Deck 2: Understanding the Research Process

Question 1

Evidence that is based in numbers is known as ________ data.

A) computer-based
B) survey
C) quantitative
D) qualitative

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Researchers who make their findings known to nonacademic audiences are engaging in

A) the peer-review process.
B) public sociology.
C) applied research.
D) basic research.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Marisol conducted a study in which she counted the number of times world leaders used specific words in their speeches. What type of data is she using?

A) secondary
B) experimental
C) quantitative
D) qualitative

Answer 3

C

Question 4

An educated guess that explains the relationship between two variables in a study is called a(n)

A) operationalization.
B) hypothesis.
C) experiment.
D) variable.

Question 5

What is the term that refers to a relationship in which one variable is connected to change in another variable?

A) correlation
B) operationalization
C) relationship
D) association

Question 6

Raymond found that as mothers' educational achievement increases, the greater the level of education their daughters are likely to attain. What is the dependent variable?

A) daughters' education
B) education
C) mothers' education
D) years of schooling

Question 7

In a sociological study of the relationship between variables, what is associated with and/or causes change in the value of the other?

A) independent variable
B) dependent variable
C) quantitative variable
D) qualitative variable

Question 8

Manuel interviewed new parents to learn how gender, both the parents' and the babies', shapes the interactions parents have with their babies. He is conducting

A) basic research.
B) applied research.
C) public sociology.
D) research methods.

Question 9

Studies that aim to understand and work toward solving social problems are referred to as

A) basic research.
B) public sociology.
C) applied research.
D) field research.

Question 10

In a study, Hans found that the length of a prison sentence varied based on the convict's race, social class, and number of prior arrests. What was the dependent variable in his study?

A) race
B) social class
C) length of prison sentence
D) number of prior arrests

Question 11

Studies that describe and help us better understand some aspect of society are examples of

A) applied research.
B) basic research.
C) public sociology.
D) experiments.

Question 12

Evidence that is non-numerical, such as information gathered from interviews or observation, is known as ________ data.

A) survey
B) content
C) quantitative
D) qualitative

Question 13

In designing a study of the relationship between grades and class attendance, Mana states that she expects grades to improve as class attendance increases. This statement is her study's

A) generalization.
B) operationalization.
C) variable.
D) hypothesis.

Question 14

Reina interviewed young girls about their perceptions of media images of women in order to understand how those images influenced the girls' self-esteem. She is conducting

A) applied research.
B) public sociology.
C) research methods.
D) basic research.

Question 15

Bryan collected homicide and suicide statistics from different cities so he could examine the relationship between these two causes of death. What kind of data is he using?

A) quantitative
B) qualitative
C) survey
D) correlation

Question 16

Minoosh created a study to measure how different after-school programs affected students' grades. She will use her findings to help schools allocate funding into after-school programs. Her study is an example of

A) basic research.
B) applied research.
C) public sociology.
D) research methods.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT an element of social research?

A) learning the truth about human nature
B) collecting empirical evidence
C) explaining how the research was conducted
D) observing patterns in social life

Question 18

Beth conducted a study and found that individuals with more education tend to marry later and have fewer children. What is the independent variable in her study?

A) education
B) individuals
C) age at marriage
D) number of children

Question 19

In a sociological study of the relationship between two variables, which one changes in response to changes in the other?

A) independent variable
B) dependent variable
C) quantitative variable
D) qualitative variable

Question 20

Heng uses interviews and field research to study how neighborhoods rebuild after natural disasters. What kind of data is he using?

A) quantitative
B) qualitative
C) interpretive
D) peer-process

Question 21

What does it mean for a sociologist to report provisional knowledge?

A) The findings represent the truth about the study from the data collected.
B) The findings represent the truth about what sociologists know about the topic.
C) The findings are subject to change with the discovery of new information.
D) The findings are temporary and based on early data analysis.

Question 22

Qualitative data and quantitative data are examples of

A) finding patterns in everyday life.
B) empirical evidence.
C) transparency.
D) reporting provisional knowledge.

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT a role theory plays in the research process?

