Question 1

Violence in children's programming is a major research endeavor that requires counting the number of violent acts in Saturday morning cartoons for an entire year.The units of analysis being used for this project are _____.

Accepted Answer

Social artifacts are the units of analysis when studying media content, such as children's programming. The focus is on the media product itself rather than individual people, groups, or organizations.

Question 2

Which of the following is not one of the research methods discussed in your text?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is not one...

Question 3

Marvin Wolfgang's study of males born in Philadelphia in 1945 was an attempt to measure delinquency by following those males from their 10ᵗʰ birthday until they were 18.This is an example of what type of study?

Accepted Answer

Marvin Wolfgang's study is an example of a cohort study because it follows a group of individuals who share a common characteristic (in this case, males born in Philadelphia in 1945) over a period of time to measure changes or developments in a specific outcome (in this case, delinquency).

Question 4

A major midwestern university does annual surveys of its alumni.These surveys are designed to gauge the attitudes that alumni hold about the university, its academic programs, and the major team sports.These surveys have been an annual event for the last two decades and represent which type of study?

Accepted Answer

The annual surveys conducted by the university over the last two decades represent a trend study, as they are specifically designed to track changes or trends in alumni attitudes over time. This is different from a cross-sectional study, which collects data from a single point in time from a snapshot of the population, or a cohort study, which follows a specific group (such as a graduating class) over time. The surveys also do not necessarily involve the same individuals each year, so they do not represent a panel study.

Question 5

Units of analysis are typically also the units of __________.

Accepted Answer

Units of analysis refer to the individuals, groups, organizations, or events that are being studied or analyzed in research. Therefore, they are typically also the units of observation, as researchers observe and collect data on the units of analysis.

Question 6

A survey distributed on a college campus discovered that males support the death penalty in greater numbers than do females.The units of analysis in this case would be _____.

Accepted Answer

The units of analysis refer to the entities being studied. In this case, the survey is looking at individuals and their support for the death penalty. Therefore, the best answer is D) individuals.

Question 7

Which of the following are social artifacts?

Accepted Answer

Social artifacts are objects or products of human activity, such as editorials, which are created by people and reflect cultural or social phenomena.

Question 8

If a cross-sectional study can be likened to a "snapshot," and a trend study to a "slide show," then which of the following is most like a "motion picture?"

Accepted Answer

A panel study is most like a "motion picture" because it involves repeated observations of the same variables over time, similar to how a motion picture captures continuous movement.

Question 9

The relationship between attributes and variables lies at the heart of

Accepted Answer

The relationship between attributes (characteristics or properties) and variables (things that can vary, such as measurements or categories) is fundamental to both describing and explaining phenomena in science. Units of analysis refer to the level of observation or aggregation being studied, and publishing outcomes is related to but not central to this relationship between attributes and variables. The relationship between attributes and variables is also relevant to fiction, but is not central to it in the way it is in science.

Question 10

Three broad distinctions underlie many of the variations of scientific research.Which is of the following is one not of these distinctions?

Accepted Answer

The distinction between social and cultural artifacts is not one of the three broad distinctions underlying many variations of scientific research. The other three choices (idiographic and nomothetic explanations, inductive and deductive reasoning, and quantitative and qualitative data) are commonly used distinctions in scientific research.

Question 11

Having trouble reconciling general patterns of attitudes and actions with individual exceptions the research personally knows of is termed the __________?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Having trouble reconciling general patterns of attitudes...

Question 12

Which of the following would allow a researcher to measure change in a general population over time?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following would allow a...

Question 13

Which of the following would serve as a "snapshot" of a phenomenon at one point in time?

Accepted Answer

A cross-sectional study involves collecting data at one point in time, providing a "snapshot" of the phenomenon being studied. Panel studies involve collecting data from the same group of individuals over a period of time, cohort studies involve following a specific group over time, and trend studies involve looking at changes in a phenomenon over time.

Question 14

In the following research conclusion, what units of analysis are being used? "An enormous variation of deviant activities was represented in a sample of 1,485 news items.We categorized these deviant activities into five general types of analysis: violence, economic, political, ideological/cultural and diversionary."

Accepted Answer

The units of analysis being used are news items, which are social artifacts. The research categorized the deviant activities represented in the news items, rather than studying individuals, organizations, or groups directly.

Question 15

What type of study attempts to account for errors in drawing a sample by measuring the same people on two or more occasions?

Accepted Answer

A panel study is designed to follow a group of individuals over time, measuring them on two or more occasions. This design helps to control for errors in sampling and can provide insights into how individuals change over time. Cohort studies follow a particular group of individuals who share a common characteristic or experience, while trend studies examine changes in a population over time. Cross-sectional studies measure a sample of individuals at a single point in time.

Question 16

In an examination of violent crime among the most populous nations in the world, the United States ranks very high along with England, France, and Australia.The chance of being raped is higher in France than in the United States.What units of analysis are being used?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In an examination of violent crime among...

Question 17

After careful study of the relationship between the economy and arson, the conclusion was drawn that when the economy is poor and unemployment is high, the arson rates go up.The researcher concluded that unemployed people are more likely to commit arson than are those who are employed. What error was just committed?

Accepted Answer

The researcher committed the ecological fallacy by assuming that the relationship between unemployment and arson on a larger scale would necessarily hold true at an individual level. Just because an area experiences higher arson rates during times of economic turmoil does not mean that unemployed individuals are necessarily more likely to commit arson.

Question 18

Data analysis looks for patterns in what is ____________.

Accepted Answer

Data analysis involves looking for patterns in what is observed, measured, and collected. It does not involve proving, hypothesizing, or assuming anything about the data without evidence.

Question 19

Scientific theory deals with

Accepted Answer

Scientific theory is concerned with the logical aspect of science, which entails proposing hypotheses, testing them through observation and experimentation, and formulating general principles and laws to explain the observed phenomena. It involves developing a systematic and consistent body of knowledge based on empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and critical thinking. The other options listed are more specific aspects of the scientific method but do not encompass the broad scope of scientific theory.

Question 20

Which of the following is an example of a panel study?

Accepted Answer

A panel study is a type of research in which the same group of people is studied over a period of time. In contrast, the National Incident-based Reporting System and Uniform Crime Reports are databases that collect information on police-reported crimes, while the U.S. Census is a national survey that collects demographic information on the entire population. The National Crime Victimization Survey is a longitudinal survey that asks a sample of individuals about their experiences as victims of crime over time, making it an example of a panel study.

Quiz 3: General Issues in Research Design