Research Activity 1.14

If you wanted to explore what proportion of the population of UK athletes experience fear of failure at some point in their careers, what type of data would give the most useful result?

• Qualitative
• Quantitative

If you wanted to describe and understand the in-depth perceptions of athletes on their responses to athletic injury, what type of data would give the most useful result?

• Qualitative
• Quantitative

If you wanted to statistically determine if there is a significant difference in the psychological characteristics of Olympic champions compared with other Olympic athletes, and also describe and understand the in-depth experiences of a small sample of coaches of Olympic champions relating to these characteristics, what type of data would give the most useful information?

• Qualitative
• Quantitative
• Mixed methods

Which of the following are typical of the quantitative approach?

• Research questions develop from established theories.
• Hypotheses are tested.
• The data is analysed statistically.
• The study conditions are controlled to minimise the effects of other variables.
• All of the above.

Which of the following are typical of the qualitative approach? (You could choose more than 1 answer)

• The data uses numerical analysis.
• It uses a sample from a population with the intention of generalising back to the wider population.
• It is generally inductive in nature.
• The location is often in a ‘natural’ setting outside laboratory conditions.
• Relies on non-numerical analysis to provide understanding.

When a researcher develops a research question from existing theory and then tests it through the collection of data this can be described as what type of reasoning?

• Deductive
• Inductive

Which of the following is a null hypothesis?

• There will be a significant difference in state anxiety scores between elite and amateur athletes.
• There will be a significant difference between the state anxiety scores of elite and amateur athletes. The amateur athletes will be significantly more anxious.
• There will be a significant difference between the state anxiety scores of elite and amateur athletes. The elite athletes will be significantly more anxious.
• There will be no significant difference in the state anxiety scores of elite and amateur athletes.

If a researcher hypothesised that young athletes who are praised for winning would show significantly less persistence after failure than those who were praised for effort, what kind of hypothesis have they set?

• A research hypothesis.
• A null hypothesis.

If a researcher wished to explore the coach–athlete relationship in one partnership and present a rich, detailed picture of this relationship in the place (i.e. environment) where they normally train, what research design would be most appropriate?

• Experimental
• Case study

If the researcher in Question 9 wished to explore how the relationship between the coach and the athlete changed over time, what research design would be most appropriate?

• Longitudinal
• Cross-sectional