Exam 3: Doing Sociological Research

Sociology is a science because it uses the scientific method and strives to be empirical.

The gas gauge on your car is broken and always drops to empty when the tank is just half full. Although the gauge is inaccurate, it can still be said to be .

Being completely objective while conducting research is impossible. Therefore, most sociologists

Compared to survey research, participant observation creates a greater challenge that

If the research conclusions may be generalized to a broader population, what does that mean?

When a researcher engaged in participant observation loses objectivity by becoming so involved that he or she is not longer an observer, this is referred to as .

How are most hypotheses stated or formulated?

Whether or not a measurement gives the same results when it is repeated under the same conditions is an indication of the measurement's _.

One disadvantage of participant observation is the risk of the researcher "going native."

Participant observation is sometimes also referred to as .

To study the difference in academic achievement between male and female athletes, one might look at rates of graduation among university students involved in sports. This is an example of research.

In content analysis, the researcher does not study people directly.

Explain sampling and why it is used in data gathering. Explain how one can use a sample for research and still be able to generalize the findings to a larger population; what factors determine if the results from a sample may be generalized to the population?

Sociologists avoid reading other studies about the same topic they are studying so as to avoid bias in their own research.

There is both art and science involved in doing sociological research.

What is a sample?

Which of these statements about variables is true?

The findings that result from a study of a larger sample will always be more generalizable than those from the study of a smaller sample.

Serendipity is unimportant to empirical research.

A low return rate for a survey is likely to result in findings that are not generalizable to the entire population.