Deck 2: Research Methods

Question 1

A hallmark of science is its creativity.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Spuriousness happens when a researcher makes a correct inference about the causal relations between variables.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Correlation is the same thing as causation.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Random-digit-dialing procedures for telephone survey research will allow for accessing households with unlisted telephone numbers.

Question 5

In Canada,the long-form census is mandatory.

Question 6

A natural scientist can study fossil remains of long-dead animals,or examine the botanical composition of plants.How is social science significantly different from natural science?

A) Social research has added complexity because people interpret their own behaviour.
B) The scientific method means that natural science is not falsifiable.
C) The scientific method of systematic observation does not apply equally to both fields.
D) Social science is a completely subjective science.

Question 7

A middle-aged female who was being surveyed in a shopping mall gave her age as 38,when it was actually 46.This is an example of the problem of social desirability in surveys.

Question 8

Using the Internet for a survey collection of data from the general population is problematic since it is next to impossible to establish a sampling frame,which then creates problems of external validity.

Question 9

The method of participant observation typically employs random samples of individuals or groups.

Question 10

In survey research,do not assume that the people you interview understand what you are asking.

Question 11

Questioning lies at the heart of research.

Question 12

According to Weber,the aim of participant observation research is to investigate the world view of those being studied.

Question 13

Sound social research is required to design effective policy solutions that benefit all people.

Question 14

A sociologist who owns a Harley-Davidson bike starts hanging out with a biker gang.In addition to the hanging out,he informally conducts interviews with the members,and supplements his research with official statistics and police reports.Then he publishes a book on his work that gives an in-depth insider's look at the structure and process of gang life,contrasted with the official information.His work both confirms some aspects of official data,and explodes some myths about biker gangs.What kind of research is this?

A) an experimental research project
B) a survey research project
C) an ethnographic research project
D) an academic writing project

Question 15

If a person's sex is said to affect his or her income,then what kind of variable is sex?

A) independent
B) control
C) dependent
D) effective

Question 16

There is very little difference between the subject matter of the natural and the social sciences.

Question 17

Measuring people's attitudes is a good way to study their behaviour.

Question 18

Who bears the primary ethical responsibility in university-based academic research?

A) funding agencies
B) ethics boards
C) researchers
D) subjects

Question 19

According to the text,what is science?

A) a producer of irrefutable facts
B) an inquiry driven by one's bias
C) an enemy of superstition
D) a method of collecting facts

Question 20

In analyzing a contingency table,it is more useful to compare raw numbers than standardized percentage figures.

Question 21

A survey of 1000 people was done,asking opinions about today's education system.In his report,the researcher talked about the percentage of respondents who felt strongly about each topic.What was the researcher trying to do by using the percentages?

A) not deal with 1000 different opinions
B) discuss flaws in the education system
C) highlight topics of relevance
D) standardize the data

Question 22

Which statement best explains what is meant when a researcher talks about the validity of things being measured?

A) The measurements have been used successfully in other studies.
B) The research instrument measures what it is supposed to.
C) Re-using the measurements repeatedly produces the same results.
D) Other variables in the research are affecting the measured results.

Question 23

Janice walks out on her boyfriend after a six-year relationship.What topic must be studied in order to understand her motivation for this action?

A) the events the day before
B) Janice's future plans
C) the history of the relationship
D) the relationships in which Janice interacts

Question 24

Paul was conducting research into the causal linkages between age,income,education level attained,and intimate partner abuse.What type of statistical analysis would Paul conduct?

A) linear regression
B) multiple regression
C) contingency tables
D) descriptive statistics breakdown

Question 25

In survey research,what is a sampling frame?

A) a final list of individuals who will actually take part in the study
B) a list from which the sample is selected
C) a population to which the results will be generalized
D) a list of individuals who will not take part in the study

Question 26

Which method did Scarce's ethnographic account of salmon,biology,and the social construction of nature rely on the most?

A) surveys
B) participant observation
C) interviews
D) experiments

Question 27

Which form of sociological research uses the idea of a "member test of validity" is a way of reducing personal bias?

A) surveys
B) experiments
C) historical analysis
D) ethnographies

Question 28

What is random-digit-sampling?

A) choosing subjects selectively from a sampling frame
B) dividing a population into equal and representative samples
C) procedures for producing experimental conditions
D) telephone procedures for establishing random samples

Question 29

Having studied Stanley Milgram's experiments on obedience to authority,which were conducted in the early 1960s,Thomas wanted to see if people were still as willing to obey authority.Using the same methodology,Thomas conducted his experiments and found that the average obedience rates were remarkably similar.What can be said about Milgram's original experimental results?

