Deck 1: The Art and Science of Social Research: An Introduction

Question 1

In its attention to race,class,gender,age,and other characteristics,intersectionality is most concerned with how the various dimensions of ________ affect people's lives.

A)generalizability
B)microsociology
C)inequality
D)agency

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Qualitative methods typically collect data that enable rich description in

A)trends and forecasts.
B)interpretations of the past.
C)words and images.
D)numbers and abstractions.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which most accurately states the focus of sociology? Sociology is the study of

A)everything.
B)individuals.
C)social life.
D)cultural differences.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of a quantitative method?

A)textual analysis of historical documents
B)structured interviews
C)surveys
D)ethnographic fieldwork

Question 5

Danika exercises her sociological imagination when she thinks about

A)how her life connects with gender,race,and class dynamics in society.
B)the fact that social inequality is so persistent.
C)how to pass her sociology class.
D)the challenges faced by socially disadvantaged groups.

Question 6

Dr.Mahoney's study focuses on why certain high-risk individuals do not continue in a life of crime.Because it seeks to understand individual choices,this study highlights

A)macrosociology.
B)agency.
C)generalizability.
D)structural constraints.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of a macrosociological topic?

A)dynamics of a town hall political meeting
B)common problems in therapist-client relationships
C)trends in global capitalism
D)how individuals experience grief

Question 8

Rupert designs a basic research study about farmers' markets in rural Vermont.It is considered basic research because it

A)trains farmers to conduct important data collection.
B)uses an intersectional lens.
C)contributes to theory about local and global economic intersections.
D)will be used by the farmers to strengthen their markets.

Question 9

Damon uses his sociological imagination to reflect on intersectionality in his life.He considers how ________ intersects with ________.

A)macro;micro
B)gender;race
C)structure;agency
D)opportunity;constraint

Question 10

Historical sociology and history are very similar,but history aims to understand and document the particular details of an event,while historical sociology aims to

A)use theory to make broad conclusions about human behavior.
B)focus on social problems of the past and present.
C)identify individual motivations and constraints.
D)reduce the complexity of the past to variables that can be analyzed quantitatively.

Question 11

Jeremiah plans a study that asks,"Why are young people postponing marriage?" He applies the sociological imagination to this question by focusing on

A)the life histories of one older couple and one younger couple.
B)a national sample of thousands of young adults.
C)the influence of housing costs and diminishing stigma against premarital sex.
D)individual morals and values.

Question 12

Sociologists are more interested in ________,whereas psychologists are more interested in ________.

A)the past;the present
B)the global scene;local communities
C)groups and societies;individuals
D)social problems;cultural relativism

Question 13

Twila designs a sociology research study about gender-based violence.After she proposes the study,she decides that she really wants it to be applied research.Accordingly,she refines the study to

A)make a contribution to theories of human violence.
B)be grounded in a mixed-method approach to data collection.
C)evaluate a local nonprofit organization devoted to reducing domestic violence.
D)be grounded in political science instead of sociology,so it can have a policy outcome.

Question 14

Anthropology's method of ________ is also used by ________ sociologists.

A)fieldwork;qualitative
B)cultural relativism;micro-level
C)qualitative sociology;in-depth
D)materials-based investigation;macro-level

Question 15

Which statement demonstrates generalizability?

A)In general,people from disadvantaged racial groups experience stress.
B)A study of stress among 500 Hispanics offers insight about what is typical among all Hispanics in the United States.
C)Race should first be studied as a broad concept,before looking at specific racial groups.
D)One Asian person's life history reflects broader social realities of race,gender,and age.

Question 16

In her study of 50 middle-class heterosexual black women,sociologist Averil Clarke found that the women's singlehood was due to

A)personal choice.
B)a decision to prioritize career over romance.
C)persistent social inequalities.
D)personal reasons that varied by individual.

Question 17

Will wants to lose 75 pounds.Which of the following represents the constraining influence of social structure against his agency?

A)He fails to lose weight because he continues in his long-established habits.
B)High-quality food and gym memberships are costly,and Will's income is low.
C)He exerts amazing willpower and loses 75 pounds on his own,without a gym or a coach.
D)Obesity is widespread in society.

Question 18

A sociologist takes a problem-based approach,identifying drug addiction as a social ill that should be addressed.An anthropologist's cultural relativistic approach would

A)also be problem based,but in a nonwestern context.
B)try to grasp the drug user's view (the insider view).
C)use archives and physical remains to interpret human behavior.
D)focus on refining theories of human behavior.

Question 19

Which accurately describes how sociologists view macro-level issues and micro-level issues?

A)They are often unrelated to each other,which is why sociologists focus on either macro or micro research.
B)Macro-level issues and micro-level issues are linked because large-scale systems affect personal experiences.
C)Micro-level issues are better understood with theories from psychology;macro-level issues are better understood with theories from history.
D)Macro-level issues are the true subject of sociology;micro-level issues are for scientists trained in human biology or psychology.