A) It can help identify topics to study.
B) It assists researchers in understanding patterns in their data.
C) It aids in understanding how unrelated topics are connected.
D) It can help identify the research methods to use in conducting a study.

Question 24

Suriya designed a study to see if study sessions increased her students' performance on exams. She assigned only half her class to participate in a study session before an exam. What kind of research is she conducting?

A) survey
B) field research
C) experiment
D) intensive interviewing

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT one of the problems researchers face when conducting social research using human participants?

A) It is difficult to control research settings and human participants.
B) Human participants can change their behaviors when studied.
C) Research using existing data provides more valid results.
D) Social life is harder to predict than natural laws.

Question 26

Rebekkah collected advertisements for beauty products from popular women's magazines. She systematically analyzed the images in order to study how gender was represented. What kind of research is she conducting?

A) experiment
B) survey
C) secondary data analysis
D) content analysis

Question 27

The term that refers to scholars' gathering and evaluation of data is

A) research methods.
B) field methods.
C) applied research.
D) basic research.

Question 28

Mahmoud found that unemployed young men are more likely to engage in deviant activities than employed young men. What is the independent variable?

A) unemployment
B) employment
C) employment status
D) deviant behaviors

Question 29

The two key components of social research are theory and

A) data.
B) patterns.
C) transparency.
D) knowledge.

Question 30

When completing her research on reasons couples make the decision to live together, Lavonne included a section in her report that described the data she collected and how she reached her conclusions. What aspect of social research is she conducting?

A) finding patterns in everyday life
B) collecting empirical data
C) providing transparency in methods
D) reporting provisional knowledge

Question 31

What kind of research involves the analysis of data that one did not collect oneself?

A) secondary data analysis
B) survey
C) content analysis
D) experiment

Question 32

Amelie used data collected by the United States Census Bureau to study changes in family size over the past 100 years. What kind of research is she conducting?

A) survey
B) secondary data analysis
C) experiment
D) content analysis

Question 33

Garner is conducting a study on how students who live on campus eat. He asked participants to record where they ate each of their meals. He found that during the week he collected data, there was a large increase in the number of students eating in the dining hall when compared to the weeks before and after he conducted his study. With what phenomena should Garner be concerned in his findings?

A) Hawthorne effect
B) Hamburg effect
C) Higgins process
D) Hutchens process

Question 34

Laud was interested in what type of men engaged in anonymous homosexual sex in public places. He spent time in a public bathroom where men engaged in sex with other men, and he secretly observed the types of men who visited the bathroom. What kind of research was he conducting?

A) intensive interviewing
B) content analysis
C) field research
D) secondary data analysis

Question 35

Which term is used for data that represent different values?

A) facts
B) samples
C) figures
D) variables

Question 36

Sammy noticed that her test grades were better when she attended classes. She decided to create a study to see if there was a relationship between class attendance and test performance. In what aspect of the social research process has Sammy engaged?

A) finding patterns in everyday life
B) collecting empirical data
C) providing transparency in methods
D) reporting provisional knowledge

Question 37

The data collection method in which researchers evaluate information gathered from sources such as news articles, television shows, or magazine ads is called

A) field research.
B) content analysis.
C) a survey.
D) secondary data analysis.

Question 38

In what data collection technique does the researcher ask open-ended questions to participants and record their responses for analysis?

A) field research
B) experiment
C) survey
D) intensive interview

Question 39

Which term refers to when researchers share how they collected and analyzed their data?

A) methodology
B) transparency
C) lucidity
D) explanation of data

Question 40

What data-gathering technique includes focus groups?

A) field research
B) intensive interviewing
C) content analysis
D) survey

Question 41

The target group a researcher is interested in studying is the

A) data.
B) population.
C) sample.
D) model.

Question 42

Which of the following is NOT a sampling technique?

A) quota sampling
B) random sampling
C) intermediary sampling
D) convenience sampling

Question 43

In his study of workplace harassment, George changed the names of the participants that he quoted in his final report. This was done to ensure

A) anonymity.
B) informed consent.
C) confidentiality.
D) secrecy.

