Exam 2: The Process and Problems of Social Research

Beth tested whether an individual's attitudes about homosexuality varied by how frequently the individual attended religious services. What is Beth's dependent variable?

A hypothesis suggests that the change in the independent variable creates change in the dependent variable.

Deductive research begins the research process with theory, from which a hypothesis is derived.

In a panel design, data are collected from the same individuals at multiple points in time.

Deductive theory begins with which element?

The General Social Survey selects 1,500 individuals from a population of U.S. households that contain telephones. The unit of analysis of the GSS is:

Descriptive research starts with data and proceeds only to the stage of making empirical generalizations; it does not generate entire theories.

The groups that reviews research proposals for possible ethical violations are known as:

Research that collects data at a single point in time is called:

According to the text, King, Keohane, and Verba (1994) assert that social scientists evaluate research questions based on which of the following except:

In a review of the average teacher salaries across school districts, Flo found a range from $35,000 to $65,000, with teachers in urban school districts generally earning more than those in rural and suburban school districts. Flo has done what:

The ultimate decision about ethical procedures in research designs is made by:

Discuss the research of Sherman and Berk (1984) on the affect of arrest on domestic abuse. What was their research hypothesis? What were their independent and dependent variables? Describe how their hypothesis was designed to test deterrence theory and labeling theory. For which theory did their hypothesis provide support?

In what ways are researchers pressured to be less honest and open than they should be on research projects? Why is openness and honesty a primary part of research today? Give an example from the text of a past researcher who used methods that could be considered "unethical" by today's standards.

Timothy conducted research on married couples and strain after the birth of their first child. He discovered that the majority of the participants of the study stated that they did not experience any stress on their relationship after their first child. He then generalized his results by stating that strain in marriage is not caused by the birth of children. This assumption is an example of:

Use the following to answer questions 16-18: In each set, match a concept from Group A to a definition or example from Group B. -Research Strategies NOTE: Answers from Group B may be used more than once. Group A 1. Begins with theory 2. Begins with theory but stops with empirical generalizations 3. Involves hypothesis testing 4. Typically used in quantitative research 5. Builds from data to theory Group B a. Deductive research b. Descriptive research c. Inductive research d. Longitudinal research

Research that collects data at more than one point in time is called:

The General Social Survey draws a sample of about 1,500 people every two years. This is an example of what type of research design?

After data have been collected, researchers sometimes find patterns that are unexpected, but nonetheless surprising and exciting. These types of patterns are known as:

The scientific relevance of a research question refers to its ability to: