Question 1

Discuss the three purposes for doing research. Describe a study that illustrates each purpose.

Accepted Answer

The three main purposes for conducting research are to explore, explain, and predict.

Exploratory research is conducted to explore a new area or topic and gain a better understanding of it. For example, a study could be conducted to explore the impact of social media on mental health among teenagers. Researchers may use qualitative methods such as interviews and focus groups to gather insights and perspectives from teenagers about their social media usage and its effects on their mental well-being.

Explanatory research aims to explain the relationships between variables or phenomena. For instance, a study could be conducted to explain the relationship between exercise and stress levels. Researchers may use quantitative methods such as surveys and experiments to collect data on participants' exercise habits and stress levels, and then analyze the data to determine if there is a significant correlation between the two variables.

Predictive research is carried out to forecast future outcomes or trends based on existing data. For example, a study could be conducted to predict the impact of climate change on crop yields. Researchers may use historical climate and crop yield data to develop predictive models that can forecast the potential effects of climate change on future crop production.

In summary, research serves the purposes of exploring new topics, explaining relationships between variables, and predicting future outcomes. Each of these purposes can be illustrated through specific studies that aim to achieve these goals.

Question 2

Ruth puzzles over a report that claims that women are more likely to vote for Democrats than men. She puzzles because her best friend, Joan, always votes Republican. Ruth is guilty of using which of the following false criteria for nomothetic causality?

Accepted Answer

A) Units of analysis 
B) Majority of cases 
C) Exceptional cases 
D) Complete causation 
E) She is not using any false criteria 
A) Units of analysis 
B) Majority of cases 
C) Exceptional cases 
D) Complete causation 
E) She is not using any false criteria C

Question 3

A necessary condition represents a condition that, if it is present, will pretty much guarantee the effect in question.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 4

The use of a selection of newspaper articles on racial discrimination as a unit of analysis would be an example of:

Accepted Answer

A) social artifact. 
B) individuals. 
C) groups. 
D) organizations. 
E) populations. 
A) social artifact. 
B) individuals. 
C) groups. 
D) organizations. 
E) populations.

Question 5

Professor Dooley examined the literature on AIDS and could find nothing that examined children's attitudes toward parents and friends with AIDS. To examine this topic, Dooley should undertake a(n):

Accepted Answer

A) examination of reductionism. 
B) descriptive study. 
C) exploratory study. 
D) explanatory study. 
E) panel study. 
A) examination of reductionism. 
B) descriptive study. 
C) exploratory study. 
D) explanatory study. 
E) panel study.

Question 6

A single U.S. census is a:

Accepted Answer

A) cross-sectional study. 
B) panel study. 
C) time series study. 
D) trend study. 
E) longitudinal study. 
A) cross-sectional study. 
B) panel study. 
C) time series study. 
D) trend study. 
E) longitudinal study.

Question 7

If a researcher were conducting a study of women's attitudes toward abortion, the unit of analysis would be:

Accepted Answer

A) the individual. 
B) attitudes. 
C) each abortion. 
D) the community. 
E) the society. 
A) the individual. 
B) attitudes. 
C) each abortion. 
D) the community. 
E) the society.

Question 8

Professor King examined all the reasons given by 100 couples for their marriages. In the final research report, King listed all the reasons given by the 200 people for their marriages. Professor King is:

Accepted Answer

A) seeking a probabilistic explanation for marriage. 
B) using a nomothetic explanation for marriage. 
C) using an idiographic explanation for marriage. 
D) committing the error of suppressed evidence. 
E) committing the error of generalization. 
A) seeking a probabilistic explanation for marriage. 
B) using a nomothetic explanation for marriage. 
C) using an idiographic explanation for marriage. 
D) committing the error of suppressed evidence. 
E) committing the error of generalization.

Question 9

Research designs are descriptive, explanatory, or exploratory-never more than one.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

There is no statistical test to prove the achievement of success in ideographic explanation.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a cross-sectional study?

