Deck 2: Methods

Question 1

Elizabeth would like to conduct a study to determine how women define spousal abuse and the meanings they attach to their abuse.What research method will Elizabeth most likely use?

A) quantitative
B) inductive
C) qualitative
D) deductive

Answer 1

C

Question 2

When one factor is said to influence another factor,we refer to this as:

A) correlation.
B) association.
C) causality.
D) mediation.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

What type of research describes people's behavior in rich detail and focuses on the meanings people give to their actions?

A) inductive
B) qualitative
C) quantitative
D) deductive

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The research method that uses information that can be converted to numerical form is:

A) qualitative.
B) quantitative.
C) deductive.
D) inductive.

Question 5

A sociologist's subject matter presents some difficult research problems of a kind that natural scientists rarely have to deal with.Which of the following does NOT describe such a problem?

A) A sociologist is part of the very subject he or she is studying.
B) For ethical reasons, it is not permissible to do particular kinds of studies on people.
C) It is possible to have completely controlled experiments to delineate cause-and-effect relationships.
D) The causes of social behavior are usually multiple, complex, and intricate.

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of a quantitative research method?

A) conducting a survey about how often people attend church
B) interviewing people about the role of religion in their lives
C) observing how people behave and interact with each other in a church setting
D) participating in a weekly Bible study meeting for 12 months to understand its importance in people's lives

Question 7

Norm is interested in whether pet owners are more likely than those who do not own pets to have healthier lifestyles (e.g.,exercise regularly,drink moderately,and refrain from nicotine use).By comparing the numbers he gathers on both groups,Norm will most likely be using what particular research method?

A) quantitative
B) inductive
C) deductive
D) qualitative

Question 8

Which of the following factors is needed to establish causality?

A) validity
B) time order
C) spuriousness
D) panel study results

Question 9

In establishing causation,it helps to know which variable precedes the other in time.If not,it is easy to make a mistake involving:

A) reverse causality.
B) temporal dislocation.
C) alternative explanations.
D) time order.

Question 10

If Kate begins her research with a theory,then forms hypotheses and makes some observations,what method is she using?

A) independent
B) dependent
C) inductive
D) deductive

Question 11

The three factors needed to establish causality are:

A) correlation, a hypothesis, and deductive analysis.
B) ruling out alternative explanations, time order, and moderating variables.
C) a case study, correlation, and time order sequencing.
D) correlation, time order, and ruling out alternative explanations.

Question 12

Which approach to sociological research starts with empirical observations and then works to form a theory?

A) statistical
B) observational
C) inductive
D) deductive

Question 13

Which of the following describes the deductive approach to research?

A) A researcher makes some observations and develops a theory based on
These observations.
B) A researcher develops some hypotheses to explain a correlation observed between two variables.
C) A researcher starts with a theory, forms hypotheses, makes observations, and then analyzes the data.
D) A researcher develops some hypotheses that lead to a theory about human behavior.

Question 14

The two broad approaches social scientists use to gather data about the social world are:

A) deductive and inductive.
B) qualitative and quantitative.
C) implicit and explicit.
D) correlational and causal.

Question 15

A sociologist finds a strong relationship between education and income.If he only assumes that the amount of education people receive directly causes them to earn a certain income,and not that a family's income can determine educational attainment,he is forgetting to consider:

A) luck.
B) reverse causality.
C) the role of education.
D) the cost of tuition.

Question 16

A correlation is a:

A) change in one variable that is caused by another.
B) simultaneous change in two variables.
C) relationship between two moderating variables.
D) relationship between cause and effect.

Question 17

Which of the following is more difficult to do in social science research?

A) say that two things change at the same time
B) establish that something is the cause of something else
C) argue that two things are related
D) propose a relationship between two variables

Question 18

Paula begins to notice that there are patterns to where people sit on the bus,and these patterns differ depending on whether the rider is male or female.Based on these observations,she generates larger ideas (theories)about the behaviors of men and women.This is an example of which kind of research approach?

