Deck 4: Research Design

Question 1

Professor Root was studying the arrest rates for drunken driving in urban and rural areas of Ohio.It was found that the arrest rate was higher in the rural areas.Professor Root concluded that people who live in rural areas are more likely to drive while intoxicated than are people who live in urban areas.Root's conclusion illustrates the:

A)ecological fallacy
B)individualistic fallacy
C)usefulness of good deductive reasoning
D)importance of trend studies
E)reductionist fallacy

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A researcher examined newspaper editorials from papers published in major U.S.cities to determine what issues concerned readers.The unit of analysis was:

A)issues that concern readers
B)the major cities
C)the newspapers
D)the newspaper editorials
E)newspaper readers

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Analytical success in idiographic explanation can be proven with a:

A)ANOVA test
B)Chi-square test
C)Logit test.
D)Probit test.
E)There is no analytical test to prove success..

Answer 3

E

Question 4

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)examination of reductionism
B)a descriptive study
C)an exploratory study
D)an explanatory study
E)a panel study

Question 5

Descriptive studies DO NOT:

A)study relationships between variables
B)tell why something occurred
C)use operational definitions
D)use concepts
E)use conceptualizations

Question 6

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

A)the individual
B)attitudes
C)each abortion
D)the women's attitudes
E)the society

Question 7

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

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)All of these choices are characteristics of the cross-sectional study.

Question 8

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):

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

Question 9

Which of the following employs the nomothetic model of explanation?

A)An examination of all the considerations that resulted in 85% of the senior class members being hired for the jobs of their choice
B)An attempt to understand all the reasons concerning why five former presidents of the United States ran for office
C)An isolation of the three most important reasons as to why men were selected to all the leadership positions at a former women's college that went coed
D)Listing the reasons given by first-year students for selecting the college they currently attend
E)All of these choices employ the nomothetic model of explanation

Question 10

There is a strong correlation between the number of firefighters that show up at a fire and the amount of damage produced by the fire.The size of the fire influences both the number of firefighters and the amount of damage.This illustrates that the relationship between the number of firefighters and the amount of damage is:

A)caused by a third factor
B)causal
C)not correlational
D)a real relationship
E)cannot tell from the information given

Question 11

The 2000 Census is a study that when used with another decennial census could be considered a study.

A)cross-sectional,trend
B)cross-sectional,panel
C)cross-sectional,cohort
D)cross-sectional,cross-sectional
E)trend,cohort

Question 12

In cases where one variable seems to cause another,yet the relation between two makes no sense,there is a:

A)spurious relationship
B)synthetic relationship
C)nomothetic relationship
D)causal relationship
E)correlational relationship

Question 13

In Sweden,there is a very strong correlation between the number of storks and the number of babies born.However,both of these variables are associated with region (rural vs.urban).This illustrates:

A)that the number of storks is causally related to the number of babies born
B)that the number of babies born precedes the number of storks in time
C)that there is no causal relationship between the number of storks and the number of babies
D)that storks really do bring babies
E)none of these choices

Question 14

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:

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)none of these choices

Question 15

For a nomothetic causal relationship to exist,there must be evidence:

A)of an empirical correlation between the variables
B)that one variable precedes the other in time
C)that a third variable did not cause the changes observed in the first two variables
D)of an empirical correlation between the variables,one variable precedes the other in time,and a third variable did not cause the changed observed in the first two variables
E)of an empirical correlation between the variables and that one variable precedes the other in time

Question 16

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

A)Males have higher suicide rates than females.
B)As income increases,age tends to increase
C)As education increases,income tends to increase
D)As education increases,income tends to increase even after controlling for gender and race
E)Gender tends to influence jury verdict

Question 17

Which of the following statements is(are)TRUE?

A)Being arrested is a necessary cause for having a criminal trial.
B)A child's birth is a sufficient cause for having a cigar.
C)A child's birth is a necessary cause for having a cigar.
D)Being arrested is a sufficient cause for having a criminal trial.
E)All of these choices are true.

Question 18

When a researcher is faced with the question from whom or what will the information be gathered,that researcher is dealing with which stage of the research design process?

A)Purposes of research
B)Units of analysis
C)Topics for research
D)Time dimension
E)Motivations for research

Question 19

If we can establish that variable X comes before variable Q in time,then we can say:

A)variable X is a cause of variable Q
B)variable X is not a cause of variable Q
C)variable Q is a cause of variable X
D)variable Q is not a cause of variable X
E)variable Q may cause variable X

Question 20

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):

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

Question 21

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

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

Question 22

Dr.Smith is conducting research by spending time and participating in a new Internet community in order to learn more about what they do and why they do it.Dr.Smith is conducting explanatory research.

Question 23

A research proposal describes what you intend to accomplish and how.

Question 24

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?

A)panel study
B)cross-sectional study
C)cohort study
D)trend study
E)experimental study

Question 25

A single U.S.Census is a:

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

Question 26

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

Question 27

The independent variable must occur later in time than the dependent variable.

Question 28

Descriptive research answers the question "What's so?" and explanatory research answers the question "Why?"

Question 29

Researchers ignore previous work on a topic so that their research can be original.

Question 30

One exception disproves a nomothetic causal explanation.

Question 31

Panel attrition is comparable to experimental mortality.

Question 32

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

Question 33

A good exploratory research study removes the need to conduct explanatory studies on the same topic.

Question 34

Explanatory studies are designed to find answers to which of the following questions?

A)What is the educational profile of people who change careers in midlife?
B)Why are people changing careers in midlife?
C)How many people change careers in midlife?
D)Does the occupational prestige of a career tend to increase for midlife career changers?
E)All of these choices are questions that an explanatory study is designed to examine.

Question 35

Professor Stone designs a study to examine the effect of a teenage pregnancy on the career choices of the teens.Stone interviews a sample of teenage women
During their pregnancy,after the birth,and one year later.Stone is using a:

A)cross sectional design
B)trend study
C)cohort study
D)panel study
E)cannot tell from the given information

Question 36

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

Question 37

Which of the following designs uncovers only net changes?

A)cohort and trend studies
B)trend and panel studies
C)cohort and panel studies
D)cohort and cross-sectional studies
E)trend and cross-sectional studies

Question 38

The final stage of the research process is:

A)Operationalization
B)Application
C)Analysis
D)Data Processing
E)Conceptualization

Question 39

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

Question 40

A cross-sectional study is a specific type of longitudinal research.

Question 41

The nomothetic model of explanation is probabilistic in its approach to causation.

Question 42

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

Question 43

Cross-sectional studies can be used to approximate a longitudinal study.