Deck 3: Section 2: General Issues in Research Design

Question 1

Nomothetic explanation attempts to explain a class of situation or events rather than a single one. It seeks to explain efficiently, using only one or just a few explanatory factors. Thus it settles for ______ of a type of situation.

A) a full explanation rather than partial
B) an exhaustive examination of all logical variables
C) a cursory examination of some logical variables
D) a partial rather than a full explanation

Answer 1

D
Explanation:
A. This is an incorrect answer because nomothetic explanation attempts to explain a class of situation or events rather than a single one. It seeks to explain efficiently, using only one or just a few explanatory factors. Thus it settles for a partial rather than a full explanation of a type of situation.
B. This is an incorrect answer because nomothetic explanation attempts to explain a class of situation or events rather than a single one. It seeks to explain efficiently, using only one or just a few explanatory factors. Thus it settles for a partial rather than a full explanation of a type of situation.
C. This is an incorrect answer because nomothetic explanation attempts to explain a class of situation or events rather than a single one. It seeks to explain efficiently, using only one or just a few explanatory factors. Thus it settles for a partial rather than a full explanation of a type of situation.
D. The correct answer is "D" because nomothetic explanation attempts to explain a class of situation or events rather than a single one. It seeks to explain efficiently, using only one or just a few explanatory factors. Thus it settles for a partial rather than a full explanation of a type of situation.

Question 2

Social scientific theories typically deal with aggregate, not individual, behavior. Their purpose is to explain why aggregate patterns of behavior are so regular even when the individuals who perform them change over time. In fact, social science is not so much interested in people but rather _____.

A) special populations
B) variables
C) group patterns
D) personal behavior

Answer 2

B
Explanation:
A. This is an incorrect answer because Social scientific theories typically deal with aggregate, not individual, behavior. Their purpose is to explain why aggregate patterns of behavior are so regular even when the individuals who perform them change over time. In fact, social science is interested in variables rather than people or special populations.
B. The correct answer is B because Social scientific theories typically deal with aggregate, not individual, behavior. Their purpose is to explain why aggregate patterns of behavior are so regular even when the individuals who perform them change over time. In fact, social science is interested in variables rather than people.
C. This is an incorrect answer because Social scientific theories typically deal with aggregate, not individual, behavior. Their purpose is to explain why aggregate patterns of behavior are so regular even when the individuals who perform them change over time. In fact, social science is interested in variables rather than people or group patterns.
D. This is an incorrect answer because Social scientific theories typically deal with aggregate, not individual, behavior. Their purpose is to explain why aggregate patterns of behavior are so regular even when the individuals who perform them change over time. In fact, social science is interested in variables rather than people or personal behavior.

Question 3

The main distinguishing factor between criminal justice researchers' activities and the daily routines of criminal justice practitioners is criminal justice researchers' ______ rather than on individuals.

A) focus on particular events
B) focus on personnel and executive offices
C) focus on consumers and groups
D) focus on aggregate patterns

Answer 3

D
Explanation:
A. This is an incorrect answer because social scientists do not focus on particular events. Even though social scientists may study motivations that affect individuals, their main focus is on aggregate patterns rather than on individuals. The main distinguishing factor between criminal justice researchers' activities and the daily routines of criminal justice practitioners is criminal justice researchers' focus on aggregate patterns.
B. This is an incorrect answer because social scientists do not focus on particular events. Even though social scientists may study motivations that affect individuals, their main focus is on aggregate patterns rather than on individuals. The main distinguishing factor between criminal justice researchers' activities and the daily routines of criminal justice practitioners is criminal justice researchers' focus on aggregate patterns.
C. This is an incorrect answer because social scientists do not focus on consumers and groups. Even though social scientists may study motivations that affect individuals, their main focus is on aggregate patterns rather than on individuals. The main distinguishing factor between criminal justice researchers' activities and the daily routines of criminal justice practitioners is criminal justice researchers' focus on aggregate patterns.
D. The correct answer is "D" because even though social scientists may study motivations that affect individuals, their main focus is on aggregate patterns rather than on individuals. The main distinguishing factor between criminal justice researchers' activities and the daily routines of criminal justice practitioners is criminal justice researchers' focus on aggregate patterns.