A) They show causation.
B) They have confidence.
C) They have verifiability.
D) They have reliability.

Question 30

A researcher wants to measure the effect of one variable upon another.What is the term for the effect being measured?

A) causal variable
B) effect variable
C) independent variable
D) dependent variable

Question 31

A social scientist conducts research on expectations and performance.He sets up two scenarios: one where a group does a task without any intervention and a second one where a different group is given the same task,but told to expect that the task will be difficult.The results are then measured.What kind of research has been conducted?

A) survey research
B) experimental research
C) observation studies
D) field research

Question 32

Heidi observed children playing in a controlled setting,limiting toys and adult interaction.When the findings were compared with children studied playing in their homes,many findings were the same.As a result,what can first experiment be said to have?

A) control
B) similar independent variables
C) external validity
D) social interaction

Question 33

Julio went shopping with Lei to see she what she bought on a weekly basis.However,the five bags of chips and two containers of ice cream contradicted Lei's claim that her family eats only healthy food.When asked about the food,she replied "a little treat now and then doesn't hurt anyone." Which methodology identified this contradiction between the conversation and the shopping experience?

A) interview
B) measurements
C) participant observation
D) hypothesis

Question 34

According to the text,which of the following is an example of a purpose for sociological investigation?

A) to manipulate social structures
B) to simply learn more
C) to better the human condition
D) to maximize profits

Question 35

Which statement best describes research that concludes there is a link between phases of the moon and crime rates?

A) It is causal evidence.
B) It is merely descriptive.
C) It is a spurious result.
D) It is a full explanation.

Question 36

What must exist for a scientific explanation to be judged adequate?

A) statistical significance
B) causal mechanisms
C) representative samples
D) nonrecursive sequencing

Question 37

What is the procedure used in experiments to assign test subjects to experimental conditions on the basis of chance?

A) sampling
B) randomization
C) accidental assignment
D) indiscriminate sorting

Question 38

What is required for a full appreciation of a social activity?

A) objectivity and subjectivity
B) understanding and correlation
C) value neutrality and bias
D) explanation and understanding

Question 39

What is often the basis of criticism aimed at social research that uses official statistics as its main source of data?

A) data collection
B) ethical integrity
C) its reliability
D) its validity

Question 40

Which term refers to obtaining consistent results with the same measure?

A) multiple causation
B) reliability
C) experimenter presence
D) validity

Question 41

What is the most important difference between social science and natural science?

A) Social science tends to use controlled experiments and natural science does not.
B) Social science studies meaningful action and natural science does not.
C) Social science is subjective and natural science is objective.
D) Social science uses soft data and natural science uses hard data.

Question 42

What does the term external validity mean in relation to experimental research?

A) verification of results by outside parties
B) consistency of measurement
C) generalizing results to a larger population
D) accuracy of measurement

Question 43

A researcher engages in a participant observation study of skateboarders.In order to verify his observations,he asks questions of his informants,checking his perceptions of the situation,and verifying his impressions and conclusions.What is the researcher doing?

A) member test validity
B) reliability testing
C) ensuring generalizability
D) random minimization

Question 44

What kind of research should a social scientist use to clearly establish the causal relationship between two variables?

A) experimental research
B) direct observation
C) correlational research
D) ethnographic research

Question 45

A researcher was interested in the influence of music on job motivation.One group was assigned to hear music while working and the other group would not hear music while working.To determine which test subject would go into which group,she flipped a coin.What term is given to this process of assignment?

A) establishing a control group
B) randomization
C) random sampling
D) establishing controls

Question 46

Erving Goffman's work on the insane asylum revealed insights about mental patients.Which method of understanding was that work based on?

A) the definition of the situation
B) taking the role of the other
C) how to proceed with the activity
D) what is defined as real is real in its consequences

Question 47

Kamal told the researcher he believes children should exercise every day,using the example of playing in the park.However,during that week,Kamal took his child to the park only three times.This example shows the potential for discrepancy between which of the following?

A) exercise and play
B) attitudes and behaviours
C) ideas and opinions
D) private and public

Question 48

Which situation is an accurate depiction of the Hawthorne effect?

A) Many of the professors did not respond to the survey that they had received from the registrar's office.
B) Several toddlers did not cooperate with the researcher throughout the study of childhood aggression.
C) Students in the statistics class paid more attention than usual to the professor during an experiment.
D) The college president provided an overly optimistic report of his school in an interview.

Question 49

Research in online chat rooms is challenging.Even if researchers announce that they have logged in,someone logging in later might not be aware of their presence.This is an important research issue.What does it pertain to?

