Deck 5: Nonreactive and Comparative Research

Question 1

The major limitation of secondary data analysis is:

A) the expense of the data
B) the difficulty in processing the data
C) the difficulty of generalization
D) the availability and completeness of the data

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The two major types of non-reactive methods are:

A) content analysis and experimental design
B) content analysis and field experiments
C) content analysis and secondary data analysis
D) secondary data analysis and comparative research

Answer 2

C

Question 3

According to Ronald Lambert, secondary data analysis is valuable because:

A) social scientists can monitor the analyses and wisdom of formerly published research
B) social scientists can use existing data sets to research new problem areas
C) social scientists can do temporal analyses with existing panel data
D) all of the above are valuable reasons for doing secondary data analysis

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Non-reactive studies in social research:

A) do not allow subjects to respond to the measurement process
B) permit the researcher to include young children
C) allows for the study of comatose people
D) includes quasi-experimental studies

Question 5

Non-reactive studies, as opposed to participant observation studies, involve the:

A) collection of subject response data
B) collection of purely "objective" data
C) involve the creation of fictitious data
D) involve the collection of indirect data

Question 6

The Lipset debate over Canadian/American cultural differences exemplifies the:

A) sociological approach
B) anthropological approach
C) comparative approach
D) critical approach

Question 7

The first step in conducting content analysis is:

A) unit sampling
B) unit construction
C) operationalizing units
D) none of the above

Question 8

The major confounding factor of social scientific research, which non-reactive studies correct, is:

A) collection of qualitative data
B) collection of spuriousness data
C) behaviour modification of subjects
D) expense

Question 9

The author of the course text suggests that, in order to solve the problem of unequal indicators while conducting comparative research, one should:

A) employ absolute measures
B) employ data trends
C) employ strictly numerical figures
D) use an informant to equate indicators

Question 10

The rule of thumb regarding the acceptable minimum reliability coefficient is:

A) .75
B) .55
C) .80
D) .60

Question 11

Secondary data analysis involves:

A) analysis of official statistics by social scientists
B) analysis of existing data that was collected for other purposes
C) content analysis of media messages
D) all of the above

Question 12

Non-reactive studies, as opposed to participant observation studies, involve the:

A) collection of subject response data
B) collection of purely "objective" data
C) creation of fictitious data
D) collection of indirect data

Question 13

What research design did Frederick Desroches use to study replicate Laud Humphreys' findings on "Tearoom" behaviour?

A) a web-survey delivered through an e-mail invitation to men arrested by police in tearoom raids.
B) systematic media reports of tearoom arrests.
C) direct observation of the men through a police stakeout.
D) secondary data analysis of data gathered by the police.

Question 14

Non-reactive studies likely represent the:

A) minority of social science studies
B) majority of social science studies
C) least productive social science studies
D) most productive social science studies

Question 15

The coefficient of reliability is defined as:

A) number of units in identical category divided by the total number of units coded
B) the total number of units coded divided by the number of units in identical category
C) number of units in differential category divided by the total number of units coded
D) number of units in differential category divided by the total number of units still not yet coded

Question 16

Which of the following statement is false?

A) Comparative research explores similarities and differences between cultures or within cultures over time.
B) Comparative research is a special type of research with its own methodology.
C) Comparative research involves cross-cultural or historical studies of societies or social groups.
D) Comparative researchers use the full range of research methods, including surveys, secondary analysis, field studies, experiments, and published official statistics.

Question 17

A unilineal model is one which:

A) asserts that cultural change proceeds in a cyclical manner
B) asserts that societies proceed through the same stages of change
C) asserts that societies change in distinct but similar manners
D) asserts that all change is positive in character

Question 18

Equivalence of concepts, within the context of comparative research, refers to which of the following:

A) the broad similarities shared by all cultures of the world
B) the "natural" tendencies of human behaviour
C) the careful and precise definition of various concepts
D) the application of different indicators to the same concept

Question 19

Content analysis is defined as:

A) systematic study and construction of inference based on any message
B) systematic study of media reports
C) the method of research used by literary scholars
D) all of the above

Question 20

The term official statistics refers to:

A) statistics given official status by the government.
B) data collected by formal public offices that document information about the population.
C) statistics collected by the government that is available for social research.
D) statistics collected by the government that is not available for social research.