Question 1

The number of times the phrase "serial murderer" appears in a criminology textbook would be,in content analysis terms,an example of
A)latent content.
B)pseudo content.
C)manifest content.
D)verstehen content.
E)unspecific content.

Accepted Answer

Manifest content refers to the visible or surface-level content that can be directly observed and measured. In this case, the number of times the phrase "serial murderer" appears in a criminology textbook is directly observable and measurable, making it an example of manifest content.

Question 2

Monte wants to conduct research to examine the presence of misogyny in popular comic books.His strategy is to examine subtle themes and implications within the art and text.What is he looking for in terms of content analysis?
A)unspecific content
B)latent content
C)manifest content
D)verstehen content
E)pseudo content

Accepted Answer

Latent content refers to the underlying meaning or themes that may not be explicitly stated, which Monte is looking for in the comic books.

Question 3

Fantanella did a content analysis of letters to the editor.She counted the number of times that the words "disagree" and "agree" appeared,but she also coded the underlying message of the letters as being positive or negative.Coding the underlying meaning of the letters is known as coding the
A)ideal types.
B)manifest content.
C)nonobvious meaning.
D)latent content.
E)words

Accepted Answer

Coding the underlying message of the letters as positive or negative is an example of coding the latent content. The latent content refers to the underlying meaning or symbolism in a text, which may not be immediately apparent but must be inferred through analysis.

Question 4

Gigi did a content analysis of school board meeting minutes to determine who was the most influential.She developed an initial hypothesis that men carried more power,but she then searched her data to find all the cases that would contradict her initial hypothesis.This process is known as
A)systematic reduction.
B)analytic induction.
C)analytic deduction.
D)corroboration.
E)systematic deduction

Accepted Answer

Analytic induction is a qualitative research method where the researcher seeks to find cases that contradict an initial hypothesis to refine or modify the hypothesis.

Question 5

Units of analysis
A)are also known as units of observation.
B)are the units about which information is collected.
C)are the units from which information is collected.
D)are easy to identify.
E)are the source of analytic strategies

Accepted Answer

Units of analysis refer to the objects, events, individuals or groups that are the focus of a research study or analysis. These are the units about which information is collected and analyzed, making option B the correct choice.

Question 6

_______________ is especially suited for topics that a researcher wants to study over a long time span because the data sets are relatively stable and the data is gathered over multiple time points.
A)Secondary data
B)Primary data
C)Manifest content
D)Nonreactive research
E)Physical trace analysis

Accepted Answer

Secondary data refers to data that has already been collected by someone else for another purpose, such as government agencies, research institutions, and other organizations. This type of data is particularly useful for long-term studies because it is often collected at regular intervals over extended periods of time, and the data sets are relatively stable. Using secondary data allows researchers to analyze and track trends and changes over time without the need to collect new data.

Question 7

Which of the following would not be a data source consistent with content analysis?
A)evaluating census data.
B)want ads.
C)diary entries.
D)email messages.
E)newspapers.

Accepted Answer

While evaluating census data can provide valuable information, it would not be consistent with content analysis because it does not involve analyzing written or spoken communication. Content analysis typically involves analyzing documents such as want ads, diary entries, email messages, and newspapers.

Question 8

Using multiple methods (corroboration)increases validity and:
A)is disadvantageous.
B)increases reliability.
C)increases time and cost.
D)decreases reliability
E)decreases time and cost

Accepted Answer

The answer of Using multiple methods (corroboration)increases validity and:
A)is disadvantageous.
B)increases...

Question 9

To conduct his research on suicide,Emile Durkheim employed which of the following research methodologies?
A)experimental research
B)survey research
C)content analysis
D)existing statistics
E)interviews

Accepted Answer

Emile Durkheim employed existing statistics to conduct his research on suicide. He analyzed official records of suicide rates across different countries and social groups, and used these data to identify patterns and explanations for suicidal behavior.

Question 10

Hector wanted to study how his county had changed over the past three decades regarding its actions protecting the environment.It would be best to use
A)content analysis.
B)analysis of existing data.
C)historical/comparative research.
D)nonprobability sampling.
E)field research

Accepted Answer

Historical/comparative research is the most suitable method for studying changes over time in a specific area or region. It involves comparing past and present data, examining trends, and analyzing changes in policies or practices. This method is ideal for Hector's research as he wants to study how his county has changed over the past three decades regarding environmental protection.

Question 11

If you were interested in the difference between commercials during children's and adults' TV programs,your units of observation would be _________ and your units of analysis would be _________.
A)children's and adults' TV programs; commercials attached to those programs
B)commercials attached to the programs; children's and adults' TV programs
C)all commercials; all programs
D)all programs; all commercials
E)sports programming

Accepted Answer

The units of observation are the children's and adults' TV programs because the focus is on identifying the difference in commercials shown during these programs. The units of analysis would be the commercials that are attached to these programs as they are being compared and analyzed.

Question 12

William Robinson,a sociologist,found that during the 1930s there was a positive relationship between the literacy rate and percentage of the population that was foreign born.If you concluded on this basis that your neighbor,Yasmine,who is a foreign-born resident,has a higher literacy rate than other native-born residents,you would be committing the
A)individualistic fallacy.
B)ex post facto fallacy.
C)ecological fallacy.
D)part-whole fallacy.
E)secondary data fallacy.

Accepted Answer

The given scenario describes the ecological fallacy, which is the erroneous belief that the characteristics of a group can be attributed to every individual belonging to that group. Even though there may be a relationship between the literacy rate and percentage of foreign-born population, it cannot be assumed that every foreign-born resident has a higher literacy rate than native-born residents.