A) technology
B) ethics
C) research intent
D) research outcomes

Question 50

A graduate sociology student proposes a thesis on pool hustlers.A major part of his methodology is to hang out in pool halls,and as a reasonably good pool player he will play games and allow himself to be hustled,and he will use his skill to set up hustles himself.What kind of research is he conducting?

A) participant observation
B) social observation
C) unethical observation
D) primary observation

Question 51

As part of a research project,Carmen attended the birthday party of a child.When the cake was served,Carmen was asked to teach everyone the "Happy Birthday Song" in English.After the cake,presents were opened,including the gift from Carmen.What part of this event was problematic for Carmen's research?

A) Carmen's presence influenced events at the party.
B) Teaching the English song distracted Carmen from other observations.
C) Carmen should not have attended the child's party.
D) Carmen should not have given a gift to a research participant's family member.

Question 52

Which sociological concept is associated with the "member test of validity," a method for reducing the problems in participant observation bias?

A) Hawthorne effect
B) ethnocentrism
C) creating meaning
D) unobtrusive measures

Question 53

When does the Hawthorne effect occur?

A) when subjects try to conceal their reactions to the experimental conditions
B) when subjects of an experiment are not aware they are being studied
C) when subjects do not react to the experimental conditions they experience
D) when subjects' behaviours are because of their awareness of being studied

Question 54

Tessa (a chemistry major)and Samantha (a sociology major)are roommates and one evening when studying for their midterms,Tessa asserted that sociologists don't "do" science.Samantha disagreed,saying that sociologists do science,but with one major difference.What is the primary difference that Samantha would cite?

A) Sociologists do not follow a prescribed method for researching.
B) Sociologists have to consider the meaningful action that underlies data collection
C) Chemistry is based on subjectivity and sociology is based on objectivity.
D) Chemistry is based on absolute truth and sociology is based on contextual truth.

Question 55

Which research method places the most emphasis on understanding the members of a group from their own point of view?

A) unobtrusive measurement
B) participant observation
C) survey research
D) experiment

Question 56

What do survey researchers often ask in order to randomly select members of a household?

A) Who is the oldest?
B) Who was the most recent person to arrive home?
C) What is your favourite number?
D) Who had the most recent birthday?

Question 57

After reading the newspaper article reporting the standardized testing scores of various schools throughout the city,Sam asserted that the teachers in school A should all be fired because of the low results.Darlene asked Sam if he ever considered that school A was located in the poorest section of the city with one of the highest proportions of English as Second Language students.What was Darlene arguing?

A) explanatory pluralism
B) multiple causation
C) randomization of causality
D) incomprehensible causation

Question 58

There are 500 000 farmers affected by a new federal policy.A subset of 1000 farmers will be used to examine the effect on all of the farmers.Within sociological research,which label is given to the 500 000 farmers?

A) sampling frame
B) social group
C) professional community
D) sociological sample

Question 59

How is ethnography best defined?

A) It is the reification of the characteristics of multiethnic societies.
B) It is the examination of the textual histories of various ethnic groups.
C) It is the detailed description of a particular culture or way of life.
D) It is the only analysis of the oral culture of an ethnic group.

Question 60

According to the text,ethnography contains written results.What are these about?

A) participant observation
B) a survey
C) environmental behaviour
D) an experiment

Question 61

Raoul had returned home after a semester at university and was excitedly talking about the experiential learning component in one class,and the small group discussions and projects of another.His grandfather interjected,"Back in my day,the professor lectured,and we took notes and then studied like crazy to memorize the right answers for the tests." Which concept explains the difference between Raoul's and his grandfather's experience?

A) divergent thinking
B) paradigm shift
C) mutation of educational practice
D) lowering educational standards

Question 62

Students who work at part-time jobs get lower grades than those who do not work.In methodological terms,what kind of variable are students' grades?

A) mediating
B) independent
C) dependent
D) confounding

Question 63

In research,what term is used to refer to the accuracy or relevancy of measurement in relation to the theoretical concept that it is supposed to measure?

A) reliability
B) internal consistency
C) validity
D) randomization

Question 64

Scientists can conclusively declare solar flares and the resulting radiation knocks out satellite transmissions.What can ultimately be said about these two events?

A) They are correlated.
B) They are both related.
C) They are both associated.
D) They are causally connected.

Question 65

Carly believes that,contrary to the stereotype of silent men and chatty women,men chat as often-if not more-as women do when they're eating.For four months,Carly eats her lunch in the university cafeteria,recording the talking time of males and females in couples and in groups during their food breaks.What type of study is Carly conducting?

