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GATE 2026 XH5 (Psychology) – Question 39

Research Methods and Statistics · Approaches to Research: Philosophical worldviews, quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods designs · 1 mark · Multiple choice

Assertion: Mixed-method studies in psychology may include only qualitative-qualitative mixing.

Reason: Mixed-method approaches are based on diverse scientific paradigms that must include positivist (natural science) paradigm.

  1. Assertion is correct but Reason is incorrect.
  2. Assertion is incorrect but Reason is correct.
  3. Both Assertion and Reason are correct.
  4. Both Assertion and Reason are incorrect.

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Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: (D) Both Assertion and Reason are incorrect.

Explanation

Mixed-method research combines qualitative and quantitative methods, so mixing only qualitative with qualitative is not mixed-method research. And the paradigms behind it need not include the positivist one (pragmatism is the usual stance), so the reason is wrong too. Both are incorrect.