Counselor Education Comprehensive Exam (CECE) Practice Exam

A ______________________ allows a researcher to combine and synthesize the results of numerous similar studies for particular outcome or dependent variables.

1. Factor analysis

2. Meta analysis

3. Factor rotation

4. Factor extraction

The correct answer is: Meta analysis

A meta-analysis involves the statistical analysis of a large collection of results from individual studies, which allows researchers to combine and synthesize findings for particular outcomes or dependent variables. This method enhances the understanding of research patterns, identifies trends, and computes an overall effect size, effectively providing a stronger conclusion than any single study alone. By aggregating data from multiple sources, meta-analysis can also address variability in study designs and populations, making the results more generalizable. In contrast, factor analysis, factor rotation, and factor extraction are statistical techniques used primarily within the context of assessing the structure of data sets and identifying underlying relationships among variables, rather than synthesizing results across multiple studies. Factor analysis is about identifying latent variables that explain observed correlations in the data, while rotation and extraction are processes within factor analysis that help clarify the factor structure rather than combining study outcomes.