In Response to a Wave of Mass Killings, a Political

question 6

Multiple Choice

In response to a wave of mass killings, a political psychologist sets up an online study to examine attitudes towards gun control in the United States.The study involves collecting a sample of 40,000 Internet users recruited throughout all 50 states using advertisements on political discussion and news sites and including an equal number of men and women and an equal number of supporters of the two main political parties.The survey shows that a large majority favour tighter gun controls.Which of the following statements is true?

• A)The survey is biased because of the distorting effect of the mass killings on public opinion.
• B)The survey is more valid than most national opinion polls that use samples of 1000 to 2000 people.
• C)The survey is biased because the researcher appears to be biased in favour of gun control.
• D)This type of survey is called a virtual survey because it is conducted on the Internet.
• E)None of the above.

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Definitions:

Communication Process Model

A framework for understanding how communication is sent, received, and interpreted between two or more parties.

Noise

Unwanted or irrelevant sounds that interfere with or distort communication and comprehension.

E-mail

A technique for sending digital messages over the Internet or various computer networks.

Information Overload

The state of being overwhelmed by too much information, making it difficult to process or make decisions.