Communication Research

Measurement, reliability and validity

35 Previous Year Questions from 2006–2025 · answers and explanations included

Visual recall · Quality test

Validity = accuracy; Reliability = consistency

Year-frequency chart

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Previous Year Question practice

Questions, answers & explanations

Open each answer after attempting the question.

35 of 35 questions
Question 1 of 35Original Question No.: 10Asked in: December 2006 Paper II

Alex Inkeles used attitude items to construct a scale of modernity that numbered:

  1. Five
  2. Seven
  3. Nine
  4. Eleven
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Correct answer

A. Five

The keyed response is option 1, “Five”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 2 of 35Original Question No.: 15Asked in: June 2008 Paper II

Fog Index refers to:

  1. Framing
  2. Readability
  3. Visibility
  4. Availability
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Correct answer

B. Readability

The keyed response is option 2, “Readability”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 3 of 35Original Question No.: 25Asked in: December 2009 Paper II

Assertion (A): Concurrent validity in research is closely related to predictive validity. Reason (R): The measuring instrument is not checked against any present criterion in concurrent validity.

  1. Both (A) and (R) are true.
  2. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
  3. (A) is true, but (R) is false.
  4. (A) is false, but (R) is true.
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Correct answer

C. (A) is true, but (R) is false.

Option 3 states the keyed relationship between the assertion and reason: (A) is true, but (R) is false.. Check each statement first, then test whether the reason actually explains the assertion.

Question 4 of 35Original Question No.: 9Asked in: June 2009 Paper II

In statistical measurement, a level of measurement in which the distance between the two consecutive divisions is equal, is called:

  1. Ordinal level
  2. Nominal level
  3. Interval level
  4. Ratio level
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Correct answer

C. Interval level

The keyed response is option 3, “Interval level”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 5 of 35Original Question No.: 9Asked in: December 2010 Paper II

The ordinal level of measurement is characterised by a relation of

  1. equality
  2. greater than
  3. definitivity
  4. equal distance
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Correct answer

B. greater than

The keyed response is option 2, “greater than”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 6 of 35Original Question No.: 10Asked in: December 2010 Paper II

If a relation exists between the measuring instrument and the measurement results, one can assume the existence of

  1. empirical validity
  2. content validity
  3. face validity
  4. sampling validity
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Correct answer

A. empirical validity

The keyed response is option 1, “empirical validity”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 7 of 35Original Question No.: 50Asked in: December 2012 Paper III

What is an F-stop?

  1. Measurement of the flow of electricity
  2. The size of the opening of a diaphragm
  3. Measurement of the light temperature
  4. The valve that stops the movement of a Camera mounted on a tripod
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Correct answer

B. The size of the opening of a diaphragm

The keyed response is option 2, “The size of the opening of a diaphragm”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 8 of 35Original Question No.: 18Asked in: June 2012 Paper III

According to Umberto Eco, aberrant decoding takes place in a

  1. tribal society
  2. farming society
  3. mass society
  4. convergent society
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Correct answer

C. mass society

The keyed response is option 3, “mass society”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 9 of 35Original Question No.: 31Asked in: June 2012 Paper III

The main problem of simulation in communication research is

  1. atmosphere
  2. response
  3. validity
  4. modelling
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Correct answer

C. validity

The keyed response is option 3, “validity”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 10 of 35Original Question No.: 7Asked in: December 2013 Paper III

When certain words are used to reinforce the encoder’s intended meaning, it is described as

  1. Support line
  2. Image caption
  3. Relational indicator
  4. Anchorage
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Correct answer

D. Anchorage

The keyed response is option 4, “Anchorage”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 11 of 35Original Question No.: 9Asked in: December 2013 Paper III

Signs that possesses a resemblance to their referent are considered

  1. Indexical
  2. Associational
  3. Iconic
  4. Negotiable
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Correct answer

C. Iconic

The keyed response is option 3, “Iconic”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 12 of 35Original Question No.: 19Asked in: December 2013 Paper III

Measurement systems attempt to be isomorphic to

  1. Reality
  2. Artificiality
  3. Persuasion
  4. Interpretation
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Correct answer

A. Reality

The keyed response is option 1, “Reality”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 13 of 35Original Question No.: 20Asked in: December 2013 Paper III

The presence of an extraneous variable in media research indicates

  1. Reliability
  2. Mobility
  3. Lack of internal validity
  4. Presence of validity
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Correct answer

C. Lack of internal validity

The keyed response is option 3, “Lack of internal validity”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 14 of 35Original Question No.: 22Asked in: December 2013 Paper III

Cronbach’s Alpha signifies

  1. Reliability
  2. Validity
  3. Measurability
  4. Convertibility
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Correct answer

A. Reliability

The keyed response is option 1, “Reliability”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 15 of 35Original Question No.: 13Asked in: December 2014 Paper III