A) observational
B) participant observation
C) objective analytical
D) group experimental

Question 66

When discussing her research project on family violence,Serena says that she will use official police statistics and data from Statistics Canada as her main source of data.Tom pointed out to her that she may have a problem with validity of her findings.Why would Tom say this?

A) Official statistics are less reliable for social research than for the natural sciences.
B) Official statistics are collected by bureaucrats who often find results that support their interests.
C) Official statistics do not meet the criteria of falsifiability.
D) Statistics are problematic since they are not objective factors on which everyone agrees.

Question 67

In what kind of study do researchers attempt to closely control the research environment?

A) the field experiment
B) participant observation
C) survey research
D) experimental research

Question 68

After observing little girls at play,a researcher concluded that those girls wearing dresses acted in a more feminine manner.However,in reality,some of the girls wearing pants acted similarly.What may have influenced the researcher's erroneous finding?

A) participant observation
B) objective definition of femininity
C) sociological practices
D) observer bias

Question 69

As a sociologist,I decide to study the social phenomenon of suicide;I am not value-free in choosing this topic,as I had a cousin who took his own life.What will I have to be mindful of when conducting my research?

A) randomization
B) confounding
C) validity
D) objectivity

Question 70

By imagining yourself in the role of another,you come to appreciate someone else's point of view.This process is called "taking the role of the other." Whose work made use of this process?

A) Max Weber
B) George Herbert Mead
C) Erving Goffman
D) Gregor Mendel

Question 71

Jodi and Paula were discussing their research proposals and Jodi asked Paula what form of data collection activity she was going to undertake.Paula answered,"The primary one of social science research." What is Paula going to use in her research project?

A) social survey
B) field study
C) ethnographic study
D) experiment

Question 72

Which technique is often employed by social scientists to eliminate the problem of external validity associated with experiments?

A) participant observation
B) personal interviews
C) the survey technique
D) the field experiment

Question 73

Fatima meets with an immigrant woman without legal status to discuss a potential research project.The immigrant talks about her daily life and how she works without being identified by the authorities.However,Fatima is frustrated to hear how the immigrant was able to come to this country without going through the legal procedures that Fatima's parents had to go through.According to the text,why should Fatima NOT study this immigrant?

A) The immigrant may be identified and deported.
B) Fatima lacks objectivity.
C) The immigrant may disclose information harmful to other immigrants.
D) Fatima may reveal insights into her life.

Question 74

An experimenter sets up a situation to observe people's behaviour when they are subjected to certain variables that she is testing.However,she begins to suspect that her presence alone is changing the behaviour of the subjects.What is this phenomenon called?

A) self-monitoring
B) Hawthorne effect
C) self-consciousness
D) experiment anxiety

Question 75

Over time,scientists made systematic observations of the heavens and concluded the earth was not at the centre of the solar system.Eventually,even the Catholic Church could no longer support the belief that the Earth was at the centre of everything.Which term best describes this process?

A) paradigm shift
B) bias resistance
C) meaning creation
D) Newtonian physics

Question 76

A group of researchers were conducting a study of management-employee relationships in the workplace.Julie and her co-workers noticed that they were given increased attention and recognition by their boss when the researchers were in the office.What term can be used to describe this phenomenon?

A) Hawthorne effect
B) observation bias
C) confounding correlation
D) Social Impression effect

Question 77

Tammy was extremely interested in exploring the connection between morality and the level of integration of people within a society.Whose writings should she be using in her research paper?

A) Max Weber
B) Auguste Comte
C) Émile Durkheim
D) Karl Marx

Question 78

Jason had slept in,and after a hurried shower was rushing out the door to school when his mother stopped him and told him to wear a hat to cover his wet hair.Jason asked why and his mother replied,"It's cold outside and if you don't,you'll catch a cold." What was Jason's mother implying?

A) a fixed variation between having a shower and needing to wear a hat
B) a spurious relationship between sleeping in and developing a cold
C) a causal relationship between wet hair in the cold and being sick with a cold
D) a negative correlation between wearing a hat and having wet hair

Question 79

What is external validity?

A) It is the accuracy of external measures.
B) It is validity established outside the experimental design.
C) It is the generalizability of research findings.
D) It is research assessments made by peer reviewers.

Question 80

The professor was curious if a five percent bonus mark would influence students to submit their term essays on time.Half the students were offered the bonus mark for on-time submission,the other half were not offered any bonus marks.What kind of variable is the bonus mark incentive?

A) independent
B) randomized
C) dependent
D) control