Chapter 2 Sociological Research Methods

A researcher develops an interest in the motivating factors of job satisfaction among migrant workers. Which of the following steps will be unique to this research design?

A. Access to people who can provide necessary data

In Suicide, sociologist Emile Durkheim documented that a high suicide rate was symptomatic of a large-scale social problem.

A. True

Researchers frequently select a representative sample (a small group of respondents) from a larger population (the total group of people) to answer questions about their attitudes, opinions, or behavior.

A. True

The sociological perspective incorporates theory and research to arrive at a more accurate understanding of the "hows" and "whys" of human social interaction.

A. True

Which of the following methods would most likely be used to study the attitudes of the American public on gun control legalization?

A. a survey

__________ studies are based on observations that take place at a single point in time; these studies focus on behavior or responses at a specific moment.

B. Cross-sectional

Sociologist Emile Durkheim concluded that __________ suicides were relatively high in Protestant countries in Europe because Protestants believed in individualism and were more loosely tied to the church than were Catholics.

B. Egoistic

The __________ approach attempts to answer questions through systematic collection and analysis of data. This approach is referred to as the conventional model, or the "scientific method," and is based on the assumption that knowledge is best gained by direct, systematic observation.

B. Empirical

_____ methods are specific strategies or techniques for systematically conducting research.

B. research

__________ are persons who provide data for analysis through interviews or questionnaires.

B. respondents

Joyce wants to do a study of domestic abuse but lacks the time and money to gather her own data. Consequently, she analyzes data previously gathered by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) and the Roper Public Opinion Research Center that is related to this topic. In this case, Joyce is conducting:

B. secondary analysis

According to sociologist Emile Durkheim, __________ suicide occurs among individuals who are excessively integrated into society.

C. Altruistic

The Code of Ethics of the _____ sets forth certain basic standards that sociologists must follow in conducting research.

C. American Sociological Association

Survey data are collected by using all of the following except:

C. experiments

In _____ analysis, researchers use existing material and analyze data that were originally collected by others.

C. secondary

As sociologist Emile Durkheim analyzed his data, he identified all except which of the following categories of suicide?

D. Eccentric

In Suicide, sociologist Emile Durkheim documented that a high suicide rate was symptomatic of a large-scale social problem. This research was in direct contradiction to the historically held notion that suicide was:

D. a psychological illness

In social science research, __________ are the most typical unit of analysis.

D. individuals

Suppose that your goal is to earn an "A" in this sociology course. Your professor may have created a(n) _____ by specifying an "A" as earning a test average of 90 percent or above.

D. operational definition

Lucy has volunteered at the local crisis center. While she is performing as a volunteer, she is given permission to gather data on the number of women who report being abused, and the number of women who later participated in counseling. Lucy is using __________ as a method of gathering data.

D. participant observation

A researcher would like to compare suicide rates between recent immigrants and more established immigrants using a quantitative research approach. Which research model would correspond to this?

A. Conventional research model

The first step in qualitative research involves the researcher:

A. begining with a general approach rather than a highly detailed plan.

__________ is the systematic examination of cultural artifacts or various forms of communication to extract thematic data and draw conclusions about social life.

A. content analysis

A trademark of sociology involves the unmasking of fallacies in the everyday and official interpretations of society. This process is called:

A. debunking

The unit of analysis is referred to as:

A. the "what" or "whom" being studied

In secondary analysis, researchers use existing materials and analyze data that were originally collected by others. Existing data sources include public records, official reports of organizations and government agencies, and surveys conducted by researchers in universities and private corporations.

A.True

In their research, Middletown and Middletown in Transition, sociologists Robert Lynd and Helen Lynd lived for a number of years in Muncie, Indiana to research daily lives of town residents. This is an example of a(n):

A.ethnography

Survey data may be collected by interviews. Interviews are typically mailed or delivered to the respondent's home.

B. False

Sociologists conducting research may formulate a(n) __________, which is a statement of the relationship between two or more concepts.

B. hypothesis

Researchers in one study examined the effects of church membership, divorce, and migration on suicide rates in the United States and using complex statistical techniques, concluded that suicide rates are typically higher where divorce and migration rates are higher and church membership is lower. This is an example of:

B. quantitaive research

_____ researchers use interpretive descriptions rather than statistics.

C. qualitative

A researcher wanting to investigate the moral beliefs, traditions, religious views, and customs in regards to physician-assisted suicide would use the ____________ approach.

