Exam 1: The Science, society, and Social Research

If we allow new research to call into question our preexisting beliefs,we are practicing an excessive devotion to tradition.

A method of research that assumes an external,objective reality,but also acknowledges the complexity of reality and the limitations and biases of the scientists who study it is known as ______.

Basic science is the effort to figure out what the world is like and why it works as it does.

What is the motivation for conducting evaluation research?

The belief that there is an empirical reality,but that our understanding of it is limited by its complexity and by the biases and limitations of researchers is called Postpositivism.

The belief that there is an objective reality that exists apart from our perception of it,and that we can and should study it,is called Positivism.

The everyday error that involves unjustifiably concluding that what is true for some cases is true for all cases is called ______

As average income of a neighborhood increased,violent crime rate decreased.This information is an example of which kind of social research?

Explain how individual studies are part of the larger process of creating social scientific knowledge.Consider why research must evaluate previous research and why researchers should expect to have their studies critically evaluated.

In-depth interviews with each participant with the same set of questions helps reduce the risk for selective or inaccurate observation.

Unlike in natural sciences,social sciences face special issues in data collection because the subjects can intentionally mislead the researcher.

Both explanatory and evaluation research studies are concerned with the causes and effects of social phenomena.The difference between them is that evaluation research focuses on the ______.

Identify and describe the four common errors in reasoning.What can researchers do to their studies in order to reduce the risk of running into these errors?

Descriptive research is evaluation research and other social research which is motivated by practical concerns.

In a blog about jury duty,an everyday observer made which of the following errors of overgeneralization?

Briefly describe the examples given in Chapter 1 that demonstrate the four types of social research.Consider the strengths and weaknesses of each.Given that the social phenomenon of Internet use is a complex one,what sorts of conclusions can you reach about social relations and Internet use from these studies? Propose three additional studies about Internet use and social relations in which you focus on weak points or controversial conclusions found in the research presented in Chapter 1.Be explicit about how those studies will improve social science knowledge about this phenomenon.

In order to decrease the likelihood of overgeneralizing,a researcher should have a clear definition of the population of interest in his or her study.

Descriptive research tests a relationship between variables.

The everyday error that involves the reluctance to reevaluate ideas in light of new information comes from all of the following sources except ______.

Illogical reasoning occurs when researchers prematurely jump to conclusions on the basis of invalid assumptions.