go through multiple

phases of the empirical cycle.

II: A single research project usually takes place in only

one phase of the regulative cycle.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

• Only statement I is correct

• Only statement II is correct

• Both statements are correct

• Both statements are incorrect

2a

A farmer suspects that his cows grow slower. After

several months of careful measurement of the weight of

his cows, he indeed finds that they need 10-15 more

days to reach slaughter weight compared to previous

months. The farmer’s measurements can be considered

to be part of the ...

• Design phase of the RC

• Diagnosis phase of the RC

• Evaluation phase of the RC

• Problem identification phase of the RC

2b

A farmer suspects that his cows grow slower. After

several months of careful measurement of the weight of

his cows, he indeed finds that they need 10-15 more

days to reach slaughter weight compared to previous

months.

The farmer talks about his findings to a WUR researcher

who discovers that the noise of a wind turbine (which

was recently built in the vicinity of the farm) is

responsible for the decrease in growth rate. With the

help of the farmer, she starts a pilot test with a smaller,

less noisy turbine, that will hopefully not affect the cows.

The idea is to install smaller turbines in more farms in

the Netherlands if the pilot test is successful. The pilot

test can be considered to be part of the ...

• Design phase of the RC

• Diagnosis phase of the RC

• Evaluation phase of the RC

• Implementation phase of the RC

2c

A researcher formulated the following objective for her

practice oriented research project: to help improve the

environmental sustainability of Rio de Janeiro by

persuading the inhabitants to compost their kitchen waste.

In this research objective:

• Only the internal objective is stated correctly

• Only the external objective is stated correctly

• Both the internal objective and the external objective

  are stated correctly

• Neither the internal objective nor the external objective

  are stated correctly

3a

A researcher is interested in the attitude of male farmers

towards having a female as an agricultural consultant. She

decides to interview them face-to-face to measure their

attitude. A colleague warns her that the male farmers may

give more positive answers towards the issue than they

really feel, because she herself is a woman as well. The

measurement of the farmers' attitude therefore has a poor

...

• Reliability

• Measurement validity

• Reliability and measurement validity

• None of the above

3b

A student wants to determine how many birds are

generally present in the garden surrounding the

Leeuwenborch. He walks a certain route through the

garden and counts the number of birds that he sees.

Based on his measurement he concludes: the number of

birds generally present in the garden of the Leeuwenborch

is 16. The student’s measurement has a poor ...

• Reliability

• Measurement validity

• Reliability and measurement validity

• None of the above

3c

A master student is going to Mexico City to investigate the liveability of several neighbourhoods. As a measure for liveability he decides to use the crime rates. His supervisor, who is a professor in Urban Planning, tells him that his measurement is too narrow, and that the liveability of

a neighbourhood consists of more than only crime rates. Things like the greenness, hygiene, availability of schools, medical care, public transportation, etc., should also be included, she says. The type of validity that the professor is talking about is:

• Face validity

• Content validity

• Construct validity

• Predictive validity

4a

Consider the arrow diagram

Which statement about this arrow diagram is true?

• Variable A is a dependent variable

• Variable B is a mediating variable

• Variable C is an independent variable

• Variable D is a moderating variable

4b

RQ: What is the effect of the concentration of Copper in the soil on the sustainability of the ecosystem of the soil and does the level of acidity have an effect on this relationship? In this research question:

• The soil is the independent variable, the concentration of copper in the soil is the dependent variable, the level of acidity is a moderating variable.

• The soil is the dependent variable, the concentration of copper in the soil is the independent variable, the level of acidity is an intervening variable.

• The concentration of copper in the soil is the independent variable, the sustainability of the ecosystem of the soil is the dependent variable, the level of acidity is an intervening variable.

• The concentration of copper in the soil is the independent variable, the sustainability of the ecosystem of the soil is the dependent variable, the level of acidity is a moderating variable.