Question 44

What is the first step in the sociological research process?

A) designing the research
B) identifying a research question
C) considering the ethics of the study
D) exploring a topic

Question 45

You are planning to conduct a survey about student opinions of dining on campus. In constructing your questionnaire, you should avoid all of the following EXCEPT

A) loaded language.
B) double-barreled questions.
C) clearly phrased questions.
D) definitions of terms that may be unclear.

Question 46

Closed-ended questions are used in ________ research.

A) content analysis
B) survey
C) secondary data analysis
D) intensive interviewing

Question 47

Studies that provide anonymity

A) do not allow the participant to know the true purpose of the research study.
B) change the names of participants so that their identity will not be known.
C) group participant data based on characteristics like race or gender.
D) guarantee that the information provided cannot be traced back to the participant.

Question 48

What is the portion of a population studied by researchers that represents the whole population?

A) sample
B) data
C) model
D) group

Question 49

Which of the following is one way a researcher can ensure confidentiality?

A) ensuring that participants understand the research process
B) keeping a list of participant contact information
C) including the names of participants in the final report
D) changing personal details that might identify a person

Question 50

Levi collects data for a study by questioning anybody who walks by his store at the mall. What data collection method is he using?

A) random sampling
B) quota sampling
C) convenience sampling
D) intermediary sampling

Question 51

Before Leann starts interviewing her research participants, she informs them of the risks and benefits of their participation in her study. By doing this, she is ensuring

A) anonymity.
B) informed consent.
C) confidentiality.
D) value-neutrality.

Question 52

Dr. Karner is interested in learning how students in his department feel about the courses being offered. To select the students who will take the questionnaire, he wrote the names of every student on small slips of paper and blindly drew 100 names from a hat. What sampling method did he use?

A) convenience sampling
B) lotto sampling
C) quota sampling
D) random sampling

Question 53

Julie works for Knowledge Works, a company that calls individuals in the United States and asks them closed-ended questions about their knowledge of different social policies. What kind of research is she conducting?

A) focus group
B) intensive interviewing
C) content analysis
D) survey

Question 54

The sampling method that involves selecting cases to include by chance is called ________ sampling.

A) convenience
B) random
C) intermediary
D) quota

Question 55

Which research method allows for specific variables to be controlled and manipulated?

A) intensive interviews
B) surveys
C) focus groups
D) experiments

Question 56

What does it mean for researchers to generalize their findings?

A) They share it with people outside academia.
B) They use their findings to support social policies.
C) They ensure others understand how they conducted their study.
D) They use their findings to understand patterns in larger groups.

Question 57

Tammy created a survey to study how much alcohol students drink. On the survey she asked the following question: In the past seven days, how many times have you consumed alcohol or smoked marijuana? What is the main problem with how this survey question is worded?

A) It is unclear what the question is asking.
B) It contains loaded language.
C) It is a double-barreled question
D) Students might define drinking differently.

Question 58

Salvatore is participating in a survey. Before starting, the researcher tells him that he will be paid five dollars for participating and that he can stop the survey at any point and still be compensated for his time. This is an example of

A) confidentiality.
B) informed consent.
C) anonymity.
D) All these answers are correct.

Question 59

Ja'nice interviewed a group of students with disabilities about the barriers they face in the classroom. She concluded that other students with disabilities to whom she did not talk probably face similar problems. What is she doing?

A) ensuring the peer review process
B) generalizing her findings
C) providing transparency
D) defining her sample

Question 60

Which of the following research methods can effectively describe large populations in a cost-effective way?

A) focus groups
B) intensive interviews
C) surveys
D) field research

Question 61

What type of research focuses on how individuals create meaning in their everyday lives?

A) positivist social science
B) interpretive social science
C) critical social science
D) All these answers are correct.

Question 62

Steven's college has a major problem with student drinking on campus. He decided to study student drinking behavior so that he could help the college identify why students drink and to inform policies and practices that would reduce problematic drinking. What type of research is he conducting?