Accepted Answer

A) It is conducted at only one point in time. 
B) It can be exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory. 
C) It concentrates on changes that take place in a specific sample over a period of time. 
D) It provides a means for studying a large population at the same point in time. 
E) It provides a "snapshot." 
A) It is conducted at only one point in time. 
B) It can be exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory. 
C) It concentrates on changes that take place in a specific sample over a period of time. 
D) It provides a means for studying a large population at the same point in time. 
E) It provides a "snapshot."

Question 12

This short answer/essay can be assigned in multiple ways. One is to simply ask students what the structure of a research proposal is. A second way of asking the question is to distribute a proposal and ask students to describe the structure of a research proposal and whether the proposal under examination meets those criteria.

Accepted Answer

A research proposal typically includes t

Question 13

Which of the following hypotheses best fits the criteria of causality?

Accepted Answer

A) Males have higher suicide rates than females. 
B) As income increases, age tends to increase. 
C) As education increases, murder rates decrease. 
D) As education increases, income tends to increase. 
E) Gender tends to influence jury verdict. 
A) Males have higher suicide rates than females. 
B) As income increases, age tends to increase. 
C) As education increases, murder rates decrease. 
D) As education increases, income tends to increase. 
E) Gender tends to influence jury verdict.

Question 14

Rose is conducting a study where she intends to follow a random selection of teenagers over a five-year period. Each year she will randomly sample 500 individuals from a total of 50 high schools. What form of research is she performing?

Accepted Answer

A) Cohort study 
B) Panel study 
C) Trend study 
D) Quasi-experimental study 
E) Cross-sectional study 
A) Cohort study 
B) Panel study 
C) Trend study 
D) Quasi-experimental study 
E) Cross-sectional study

Question 15

Two variables that are highly correlated by definition have a causal relationship.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

If a researcher wanted to know why there was a noticeable increase in the number of burglaries in the town of Southpaw during 2005, the researcher would design a(n):

Accepted Answer

A) descriptive study. 
B) explanatory study. 
C) panel study. 
D) study of characteristics. 
E) exploratory study. 
A) descriptive study. 
B) explanatory study. 
C) panel study. 
D) study of characteristics. 
E) exploratory study.

Question 17

The topic of surrogate mothers interested Professor Snyder. Snyder read the available materials on the topic and wanted to develop an age, education, and income profile of women who serve as surrogate mothers in the United States. To develop this profile, Snyder should undertake a(n):

Accepted Answer

A) trend study. 
B) descriptive study. 
C) explanatory study. 
D) panel study. 
E) cohort study. 
A) trend study. 
B) descriptive study. 
C) explanatory study. 
D) panel study. 
E) cohort study.

Question 18

The ecological fallacy refers to drawing conclusions about individuals based solely on the observation of groups.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Professor Sheckler is looking to study the career trajectories of a specific group of college students, following the same individuals through their senior year and then five years afterward. What form of research methodology would he be using?

Accepted Answer

A) Panel study 
B) Cross-sectional study 
C) Cohort study 
D) Trend study 
E) Experimental study 
A) Panel study 
B) Cross-sectional study 
C) Cohort study 
D) Trend study 
E) Experimental study

Question 20

Operationalization is the process of clarifying what is meant by the concepts being used in a study.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Discuss the three purposes for doing research. Describe a study that illustrates each purpose.

Ruth puzzles over a report that claims that women are more likely to vote for Democrats than men. She puzzles because her best friend, Joan, always votes Republican. Ruth is guilty of using which of the following false criteria for nomothetic causality?

A necessary condition represents a condition that, if it is present, will pretty much guarantee the effect in question.

The use of a selection of newspaper articles on racial discrimination as a unit of analysis would be an example of:

Professor Dooley examined the literature on AIDS and could find nothing that examined children's attitudes toward parents and friends with AIDS. To examine this topic, Dooley should undertake a(n):

A single U.S. census is a:

If a researcher were conducting a study of women's attitudes toward abortion, the unit of analysis would be:

Professor King examined all the reasons given by 100 couples for their marriages. In the final research report, King listed all the reasons given by the 200 people for their marriages. Professor King is:

Research designs are descriptive, explanatory, or exploratory-never more than one.