Question 13

Illiana did an historical/comparative of college yearbooks over a 30-year time period.Her particular goal was to take on the circumstances,views,and feelings of those she studied so that she could interpret their lives appropriately.It would be best to use
A)analytic induction.
B)corroboration.
C)ideal types.
D)verstehen.
E)content analysis

Accepted Answer

The method that best fits the description provided is Verstehen, which involves understanding the subjective meaning and interpretation of people's actions within their particular context. It allows the researcher to sympathetically enter into their worldviews and create meaning from their experiences.

Question 14

Hillary did an historical/comparative study of dating patterns in the 1950s and 1960s but had some reservations about the accuracy of her data sources.It would be best to use
A)corroboration.
B)analytic induction.
C)content analysis.
D)verstehen.
E)historical research

Accepted Answer

Corroboration involves using multiple sources of data to verify the accuracy of findings. Given Hillary's reservations about the accuracy of her data sources, it would be best to use corroboration to ensure the validity of her research.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a good source of existing statistics?
A)Local newspaper
B)Bureau of the Census
C)Department of Education
D)Bureau of Transportation Statistics
E)Central Intelligence Agency

Accepted Answer

While a local newspaper may provide some statistics, they may not always be reliable or accurate. It is best to rely on official government sources such as the Bureau of the Census, Department of Education, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, and Central Intelligence Agency. These agencies collect and analyze data in a systematic and unbiased manner, ensuring that the statistics provided are trustworthy.

Question 16

Which of the following ethical concern still applies to unobtrusive research?
A)reactivity
B)no harm to participants
C)Confidentiality
D)Deception
E)informed consent

Accepted Answer

Unobtrusive research involves studying subjects without their knowledge, which can raise concerns about confidentiality, as researchers must ensure that any data collected does not inadvertently reveal the identities of individuals.

Question 17

What type of sampling is used in content analysis?
A)simple
B)random
C)stratified
D)cluster
E)any sampling method is appropriate

Accepted Answer

Any sampling method can be appropriate for content analysis, depending on the research question and the available resources. Some common sampling methods include simple random sampling, stratified sampling (e.g., by publication type or website genre), and purposive sampling (e.g., selecting texts that are representative of a particular population or that lend themselves to a specific research question). Ultimately, the most appropriate sampling method will depend on factors such as the size and diversity of the corpus, the availability of sampling frames, and the time and budget constraints of the study.

Question 18

In conducting content analysis research,ethical issues can arise from all but which of the following?
A)how we collect the data.
B)protecting the privacy of individuals/organizations.
C)analyzing the data.
D)physical harm to subjects
E)reporting the data

Accepted Answer

Content analysis research involves analyzing existing data and does not typically involve physical contact with subjects, thereby making the issue of physical harm to subjects irrelevant. However, ethical issues can arise from how the data is collected, protecting the privacy of individuals/organizations, analyzing the data, and reporting the data.

Question 19

If you wanted to conduct a content analysis of the attitudes of lyricists toward women,as portrayed in contemporary music,which of the following would not be a good source of information?
A)rock music
B)country and western music
C)rap music
D)instrumental jazz
E)Christian music

Accepted Answer

Instrumental jazz does not usually contain lyrics, so it would not be a good source for analyzing attitudes toward women in lyrics. The other choices all contain lyrics and would be relevant for the content analysis.

Question 20

Like other kinds of social research,one of the first steps in content analysis is to determine
A)the number of cases that the research will focus on.
B)the kind of medium that the analysis will focus on.
C)the units of analysis that the research will focus on.
D)the ease of accessibility of the subject matter.
E)the type of sampling for the research.

Accepted Answer

Determining the units of analysis is a crucial step in content analysis as it helps to define what exactly will be analyzed within the content. The other options may also be important considerations, but they come after the decision of units of analysis.

Quiz 11: Unobtrusive Research

The number of times the phrase "serial murderer" appears in a criminology textbook would be,in content analysis terms,an example of

Monte wants to conduct research to examine the presence of misogyny in popular comic books.His strategy is to examine subtle themes and implications within the art and text.What is he looking for in terms of content analysis?

Fantanella did a content analysis of letters to the editor.She counted the number of times that the words "disagree" and "agree" appeared,but she also coded the underlying message of the letters as being positive or negative.Coding the underlying meaning of the letters is known as coding the

Gigi did a content analysis of school board meeting minutes to determine who was the most influential.She developed an initial hypothesis that men carried more power,but she then searched her data to find all the cases that would contradict her initial hypothesis.This process is known as

Units of analysis

_______________ is especially suited for topics that a researcher wants to study over a long time span because the data sets are relatively stable and the data is gathered over multiple time points.

Which of the following would not be a data source consistent with content analysis?

Using multiple methods (corroboration) increases validity and:

To conduct his research on suicide,Emile Durkheim employed which of the following research methodologies?

Hector wanted to study how his county had changed over the past three decades regarding its actions protecting the environment.It would be best to use

If you were interested in the difference between commercials during children's and adults' TV programs,your units of observation would be _ and your units of analysis would be _.

Illiana did an historical/comparative of college yearbooks over a 30-year time period.Her particular goal was to take on the circumstances,views,and feelings of those she studied so that she could interpret their lives appropriately.It would be best to use

Hillary did an historical/comparative study of dating patterns in the 1950s and 1960s but had some reservations about the accuracy of her data sources.It would be best to use

Which of the following is NOT a good source of existing statistics?

Which of the following ethical concern still applies to unobtrusive research?

What type of sampling is used in content analysis?

In conducting content analysis research,ethical issues can arise from all but which of the following?

If you wanted to conduct a content analysis of the attitudes of lyricists toward women,as portrayed in contemporary music,which of the following would not be a good source of information?

Like other kinds of social research,one of the first steps in content analysis is to determine