A) positivist social science
B) interpretive social science
C) critical social science
D) All these answers are correct.

Question 63

What type of research views the world as being guided by natural laws that can be discovered though research?

A) positivist social science
B) interpretive social science
C) critical social science
D) All these answers are correct.

Question 64

Megan submitted a manuscript to a journal for publication. The editor at the journal asked experts in the topic Megan studied to read and comment on her work. Megan received feedback from these experts that she then used to improve her manuscript before it was published. What practice is described here?

A) collecting manuscript feedback
B) the peer-review process
C) gaining expert feedback
D) draft editing for publication

Question 65

Baxter is interested in studying gender and voting patterns. He asks you what he should do next. You should advise him to

A) think of a specific research question to investigate.
B) look up studies on gender and voting to see what has already been done.
C) determine what research method he wants to use in his study.
D) start collecting data to analyze his topic.

Question 66

Which position advocates for transparency in methods?

A) positivist social science
B) interpretive social science
C) critical social science
D) All these answers are correct.

Question 67

What type of research seeks to create knowledge that can be used to make society a better place?

A) positivist social science
B) interpretive social science
C) critical social science
D) All these answers are correct.

Question 68

Steven's college has a major problem with student drinking on campus. He decided to study student drinking behavior by focusing on the reasons students drink and the meanings they attach to their behaviors. What type of research is he conducting?

A) positivist social science
B) interpretive social science
C) critical social science
D) All these answers are correct.

Question 69

Mei is doing intensive interview research with domestic violence victims. She has designed her study and asks you what she should do next. You should advise her to

A) consider the ethical issues in her study.
B) develop the list of questions she will ask in her interviews.
C) start conducting interviews to collect data.
D) develop a specific research question to focus on in her interviews.

Question 70

What is the second step in the sociological research process?

A) Consider the ethical problems present in your question.
B) Decide what type of methods you will use.
C) Develop a specific research question.
D) Explore the topic to find similar studies.

Question 71

Steven's college has a major problem with student drinking on campus. He decided to study student drinking behavior by focusing on the factors that influence drinking behavior and the variables that predict that a student will engage heavy drinking. What type of research is he conducting?

A) positivist social science
B) interpretive social science
C) critical social science
D) All these answers are correct.

Question 72

Which term refers to the process of developing specific values for the concepts in your study?

A) hypothesis
B) content analysis
C) operationalize
D) variables

Question 73

Which term refers to the process of removing one's personal viewpoints and opinions from the research process?

A) transparency
B) value-detachment
C) value-neutrality
D) objectivity

Question 74

Takumi decided to measure education by the number of years of school completed. By doing this, he has

A) defined his measures.
B) operationalized his variable.
C) declared his independent variable.
D) declared his dependent variable.

Question 75

During what phase of the research process would you operationalize your concepts?

A) analyzing data
B) collecting data
C) developing a specific question to study
D) designing the study

Question 76

Which type(s) of research is/are based on the belief that recognizing the values of the researcher is important when conducting research?

A) positivist social science and interpretive social science
B) positivist social science and critical social science
C) interpretive social science and critical social science
D) Only critical social science recognizes values.

Question 77

Sociological research is evaluated for quality prior to publication. This is known as

A) public sociology.
B) basic research.
C) the peer-review process.
D) quality assurance.

Question 78

Quinn believes that social science research should be value-free. To which type of research would she most likely subscribe?

A) positivist social science
B) interpretive social science
C) critical social science
D) All these answers are correct.

Question 79

What is the purpose of the peer-review process?

A) It allows researchers to share their research with other sociologists.
B) It helps to ensure that only quality research is published.
C) It provides a way for sociologists to share their findings with the public.
D) It helps researchers improve their methods prior to collecting data.

Question 80

Glenna was asked by a journal to evaluate a research study written by another scholar. After reading the paper, she provided feedback to the author and said that more work was needed to improve the quality of the paper before it was published. Glenna is participating in

A) providing expert feedback on the draft.
B) editing a draft for publication.
C) ensuring only quality research is published.
D) the journal's peer-review process.