There is no statistical test to prove the achievement of success in ideographic explanation.

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a cross-sectional study?

Which of the following hypotheses best fits the criteria of causality?

Rose is conducting a study where she intends to follow a random selection of teenagers over a five-year period. Each year she will randomly sample 500 individuals from a total of 50 high schools. What form of research is she performing?

Two variables that are highly correlated by definition have a causal relationship.

If a researcher wanted to know why there was a noticeable increase in the number of burglaries in the town of Southpaw during 2005, the researcher would design a(n):

The topic of surrogate mothers interested Professor Snyder. Snyder read the available materials on the topic and wanted to develop an age, education, and income profile of women who serve as surrogate mothers in the United States. To develop this profile, Snyder should undertake a(n):

The ecological fallacy refers to drawing conclusions about individuals based solely on the observation of groups.

Professor Sheckler is looking to study the career trajectories of a specific group of college students, following the same individuals through their senior year and then five years afterward. What form of research methodology would he be using?

Operationalization is the process of clarifying what is meant by the concepts being used in a study.

Human Inquiry and Science

Paradigms, Theory, and Social Research

The Ethics and Politics of Social Research

Conceptualization, Operationalization, and Measurement

Indexes, Scales, and Typologies

The Logic of Sampling

Experiments

Survey Research

Qualitative Field Research

Unobtrusive Research

Evaluation Research

Qualitative Data Analysis

Quantitative Data Analysis

The Logic of Multivariate Analysis

Statistical Analyses

Reading and Writing Social Research

Filters

Exam 4: Research Design

Discuss the three purposes for doing research. Describe a study that illustrates each purpose.

Ruth puzzles over a report that claims that women are more likely to vote for Democrats than men. She puzzles because her best friend, Joan, always votes Republican. Ruth is guilty of using which of the following false criteria for nomothetic causality?

A necessary condition represents a condition that, if it is present, will pretty much guarantee the effect in question.

The use of a selection of newspaper articles on racial discrimination as a unit of analysis would be an example of:

Professor Dooley examined the literature on AIDS and could find nothing that examined children's attitudes toward parents and friends with AIDS. To examine this topic, Dooley should undertake a(n):

A single U.S. census is a:

If a researcher were conducting a study of women's attitudes toward abortion, the unit of analysis would be:

Professor King examined all the reasons given by 100 couples for their marriages. In the final research report, King listed all the reasons given by the 200 people for their marriages. Professor King is:

Research designs are descriptive, explanatory, or exploratory-never more than one.

There is no statistical test to prove the achievement of success in ideographic explanation.

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a cross-sectional study?

Which of the following hypotheses best fits the criteria of causality?

Rose is conducting a study where she intends to follow a random selection of teenagers over a five-year period. Each year she will randomly sample 500 individuals from a total of 50 high schools. What form of research is she performing?

Two variables that are highly correlated by definition have a causal relationship.

If a researcher wanted to know why there was a noticeable increase in the number of burglaries in the town of Southpaw during 2005, the researcher would design a(n):

The topic of surrogate mothers interested Professor Snyder. Snyder read the available materials on the topic and wanted to develop an age, education, and income profile of women who serve as surrogate mothers in the United States. To develop this profile, Snyder should undertake a(n):

The ecological fallacy refers to drawing conclusions about individuals based solely on the observation of groups.

Professor Sheckler is looking to study the career trajectories of a specific group of college students, following the same individuals through their senior year and then five years afterward. What form of research methodology would he be using?

Operationalization is the process of clarifying what is meant by the concepts being used in a study.

Human Inquiry and Science

Paradigms, Theory, and Social Research

The Ethics and Politics of Social Research

Conceptualization, Operationalization, and Measurement

Indexes, Scales, and Typologies

The Logic of Sampling

Experiments

Survey Research

Qualitative Field Research

Unobtrusive Research

Evaluation Research

Qualitative Data Analysis

Quantitative Data Analysis

The Logic of Multivariate Analysis

Statistical Analyses

Reading and Writing Social Research

Filters