Exam 2: The Process and Problems of Social Research

Nicole investigated the 2002 General Social Survey to determine the effect of educational attainment on one's self-reported happiness. This is an example of:

A good social research question will be feasible and will have social and scientific relevance.

Serendipitous patterns stimulate new ideas and theoretical approaches for continuing lines of research.

Attrition in panel studies refers to which of the following?

Describe the research circle that connects social theory to data collection. What are the principle components of this research circle? Using an example of your own choosing, describe two research designs based on this circle: one using inductive logic and one using deductive logic. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of these designs?

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. -Temporal Considerations in Social Research Group A 1. Cross-sectional research 2. Panel study 3. Repeated cross-sectional research 4. Cohort study Group B a. Collects data from different samples of the same population at multiple points in time b. Collects data at a single point in time c. Collects data from people who share a common starting point at multiple points in time d. Collects data from the same individuals at multiple points in time

What are the major advantages and disadvantages of using cross-sectional versus longitudinal research designs? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using panel, trend, and cohort longitudinal designs?

Chambliss states "the adequacy of an explanation formulated after the fact is necessarily less certain than an explanation presented prior to the collection of data" . Explain in your own words what this statement means for students who will be conducting research of their own.

In longitudinal research designs, researchers collect data on participants for one, extended period of time.

Jack designed a research study that took a look at bullying among high school children, ages 12 to 17. After collecting survey data, he compared the percentages of how many children feel as though they are bullied on a daily basis between five different high schools in the area. What are his units of analysis?

A researcher is planning a study looking at first-year college students and their experiences at a four-year university. A sample of individuals from the first-year class is taken at Time 1 and data are gathered. A year passes and some participants leave the study. However, the researcher gathers data from the same people from the first time, minus those who left. This is an example of what kind of study?

The ecological fallacy suggests that change in the dependent variable is caused by something other than the independent variable.

Megan considered the median income and median value of homes in different cities to measure economic inequality. What is the unit of analysis in her study?

What is the difference between ecological fallacy and reductionist fallacy? Give an example of each.

When the independent variable decreases, so does the dependent variable. This pattern is known as a positive direction of association.

An anomalous pattern in the data does not seem to fit the theory from which a research hypothesis was derived.

The results of Sherman and Berk's (1984) study of the impact of arrest on repeat calls to the police department for domestic violence supported which of the following social theories?

A variable that is hypothesized to vary depending on the influence of another variable is called a(n):

Except in special circumstances, researchers should fully disclose their identity to research participants.

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. -The Research Circle Group A 1. Theory 2. Hypothesis 3. Variable 4. Empirical generalization Group B a. A characteristic or property that can take on different values or attributes b. A pattern in data that does not seem to fit the theory being proposed c. A logically interrelated set of propositions about empirical reality d. A tentative statement about empirical reality, involving a relationship between two or more variables e. A pattern empirically observed in data