Question 20

The most important difference between macrosociology and microsociology is that macrosociology focuses on ________ and microsociology focuses on ________.

A)quantitative methodologies;qualitative methodologies
B)large data sets;small data sets
C)large-scale social systems;personal concerns and interpersonal interactions
D)topics with large-scale implications;topics of concern to specific social groups

Question 21

In order to successfully use the scientific method,a researcher must

A)have a degree in a scientific field,or be pursuing one.
B)study living humans.
C)gather and analyze data.
D)construct a hypothesis that shows variables in relation to one another.

Question 22

A researcher distributes a survey to college students.One question asks,"How many hours per night do you sleep?" and another asks,"What is your GPA?" If the study has a cross-sectional design,which conclusion is possible?

A)Students who sleep more have higher GPAs.
B)Excessive sleep boosts GPAs.
C)Because they don't sleep enough,some students have lower GPAs.
D)Having a higher GPA causes students to sleep less.

Question 23

Causal ordering is difficult to establish,but it is considered valuable because researchers often want to understand

A)why something is happening,not simply that it is happening.
B)our capacity to make our own choices and act autonomously.
C)which variable came first,thus influencing another variable.
D)how people report data differently if the researcher is present.

Question 24

Leo uses a panel design to study marital satisfaction.Accordingly,he interviews

A)one sample drawn at one time.
B)two samples,drawn at two different times.
C)three samples,drawn at three different times.
D)one sample,drawn at three different times.

Question 25

Emile plans a study about the health of deep-sea divers.In determining whether to use a cross-sectional design or a longitudinal design,Emile should ask,"Do I want to know about

A)diver health in a single moment in time,or diver health over time?"
B)just a few divers,or many divers?"
C)several different demographic groups,or just one?"
D)what divers say they do,or what they can be observed doing?"

Question 26

Dr.Kichler uses a cohort design to investigate young adults and job switching.Accordingly,she draws a sample of

A)30 job-seekers in Seattle in 2013,and then a sample of 30 job-seekers in Miami in 2018.
B)25 job-seekers in Seattle in 2013,and follows up with that same sample in 2016 and 2018.
C)25 job-seekers in Minneapolis in 2013,and follows up by asking that same sample,in 2020,to reflect on the past seven years.
D)1,500 job-seekers in every region of the nation,and follows up her survey with phone interviews.

Question 27

Which is a synonym for cohort design?

A)cross-sectional design
B)trend design
C)prospective design
D)causality design

Question 28

Research design "B" represents which research design?

A)cross-sectional
B)repeated cross-sectional
C)panel
D)causal

Question 29

Sociologists have studied social media use and loneliness for some time.What can most definitely be claimed,based on the research by Primack and colleagues?

A)Social media use causes loneliness.
B)Loneliness causes increased social media use.
C)Social media use and loneliness are correlated.
D)Social media use correlates with dozens of variables,one of which is loneliness.

Question 30

Dr.Lang plans a study of why some high schoolers join Honor societies.Which of the following is the unit of analysis?

A)Dr.Lang
B)high-school students
C)Honor societies
D)the research question,"Why do some high schoolers join Honor societies?"

Question 31

Roger is a student using Emile Durkheim's work on Suicide to write a sociology paper.Unfortunately,his paper exhibits the ecological fallacy.Durkheim found that nations that are largely Catholic had lower suicide rates than nations that are largely Protestant.Roger concludes that

A)the religious dynamics of nations are the same today as in Durkheim's day.
B)nations that are largely Catholic also have lower suicide rates than nations that are largely Muslim.
C)Protestant students at Roger's university are at higher risk of suicide than the Catholic students.
D)Protestant theologians need to alter theology to reduce suicide rates.

Question 32

Sierra conducts a study of unemployment and reaches this conclusion: "In 2016,the unemployment rate in Dover County was 6%." Such a conclusion may be reached with which type of study design?

A)repeated cross-sectional
B)longitudinal
C)cross-sectional
D)panel

Question 33

In her study of car shows,Dr.Ingram sets triangulation as a research goal because she believes

A)a sample size of three will allow for analysis that is both focused and broad.
B)using several methods to collect data will allow for a superior understanding of car shows.
C)car shows have implicit dimensions of intersectionality.
D)her supervising committee should have members from at least three different academic disciplines.

Question 34

Dr.Han plans a large-scale panel study,with prospective design,and secures funding.There are many challenges to the project,and in an effort to minimize attrition,he

A)uses two different samples at two different times.
B)incentivizes participants with moderate cash payments.
C)establishes causality by collecting data at two different times.
D)increases the sample size for an initial national survey.

Question 35

A repeated cross-sectional design results in description of change or continuity

A)across geographical regions.
B)between cultures.
C)of qualities (not quantities).
D)over time.

Question 36

A sociology student wants to develop a mixed-method study,so he plans to

A)use methods from both sociology and one related discipline (psychology,anthropology,or history).
B)study the micro-level and macro-level dimensions of the topic.
C)use interviews and a survey.
D)use cultural relativism as a framework,instead of a problem-based framework.