Question 4

The purpose of social scientific theories is to explain why ____ even when the individuals who perform them change over time.

A) individual patterns of behavior are so regular
B) aggregate patterns of behavior are so regular
C) group patterns of behavior are so regular
D) community patterns of behavior are so regular

Question 5

Logic and observation are essential to social science and relate to three key aspects of the overall scientific enterprise: theory, data collection, and data analysis.

Question 6

Social scientists primarily study social patterns rather than individual ones. Aggregates are more often the subject of social scientific research and all regular patterns reflect the _____ .

A) aggregate, or combined, actions and situations of many individuals
B) regular patterns of behavior of particular individuals.
C) regular patterns of behavior of selected segments of population
D) regular patterns of one person as compared to a group

Question 7

Field research-the direct observation of events in progress- is frequently used to analyze data and research results. It is also means of developing policies.

Question 8

Social scientific theories are written in a variable language, and people get involved mostly as the carriers of those variables. In cause-and-effect terms, the independent variable is the _____.

A) cause
B) effect
C) cause and effect
D) neither cause nor effect

Question 9

Social scientific research is conducted in a variety of ways. Three broad and interrelated distinctions underlie many of the variations of social scientific research: 1) idiographic and nomothetic explanations, 2) inductive and deductive reasoning, and 3) quantitative and qualitative data. Sometimes these distinctions are described as alternative ways to conduct research. However that's misleading, ______.

A) because criminal justice researchers rarely use all variations of social science research.
B) because criminal justice researchers only sometimes use all variations of social science research.
C) because criminal justice researchers often use all variations of social science research.
D) because criminal justice researchers never use all variations of social science research.

Question 10

The type of causal reasoning is _____ when the causes of a single situation are exhaustively examined and the conclusion is drawn based on exhaustive examination.

A) nomothetic explanation
B) idiographic explanation
C) cause and effect description
D) ordinary explanation

Question 11

Social scientific theories are written in a variable language, and people get
Involved mostly as the carriers of those variables. In cause-and-effect terms, the dependent variable is the _____.

A) cause
B) effect
C) cause and effect
D) neither cause nor effect

Question 12

Both inductive and deductive reasoning are valid avenues for criminal justice and other social scientific research. Moreover, they work together to provide
Ever more powerful and complete understandings. The deductive approach, we reason from _____.

A) observations toward general statements
B) general statements toward observations
C) deductive to inductive reasoning
D) partial rather to a full explanation

Question 13

A hypothesis is an expectation about the nature of things derived from a personal observation.

Question 14

The main distinction between quantitative and qualitative data is that one is numerical and the other one is nonnumerical data. When we say that someone is witty, we are making a _____ assertion.

A) qualitative
B) quantitative
C) both quantitative and qualitative
D) neither quantitative and qualitative

Question 15

A theory is an individual viewpoint for the observed facts and laws that relate to a particular aspect of life.

Question 16

Theories describe relationships that might logically be expected among variables. This expectation often involves _____: a person's attributes on one variable are expected to cause or encourage a particular attribute on another variable.

A) the notion of effect
B) the notion of cause and effect
C) no notion of cause or effect
D) the notion of causation

Question 17

Social scientists study _____ that compose them. Attributes are characteristics or qualities that describe some object, such as a person while variables are logical groupings of attributes.

A) variables and the attributes
B) individuals and their habits
C) selected segments of population and their behavior
D) one person as compared to groups

Question 18

Logic and observation are the most important elements of generating empirical knowledge in science.

Question 19

The ecological fallacy refers to the danger of making assertions about individuals as the unit of analysis based on the _____ or other aggregations.

A) examination of individuals
B) examination of groups
C) examination of special population groups
D) examination of communities

Question 20

Social scientists primarily study social patterns rather than _____ . All regular patterns reflect the aggregate, or combined, actions and situations of many individuals.

A) particular events
B) personnel and executive offices
C) consumers and groups
D) individual ones