D. normative

The _____ approach uses religion, customs, habits, traditions, and law to answer important questions. It is based on strong beliefs about what is right and wrong and what "ought to be" in society.

D. normative

Sociologist Emile Durkheim selected suicide as a research topic because he wanted to demonstrate the importance of society in situations that might appear to be arbitrary acts by individuals. Which step is this in the conventional research model?

C. Select and define the research problem

Which of the following represents a correct sequence of steps in the "conventional" research model?

C. Select and define the research problem, formulate the hypothesis, develop the research design, collect and analyze the data, and draw conclusions and report the findings.

Most participant observation research takes the form of a(n) __________, which is often an in-depth, multifaceted investigation of a single event, person, or social grouping.

C. case study

Durkheim's research on suicide documented that suicide was a large-scale social problem and not an isolated individual problem. This would be an example of:

C. debunking

Sociologist Emile Durkheim used the degree of social integration in society to determine its influence on the rate of suicide. In this example, the "degree of social integration" is the _____ variable.

C. independent

The researcher has developed the hypothesis that homicide rates increase as the rate of unemployment increase. The rate of unemployment would be considered the __________ variable and the homicide rate would be considered the __________ variable.

C. independent; dependent

A(n) __________ is a data-collection encounter in which an interviewer asks the respondent questions and records the answers.

C. interview

Using __________ studies, sociologist Emile Durkheim was able to compare suicide rates over a period of time in France and other European nations.

C. longitudinal

The relationship between theory and research has been referred to as a continuous cycle. The theory and research cycle consists of two approaches. In the _____ approach, the researcher collects information or data (facts or evidence) and then generates theories from the analysis of that data.

C. normative

With __________ research, the goal is scientific objectivity, and the focus is on data that can be measured numerically.

C. quantitive

As a researcher collecting and analyzing data, you would be engaging in _____ sampling if you placed all the names of the population being observed or questioned into a rotating drum and conducting a drawing.

C. random

In sociologist Emile Durkheim's attempt to explain the rates of suicide, _____ were the units of analysis.

C. social groups/categories

The census is a type of ______.

C. survey

__________ refers to the process of collecting data while being part of the activities of the group that the researcher is studying.

C.Participant observation

The relationship between theory and research has been referred to as a continuous cycle. The theory and research cycle consists of two approaches. In the __________ approach, the researcher begins with a theory and uses research to test the theory.

A. deductive

Sociologist Emile Durkheim used the degree of social integration in society to determine its influence on the rate of suicide. In this example, the "rate of suicide" is the _____ variable.

A. dependent

A researcher attempting to study physician assisted suicide through the systematic collection and analysis of data would use the ____________ approach.

A. empirical

In a hypothesis, the researcher considers the __________ to be the cause.

A. independent variable

Interviews have specific advantages. Which of the following was NOT identified as an advantage of interviews?

A. interviews are inexpensive to conduct

In the 2010s, _________ survey research has increased dramatically as software packages have made this type of research easier to conduct.

A. online

Watching students in a college classroom in order to determine the number of times they participated in a class discussion would be an example of __________ field research.

A. participant observation

As a researcher you must decide which population—persons about whom you want to be able to draw conclusions—will be observed or questioned. In _____ sampling, participants are deliberately chosen because they have specific characteristics.

A. probability

Becky would like to conduct a study to determine how women define spousal abuse and the meanings they attach to incidents of abuse. She will most likely use a __________ approach to analyze her results.

A. qualitative

Tim would like to compare suicide rates between elite athletes and non-athletes by analyzing suicide notes looking for patterns of feelings of despair or failure. He will most likely use a _________ approach to his study.

A. qualitative

With __________ research, interpretative description (words) rather than statistics (numbers) is used to analyze underlying meanings and patterns of social relationships.

A. qualitative

A(n) __________ is a printed research instrument containing a series of items to which subjects respond.

A. questionnaire

As a researcher you must decide which population—persons about whom you want to be able to draw conclusions—will be observed or questioned. In _____ sampling, every member of an entire population being studied has the same chance of being selected.

A. random

A(n) _____ is a poll in which the researcher gathers facts or attempts to determine the relationships among facts.

A. survey

A(n) __________ is any concept with measurable traits or characteristics that can change or vary from one person, time, situation, or society to another. It is the observable and/or measurable counterpart of a concept.

A. variable

According to sociologist Emile Durkheim, __________ suicide occurs among people who are isolated from any social group.