A) deductive
B) inductive
C) quantitative
D) a case study

Question 19

Andy hypothesized that the stress created during economic downturns would increase the probability of spousal abuse.Stress would be considered the ____________ variable,and spousal abuse would be considered the ____________ variable.

A) dependent; independent
B) key; affected
C) moderating; dependent
D) independent; dependent

Question 20

Which of the following is the best example of a correlation?

A) People who work harder have higher income.
B) People with better health work harder.
C) The more income a person makes, the easier it is to retire.
D) People with higher levels of income tend to enjoy better overall health.

Question 21

After consistently burning dinner for a month,John found out that his oven's temperature gauge was giving readings that were 50 degrees cooler than the oven's actual temperature.John's oven thermometer can be said to be:

A) valid but not reliable.
B) reliable but not valid.
C) neither reliable nor valid.
D) both reliable and valid.

Question 22

The more consistent the results given by repeated measurements,the higher the ____________ of the measurement procedure (and vice versa).

A) reliability
B) validity
C) efficiency
D) responsiveness

Question 23

Jill wants to know more about how democratic a society is.When she begins her study,she defines the level of democracy as the number of people who are able to participate in popular elections.With this definition,Jill has ____________ the variable "level of democracy":

A) constructed
B) hypothesized
C) causally connected
D) operationalized

Question 24

Based on the results of a representative sample of students at his high school,Jack claims that "the majority of high school students today believe premarital sex is wrong." Jack may be "speaking beyond his data" because the results he obtained may not easily translate to the attitudes of other high school students across the United States.This concern addresses the study's:

A) validity.
B) generalizability.
C) reliability.
D) reflexivity.

Question 25

A moderating variable is a factor that:

A) affects the independent variable in a hypothesis.
B) affects the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.
C) can replace the independent variable in a hypothesis.
D) is positioned between the independent and dependent variables but does not affect the relationship between them.

Question 26

A variable that is thought to be influenced by another variable is known as the:

A) dependent variable.
B) independent variable.
C) key independent variable.
D) spurious variable.

Question 27

A variable that is thought to cause a change in another variable is called the:

A) dependent variable.
B) independent variable.
C) spurious variable.
D) intervening variable.

Question 28

In her study,Darby is using church membership as an indicator of how religious a person is.She discovers that some "very religious" people rarely attend church.Darby may conclude that:

A) religiosity is a dependent variable.
B) her measure of religiosity lacks validity.
C) church attendance is a reliable indicator.
D) there is reverse causality between church attendance and religion.

Question 29

A testable statement about the relationship between two or more variables is called a(n):

A) operationalization.
B) reliability.
C) hypothesis.
D) natural experiment.

Question 30

The likelihood that a researcher will obtain the same result using the same measures the next time he or she tests a hypothesis is:

A) validity.
B) reliability.
C) response rate.
D) generalizability.

Question 31

When a researcher is successful at measuring what he or she intends to measure,this is called:

A) validity.
B) reliability.
C) response rate.
D) generalizability.

Question 32

How could you operationalize the variable "academic achievement"?

A) use overall GPA as a precise measure
B) observe student study habits before a big exam
C) send a survey to professors asking their thoughts on what good students do to learn
D) study three hours outside of class for every hour spent in class

Question 33

Factors that affect the relationship between an independent and a dependent variable are known as:

A) operationalized variables.
B) moderating variables.
C) interfering variables.
D) spurious variables.

Question 34

If Jose's study measures religiosity by the number of hours people spend in organized religious activities,while Deidra's study measures religiosity by whether people agree or disagree that religion plays an important part in their life,Jose and Deidra:

A) will not be able to compare their research findings.
B) operationalize their concepts of religion differently.
C) have different hypotheses about the role of religion in their study.
D) have very different independent and dependent variables.

Question 35

The extent to which a researcher can claim that his or her findings explain a larger population than was studied is known as:

A) validity.
B) reliability.
C) responsiveness.
D) generalizability.

Question 36

If Sandra wants to generalize the findings of her study to another (possibly larger)population,it is important that the people in her study be:

A) randomly selected from the population she wants to generalize to.
B) varied in their characteristics so that there will be no problems.
C) aware of her intentions, so the study will be valid and reliable.
D) representative of the group(s) she wants to generalize to.

Question 37

Which of the following is an example of a negative relationship between individual behavior and health?

A) A diet high in fat greatly increases an individual's risk for obesity and other chronic diseases.
B) The less fat an individual consumes, the lower his or her risk of heart disease.
C) As nicotine consumption increases, the risk for cancer increases.
D) As nicotine consumption decreases, life expectancy increases.

Question 38

Professor Clayton hypothesizes that travel to other countries increases students' abilities to do well in advanced sociology classes.Which variable is the independent variable?

A) Professor Clayton
B) travel to other countries
C) other cultures
D) students' abilities

Question 39

In social research,a hypothesis is a(n):

A) educated guess.
B) proposed relationship between two or more variables.
C) description for why a particular social phenomenon occurs.
D) explanation for why two variables are correlated.

Question 40

A standard yardstick measures 36 inches,but Sarah is using a "faulty" yardstick (one that measures 40 inches long)to measure the campers in her youth group.Sarah will not get a(n)____________ indication of height,but she will have a(n)____________ measure of height.

A) reliable; valid
B) consistent; accurate
C) valid; reliable
D) accurate; generalizable

Question 41

Charles is a sociologist studying a population of gay fathers in the United States.He interviews 200 men in his data collection.These 200 men constitute what researchers call a:

A) census.
B) selection bias.
C) sample.
D) participant observation.

Question 42

Ethnographer Mitchell Duneier spent five years hanging out with booksellers on the streets of Manhattan.His role as both researcher and participant provides a great example of the importance of:

A) maintaining firm boundaries between the role of researcher and the role of participant.
B) staying true to the ethical principles of the scientific method in our research.
C) critically assessing how our role as researchers may affect the people we study.
D) maintaining distance from those we study so that our results are not contaminated.

Question 43

A qualitative researcher who assumes everything he observes would have happened exactly the same way if he wasn't there observing lacks:

A) generalizability.
B) reflexivity.
C) validity.
D) sympathy.

Question 44

Which of the following might be an advantage of participant observation research?

A) The researcher has considerable control over the conditions of the research.
B) The researcher can uncover what people do rather than simply what they say they do.
C) The research itself is often limited in scope-which is important to sociological research.
D) It is a useful method for studying large and diverse populations.

Question 45

The subset of a population from which a researcher collects data is known as a:

A) census.
B) selection bias.
C) sample.
D) survey.

Question 46

Although qualitative studies are rich in detail and offer an in-depth look at a particular population and/or phenomenon,due to their limited scope they sometimes suffer from low:

A) validity.
B) generalizability.
C) representativeness.
D) reliability.

Question 47

Cole was involved in a research study to find out if a particular medicine was safe and could help prevent meningococcal disease in healthy teenagers.Some of the study participants received a shot with no medicine in it (a placebo),while other participants received a shot containing the medicine.Neither the doctor nor Cole would know what shots were being administered or whether Cole was in the experimental or control group.This type of study is known as a(n):

A) experimental study.
B) double-blind study.
C) placebo study.
D) case study.

Question 48

What does reflexivity mean with regard to social research?

A) when researchers think carefully about how to avoid research
B) solely when researchers maintain flexibility and willingness to change the course/direction of their study
C) when researchers are aware of their role in, and their potential effect on, the behavior of the people they study
D) the effects that researchers themselves have on the research subjects

Question 49

Sandra Harding's (1987)three elements of feminist research include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) treating women's experiences as legitimate in the field of sociology, which has always been male dominated.
B) engaging in social science that may lead to policy changes.
C) prioritizing women's and girls' experiences over men's and boys' experiences.
D) taking into account the researcher as much as the overt subject matter being studied.