Question 37

A cross-sectional study cannot establish causality because

A)science can establish correlation,but not causation.
B)cross-sectional studies measure people at just one point in time.
C)social life has so many variables influencing events.
D)it draws only two samples drawn at two points in time.

Question 38

Tanika is enrolled in a longitudinal study about body image.She contributes data to the study every six months for four years.She experiences subject fatigue,so she

A)reports that,in her life,exhaustion is more important than body image.
B)experiences resentment toward other research subjects.
C)drops out of the study because of boredom or loss of interest.
D)completes the study,but the quality of her data diminishes over time.

Question 39

In Suicide,what was Emile Durkheim's unit of analysis?

A)individuals
B)families
C)religious denominations
D)a panel of individuals

Question 40

In his study of workplace age discrimination,sociologist Vincent Roscigno and his colleagues found that,as a method,personal interviews

A)were too subjective,so they used survey data instead.
B)contradicted survey data,making it difficult to draw conclusions.
C)supplemented survey data and highlighted the human dimension of the topic.
D)were better suited for topics that were less intense and controversial.

Question 41

Jay wants to be sure his study is reliable,so he

A)tests whether his measure produces consistent results.
B)checks to see whether his measure accurately captures the concept it is intended to capture.
C)meets ethical guidelines.
D)conducts the study in the manner it was proposed.

Question 42

What does it mean to say that sociology is both an art and a science? In your view,is this a strength or a weakness of sociology,and why?

Question 43

You are planning a research study about men in the United States.Intersectionality is the guiding principle you will use to narrow this area of interest.List three research questions about men in the United States that reflect the tradition of intersectionality.Then,explain how intersectionality shaped the way you asked questions.

Question 44

Choose one element of your life and describe it using the sociological imagination (for example,you might choose your neighborhood,language,clothing,music,friends,or favorite book).Explain how the sociological imagination influenced your description.

Question 45

Why is validity a challenging ideal in a sociological study?

A)It is difficult to match a measure to the concept it is supposed to capture.
B)People may change between the time they report data and the time of publication.
C)There are so many variables at play in every situation.
D)A measure may have captured a concept one time,but not the next time it is tried.

Question 46

Which of the following is always considered qualitative data?

A)a survey
B)ethnographic observations
C)numbers
D)bivariate analysis

Question 47

Sampling is necessary because

A)causality cannot be established at a single moment in time.
B)a researcher cannot study every member of the population of interest.
C)it reduces the number of variables at play in a situation.
D)it focuses on one dimension of a complex social problem.

Question 48

Which is an example of explanatory research?

A)a comparison between domestic violence rates in two regions of a nation
B)an ethnographic description of violence in one culture
C)an account of how survivors cope with domestic violence
D)a cross-sectional approach to collecting data about domestic violence

Question 49

Describe one weakness each of cross-sectional design and longitudinal design.

Question 50

Which of the following is a research question for a descriptive study?

A)Which policies could best promote home ownership?
B)What is the rate of home ownership in the United States?
C)How do economic factors influence first-time home ownership?
D)Why do some regions of the United States have higher rates of home ownership than others?

Question 51

List the three general conditions that guide a social scientist's formulation of a research question.Then,write a research question that fails to meet one of these conditions.Explain the failure.

Question 52

Bella proposes a study about birdwatchers in national parks.In order to interpret her data,she chooses

A)among many sociological theories that she can apply to this topic.
B)one of two or three sociological theories that scholars use for this topic.
C)to avoid theory,so she can just learn from the data.
D)the theory that is the least abstract.

Question 53

You are planning a sociology research study about teenagers and community volunteering.Decide whether your study will be basic research or applied research.What will be the features that will mark your study as basic or applied? Why do you think this is the best approach for this study?

Question 54

Exploratory research often answers questions of

A)when.
B)how.
C)what.
D)why.

Question 55

When qualitative researchers use ethnographic fieldwork to conduct a descriptive study,what is the best outcome?

A)a correlation
B)establishment of causation
C)thick description
D)a longitudinal analysis

Question 56

Which of the following expresses the best value-free approach to the scientific method? Dr.Dubus launches a sociological study of opioid addiction.She

A)is personally neutral about whether opioid addiction rates decrease.
B)asks the research question,"What factors influence individuals to become opioid addicts?"
C)does not apply her work in the political sphere,even after her study is completed.
D)asks the research question,"How could better parenting prevent individuals from ruining their lives with opioids?"

Question 57

Your research topic is education.Write one research question that is value-laden.Write one research question that is value-free.Why is it important to frame research questions as value-free?

Question 58

Which of the following restates the importance of ethics in sociology?

A)Sociologists follow the ethics of their personal value systems,religious or otherwise.
B)Protestant ethics are the backbone of sociological ethics.
C)Sociology relies on a moral system that determines whether research actions are right or wrong.
D)Because it is value-free,sociological research relies only on law,not ethics.