Exam 2: The Process and Problems of Research of Criminological Research

Provide the definition of theory and describe at least three ways theory helps us in social science research. Then, apply these three ways theory can help us to the example of youth violence.

Use the following example to answer a set of questions: Tom wants to examine the causes of domestic violence. He wants to start with social theory and then test some of its implications with data. He would like to explain the causes of domestic violence using independent variables derived from previous research. Erica wants to explore factors related to domestic violence of Latino immigrants, where barely any research has been done. She wants to start with interview data she collected and then identify patterns in her data. She would like to inform future studies with this information. Which researcher utilized deductive reasoning and which used inductive reasoning? Which type of research (qualitative or quantitative) and (explanatory or exploratory) did Tom and Erica conduct? Provide two differences between their studies.

If we seek to describe the frequency of domestic violence in families, we need to develop a valid procedure in defining what we intend to measure. This is an example of ______ validity.

It is often a good idea to narrow your literature search by requiring that abstracts contain combinations of words or phrases that include more of the specific details of your research question. What is this tactic called in your book?

A research predicted that youth in a risk-reduction program were less likely to engage in criminal activity. The independent variable in this case was whether youth were in the risk-reduction program.

When someone is measuring the consequence of a proposed influence, the consequence is called the ______.

Come up with a research question and a hypothesis on a topic related to criminology. Then explain the difference between a research question and a hypothesis. After that, indicate what your dependent and independent variables are, as well as a constant (if you have one), and what direction of association your hypothesis assumes.

Hypotheses with a categorical independent variable simply state that one category of the independent variable is associated with higher (or lower) values of the dependent variable.

Researchers avoid coming up with conclusions that people will like or conclusions that suit their personal preferences. This refers to them establishing which of the following?

The goal of ______ is to reflect fairly the perspectives of participants in a setting that we study.

Use the following example to answer a set of questions: If the discrepancy between one's aspirations and expectations is high, then the level of perceived strain is high. Considering this is an "if-then" hypothesis, what is the original hypothesis? What is the independent variable and dependent variable in this study? What direction of association does this hypothesis predict?

A study conducted in Minneapolis found that those arrested for domestic violence did not respond the same way as those arrested for the same crime in different cities. As such, the findings were not considered ______.

We have reached the goal of ______ when our statements or conclusions about empirical reality are correct.

A graduate student collected qualitative data on domestic violence and used the data to develop a theory that explained the patterns in her data. Which type of process did she use in conducting her research?

Once we formulate a research question and choose a theory, we start the process of moving from the general to the specific. This is called ______.

Unexpected patterns in data, which stimulate new ideas or theoretical approaches are commonly referred to as ______.

We cannot test an idea fairly unless we use deductive reasoning, stating our expectations in advance and then designing a way to test the validity of our claims.

Reanalysis of data qualifies as inductive research, because the hypotheses were derived from theory and then tested with the data.

Generalizability is more concerned with validity of claims being made one group to another, whereas measurement validity is more concerned with what terms and definitions are used as measures in research.

A researcher engaged in a small-scale study to examine a new policing strategy to address domestic violence, but because they were worried about the generalizability of their results, they conducted replications of their study in other locations. Which of the following best describes the type of study in which the researcher engaged?