Question 50

All of the following are strengths of the case study method EXCEPT that it is:

A) useful for obtaining very detailed information.
B) a useful starting point for exploring new topics.
C) useful for creating large-scale generalizations.
D) useful for understanding causal mechanisms indicated in large-scale surveys.

Question 51

Positivist sociologists tend to use which of the following types of measures?

A) quantitative
B) qualitative
C) spurious
D) invalid

Question 52

Which of the following is true regarding value judgments made by sociologists
Conducting research?

A) It is possible for a sociologist to remain value free.
B) It is not important for a sociologist to remain value free.
C) Value judgments and subjectivity lead to better research.
D) Every sociologist makes some value judgments, even about the problems and topics he or she chooses to study.

Question 53

Because they are an accessible population,sociologists sometimes use undergraduate students in their research.In relation to the concept of generalizability in science,this tendency could represent a potential defect in research because:

A) college undergraduates do not have the right to refuse without suffering negative consequences.
B) the experiences of college undergraduates do not provide a legitimate empirical resource.
C) college undergraduates are not a subset of the general population.
D) college undergraduates are not typical of the public at large.

Question 54

A double-blind study means that:

A) neither the subjects nor the researchers know who is in the experimental group or the control group.
B) neither the subjects nor the researchers know the "real" reason they are involved in a study.
C) neither the subjects nor the researchers are aware that a study is taking place.
D) the subjects are blind as to whether they are getting the actual treatment under consideration or a simulated treatment.

Question 55

Interpretive sociologists examine meanings attached to behaviors.This most commonly leads them to use which of the following measures?

A) quantitative
B) qualitative
C) spurious
D) invalid

Question 56

A(n)____________ is an in-depth look at a specific phenomenon or situation in a particular social setting and is common in qualitative research.

A) experiment
B) case study
C) survey
D) participant observation

Question 57

What is the meaning of the term white coat effects in social research?

A) the structuring of a research project to maintain total anonymity
B) the impact researchers have on the people/relationships they study
C) the change in a subject's behavior when researchers wear white coats
D) when researchers "put on the charm" to get compliance from their subjects

Question 58

If Juanita practices ____________ in her research,she carefully considers how her role as researcher may affect those whom she studies (the researched).

A) reflexivity
B) selective attention
C) empathy
D) common sense

Question 59

Sandra is doing research on cheating among students at Duke University.The student body at Duke will serve as her:

A) sample.
B) population.
C) random sample.
D) fieldwork.

Question 60

If a sociologist studies one high school in a study of the effectiveness of its Parent-Teacher Association,he or she is using which of the following research methods?

A) an experiment
B) a case study
C) a panel study
D) content analysis

Question 61

All of the following are described as golden rules of ethical conduct in social research EXCEPT:

A) do no harm.
B) informed consent.
C) never debrief.
D) voluntary participation.

Question 62

Harry's study compared how the posts on Craigslist of "men seeking women" differed from the posts of "women seeking men." What research method was Harry using when he compared how often men and women mentioned particular characteristics (e.g.,attractive,sexy,athletic,professional,educated)?

A) historical methods
B) comparative research
C) content analysis
D) interviews

Question 63

Research subjects have a right to know that they are participating in a study and what the study consists of.This is known as:

A) involuntary participation.
B) informed consent.
C) manifest content.
D) latent content.

Question 64

The general approach to comparative research is to:

A) study a total population or census.
B) find cases that match on every variable.
C) use a panel study approach only.
D) find cases that match on many potentially relevant dimensions yet vary on just one.

Question 65

____________ is probably the best method available to the social scientist interested in collecting original data and for describing a population too large to observe directly.

A) Survey research
B) Content analysis
C) Comparative research
D) An experiment

Question 66

A type of longitudinal study in which the same sample of respondents is tracked over a long period of time is known as:

A) an experiment.
B) participant observation.
C) the historical method.
D) a panel study.