When the respondents are shown the front page or the cover page of a publication with the name blacked out and are asked whether they remember, reading that particular issue is called

  1. unaided recall
  2. masked recall
  3. recognition recall
  4. aided recall
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Correct answer

B. masked recall

The keyed response is option 2, “masked recall”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 16 of 35Original Question No.: 45Asked in: June 2014 Paper III

The audience appreciation measurement is limited to

  1. Newspapers
  2. Magazines
  3. Digital appliances
  4. Electronic media
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Correct answer

D. Electronic media

The keyed response is option 4, “Electronic media”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 17 of 35Original Question No.: 46Asked in: June 2014 Paper III

For U.S. Journalists, the ideal basis of news reliability is

  1. Triangulation
  2. Advocacy
  3. Saleability
  4. Authority
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Correct answer

A. Triangulation

The keyed response is option 1, “Triangulation”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 18 of 35Original Question No.: 42Asked in: December 2015 Paper III

An index that identifies the demand for a brand within a region is identified as __________.

  1. brand deposition index
  2. brand demand index
  3. brand development index
  4. brand disposition index
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Correct answer

C. brand development index

The keyed response is option 3, “brand development index”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 19 of 35Original Question No.: 70Asked in: December 2015 Paper III

Match the following: List - I List - II (Types of Validity) (Characteristic) (a) Face validity (i) The measuring instrument is checked against some present criterion. (b) Predictive validity (ii) Involves relating a measuring instrument to a theoretical framework. (c) Concurrent validity (iii) A measuring instrument should measure what it should measure. (d) Construct validity (iv) Checking a measuring instrument against some future outcome. Codes: (a) (b) (c) (d)

  1. (i) (iii) (iv) (ii)
  2. (ii) (iii) (i) (iv)
  3. (iii) (iv) (i) (ii)
  4. (iv) (i) (ii) (iii)
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Correct answer

C. (iii) (iv) (i) (ii)

Option 3 gives the keyed pairing or order: (iii) (iv) (i) (ii). Reconstruct the dates or associations in measurement, reliability and validity before comparing the four sequences.

Question 20 of 35Original Question No.: 22Asked in: June 2015 Paper III

The cumulative scale in social science research was developed by:

  1. L.L. Thrust stone
  2. Likert
  3. Louis Guttman
  4. Charles E. Osgood
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Correct answer

C. Louis Guttman

The keyed response is option 3, “Louis Guttman”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 21 of 35Original Question No.: 25Asked in: June 2015 Paper III

Gender is a/an __________ level of measurement in mass communication research.

  1. nominal
  2. ordinal
  3. intermediate
  4. ratio
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Correct answer

A. nominal

The keyed response is option 1, “nominal”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 22 of 35Original Question No.: 41Asked in: June 2015 Paper III

A visual path that flows from the upper corner to the lower right is identified as:

  1. visual index
  2. visual flight
  3. optical crossline
  4. gutenberg diagonal
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Correct answer

D. gutenberg diagonal

The keyed response is option 4, “gutenberg diagonal”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 23 of 35Original Question No.: 44Asked in: June 2015 Paper III

The readability test of Fog Index was developed by:

  1. Rudolf Flesch
  2. James Power
  3. Robert Gunning
  4. Dale-Chall
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Correct answer

C. Robert Gunning

The keyed response is option 3, “Robert Gunning”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 24 of 35Original Question No.: 28Asked in: September 2016 Paper III

An ordinal scale will have the property of

  1. interval
  2. equivalence
  3. zero point
  4. uniformity
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Correct answer

B. equivalence

The keyed response is option 2, “equivalence”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 25 of 35Original Question No.: 21Asked in: November 2017 Paper III

Equal appearing intervals are a characteristic of:

  1. Likert scale
  2. Arbitrary scale
  3. Thurstone scale
  4. Cumulative scale
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Correct answer

C. Thurstone scale

The keyed response is option 3, “Thurstone scale”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 26 of 35Original Question No.: 34Asked in: November 2017 Paper III

The ABC’s(India) digital measurement service is supported by:

  1. Arbitron
  2. Gallup
  3. Harris
  4. A.C. Nielsen
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Correct answer

D. A.C. Nielsen

The keyed response is option 4, “A.C. Nielsen”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 27 of 35Original Question No.: 40Asked in: November 2017 Paper III

Bipolar objectives are used in:

  1. Likert scale
  2. Thurstone scale
  3. Gutman scale
  4. Semantic differential
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Correct answer

A. Likert scale

The keyed response is option 1, “Likert scale”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 28 of 35Original Question No.: 37Asked in: July 2018 Paper II

In media research, measurement systems attempt to be isomorphic to:

  1. Persuasion
  2. Contradiction
  3. Negativism
  4. Reality
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Correct answer

D. Reality

The keyed response is option 4, “Reality”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 29 of 35Original Question No.: 88Asked in: July 2018 Paper II

Match the following: List - I List - II (Level of measurement) (Characteristic) (a) Nominal (i) Existence of a true zero point (b) Ordinal (ii) Equal value (c) Interval (iii) Ranked distance (d) Ratio (iv) Numerical categorisation Code: (a) (b) (c) (d)

  1. (iv) (iii) (ii) (i)
  2. (iii) (ii) (i) (iv)
  3. (ii) (i) (iv) (iii)
  4. (i) (iv) (iii) (ii)
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Correct answer

A. (iv) (iii) (ii) (i)

Option 1 gives the keyed pairing or order: (iv) (iii) (ii) (i). Reconstruct the dates or associations in measurement, reliability and validity before comparing the four sequences.

Question 30 of 35Original Question No.: 37Asked in: June 2020 cycle - 24 September 2020, Shift II

Measurement in mass media, particularly in terms of space and time, is applied at

  1. The nominal level
  2. The ordinal level
  3. The interval level
  4. The ratio level
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Correct answer

D. The ratio level

The keyed response is option 4, “The ratio level”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 31 of 35Original Question No.: 5Asked in: December 2023 - 13 December 2023, Shift II

The placing of a unit analysis into a particular category is known as

  1. Clustering
  2. Coding
  3. Framing
  4. Scaling
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Correct answer

B. Coding

The keyed response is option 2, “Coding”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 32 of 35Original Question No.: 15Asked in: June 2025 - 25 June 2025, 3-6 p.m.

Match the LIST with LIST LIST Lish-l Measurement scale Definiti a | Tikes? Seale L Measures the meanings people create in response to a particular stimulus B.| Semantic Differential scale I. Babe igs te Beem between adjacent points of a measurement scale.|Thurstone Scale IL Identifies the extent of a person's attitude towards a person or phenomenon D.| Guttman Scale IV.} Items are arranged along a continuum Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

  1. A-III, B-I, C-II, D-IV
  2. A-II, B-III, C-IV, D-I
  3. A-I, B-IV, C-III, D-II
  4. A-IV, B-II C-I, D-III
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Correct answer

A. A-III, B-I, C-II, D-IV

Option 1 gives the keyed pairing or order: A-III, B-I, C-II, D-IV. Reconstruct the dates or associations in measurement, reliability and validity before comparing the four sequences.

Question 33 of 35Original Question No.: 25Asked in: June 2025 - 25 June 2025, 3-6 p.m.

a75 When the results of a study can be generalised across population, settings and time it is referred as?

  1. Instrumentation
  2. Replication
  3. Reliability
  4. External validity
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Correct answer

D. External validity

The keyed response is option 4, “External validity”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 34 of 35Original Question No.: 41Asked in: June 2025 - 25 June 2025, 3-6 p.m.

Which of the following Indian film directors is credited with directing the film the ‘Lunch box' in 2013, which was premiered at the CANNES film festival?

  1. Anurag Kashyap
  2. Dibaker Banarjee
  3. Ritesh Batra
  4. Vikramaditya Motwani
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Correct answer

C. Ritesh Batra

The keyed response is option 3, “Ritesh Batra”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 35 of 35Original Question No.: 49Asked in: June 2025 - 25 June 2025, 3-6 p.m.

3 ae Z Condensing a story by summarizing it to its core message is known as:

  1. Rewriting
  2. Boiling down
  3. Miniaturizing
  4. Coding
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Correct answer

B. Boiling down

The keyed response is option 2, “Boiling down”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this measurement, reliability and validity question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

References

  1. Question papers and answer keys: UGC NET Mass Communication and Journalism — December 2006 Paper II; June 2008 Paper II; December 2009 Paper II; June 2009 Paper II; December 2010 Paper II; December 2012 Paper III; June 2012 Paper III; December 2013 Paper III; December 2014 Paper III; June 2014 Paper III; December 2015 Paper III; June 2015 Paper III; September 2016 Paper III; November 2017 Paper III; July 2018 Paper II; June 2020 cycle - 24 September 2020, Shift II; December 2023 - 13 December 2023, Shift II; June 2025 - 25 June 2025, 3-6 p.m..
  2. Wimmer, Roger D., and Joseph R. Dominick. Mass Media Research: An Introduction. 9th ed.
  3. Jensen, Klaus Bruhn, and Nicholas W. Jankowski, editors. A Handbook of Qualitative Methodologies for Mass Communication Research.
  4. Perry, David K. Theory and Research in Mass Communication: Contexts and Consequences.
  5. University Grants Commission. UGC NET syllabus listing, Subject Code 63: Mass Communication and Journalism.