Question 67

Georgia has volunteered at the local crisis center.While she is volunteering,she is given permission to "gather data" and ask the women about the circumstances surrounding their abuse.What method will Georgia most likely use?

A) experiment
B) survey
C) interviews
D) content analysis

Question 68

There are advantages and disadvantages to different interview techniques.What might be an advantage that structured interviews have over unstructured (open-ended)interviews?

A) It is easier to ask more personal questions.
B) It is easier to make careful tabulations and comparisons of answers.
C) It is easier to get more detailed information.
D) It is easier to develop a rapport with the respondent.

Question 69

Many colleges and universities have gone to an online system for evaluating teaching effectiveness.Although this process guarantees anonymity,the completion rate (percentage of students who fill out evaluations)has dropped.Which of the following is NOT a significant problem with low response rates in this situation?

A) Students who complete the survey may be different in significant ways from those who do not.
B) Students who do not complete the evaluations may end up taking the wrong classes.
C) Only students who like their instructors may complete the evaluations.
D) Instructors may not get accurate feedback about their teaching methods.

Question 70

A potential shortcoming of survey research is that surveys:

A) tend to focus more on what people do than what they say.
B) rely on people's honesty and willingness to cooperate.
C) cannot reflect the total population.
D) cannot be used on large populations.

Question 71

The main reason that achieving high response rates and limiting selection bias are so important is that they lead to:

A) increasing generalizability.
B) decreasing generalizability.
C) increasing validity.
D) decreasing validity.

Question 72

LeeAnn is a graduate student in sociology who is studying media depictions of gun violence in popular films such as Rambo and Scarface.Her choice of methods is known as:

A) an audit study.
B) a panel study.
C) content analysis.
D) surveys.

Question 73

Which of the following is an example of a panel survey (also known as a longitudinal study)?

A) a survey of 500 fourth-grade students questioned at the beginning of the school year and again at the end of the school year
B) a study of 500 fourth-grade students who are then contacted every two years for an eight-year period in follow-up studies
C) a survey of 500 fourth-grade students that is repeated with a new group of fourth-grade students every year for ten years
D) a survey of 500 fourth-grade students conducted by a panel of social scientists from different disciplines

Question 74

Perhaps the most difficult method(s)to apply to the social sciences,as compared with laboratory-based natural sciences,is/are:

A) surveys.
B) experimental methods.
C) historical methods.
D) content analysis.

Question 75

Which of the following methods involves collecting data from written reports or other artifacts in order to discover patterns in behavior/attitudes dating to an earlier time period?

A) experiments
B) audit studies
C) panel surveys
D) historical methods

Question 76

Jackson is using newspaper articles dating from the early 1950s to study unofficial attitudes toward working women post-World War II.Jackson is using what research method?

A) experimental
B) content analysis
C) comparative research
D) historical methods

Question 77

Comparative research usually involves studying:

A) two cultures that have virtually nothing in common in order to determine why they are so different.
B) two cultures that have a good number of things in common but differ in one important dimension-this dimension becomes the subject of the study.
C) several groups within a particular culture in order to identify how and why they differ from the dominant culture.
D) a dominant and subordinate group in a particular culture to determine the ways in which their activities continue to reproduce inequalities.

Question 78

Rogers Brubaker (1992)studied the notions of citizenship and nationhood in both France and Germany.His method of research is known as:

A) comparative research.
B) a case study.
C) an experiment.
D) content analysis.

Question 79

The General Social Survey (GSS)is replicated yearly with a new sample of 2,000 respondents.This is an example of:

A) an experiment.
B) participant observation.
C) a repeated cross-sectional survey.
D) a longitudinal study.

Question 80

A market researcher,who asks an ordered series of questions intended to elicit information from research respondents,is administering a(n):

A) experiment.
B) participant observation.
C) case study.
D) survey.