A.Egoistic

Researchers in one study systematically analyzed the contents of the notes of suicide victims to determine recurring themes, such as feelings of despair or failure. They hoped to determine if any patterns could be found that would help in understanding why people might kill themselves. This is an example of:

B. qualitative research

Eric wants to test his hypothesis that unemployed men are more likely to commit spousal abuse than men who are employed. He is most likely to use a _____ approach to test his hypothesis.

B. quantitative

Which of the following types of research best lends itself to multivariate analysis—research involving more than two independent variables?

B. surveys

_____ are the most widely used research method in the social sciences because they make it possible to study things that are not directly observable (such as people's attitudes and beliefs) and to describe a population too large to observe directly.

B. surveys

A(n) _____ is a set of logically interrelated statements that attempts to describe, explain, and (occasionally) predict social events.

B. theory

A(n) __________ is an extended, open-ended interaction between an interviewer and an interviewee.

B. unstructured interview

Quantitative research is often complex, involves a smaller number of cases, and provides a more holistic picture of some particular social phenomenon or human problem.

B. False

What is one of the main steps that is different between a conventional research design and a qualitative research design?

B. In a qualitative research design, the researcher begins with a general approach rather than a highly detailed plan.

A researcher is interested in uncovering the social factors that may motivate suicide bombers. Because this would include a small number of cases, which research model would be most appropriate?

B. Qualitative research model

Sociologists obtain their knowledge of human behavior through _____, which result(s) in a body of information that helps us move beyond guesswork and common sense in understanding society.

B. Research

The American Sociological Association requires that sociologists adhere to all except which of the following?

B. Researchers are allowed to use any means necessary in conducting their research projects.

In a hypothesis, the researcher presumes the __________ to be caused by another variable.

B. dependent variable

A(n) __________ is a detailed study of the life and activities of a group of people by researchers who may live with that group over a period of years.

B. ethnography

In a(n) __________ study of suicide, sociologists might ask: Why do African American men over age sixty-five have a significantly lower suicide rate than white males in the same age bracket?

B. explanatory

The term _____ theory was developed by sociologists Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss to describe an inductive method of theory construction wherein researchers collect and analyze data simultaneously.

B. grounded

Sociologists create a(n) __________, which is an explanation of an abstract concept in terms of observable features that are specific enough to measure the variable.

B. operational definition

__________ research is likely to be used when the research question does not easily lend itself to numbers and statistical methods.

B. qualitative

Which approach to the theory-and-research cycle does the following sequence reflect: (1) specific observations suggest generalizations, (2) generalizations produce a tentative theory, (3) the theory is tested through the formation of hypotheses, and (4) hypotheses may provide suggestions for additional observations?

D. Inductive

Based on sociologist Emile Durkheim's study, an example of __________ suicide is when military leaders kill themselves after defeat in battle because they have so strongly identified themselves with their cause that they believe they cannot live with defeat.

D. alruistic

Social integration and loneliness are examples of __________, which are the abstract elements representing some aspect of the world in simplified form.

D. concepts

Which technique would be used by researchers in studying the treatment of gender in elementary reader books?

D. content analysis

If we use the _____approach to determine why people commit suicide, we start by formulating a theory about the "causes" of suicide and then test our theory by collecting and analyzing data (such as vital statistics on suicides).

D. deductive

A researcher is interested in gathering in depth data on the victims of crime. Which type of survey would be most appropriate?

D. face to face interview

Age, sex, race, and ethnicity are often used as __________ variables.

D. independent

Sociologists using the __________ approach to study suicide might start by simultaneously collecting and analyzing data related to suicidal behavior and then generate a theory.

D. inductive

Because the researcher had access to twenty years of data on the same participants in an education program, the researcher was able to perform a(n) _________ study.

D. longitudinal

Social scientists cite many causes for suicide including rapid social change, economic conditions, hopeless poverty, and lack of religiosity. This is an example of:

D. multiple causation

As a researcher collecting and analyzing data, you would be engaging in _____ sampling if you included such factors as age, sex, race, ethnicity, and educational attainment in deciding what population will be observed or questioned.

D. probability

In Silvia Canetto's study, she found that gender differences in suicidal behavior are more closely associated with beliefs about and expectations for men and women rather than purely interpersonal crises. She did not gather data but engaged in:

D. problem formulation

In __________ sampling, the researcher interviews a few individuals who possess a certain characteristic; these interviewees are then asked to supply the names of others with the same characteristic. This process continues until the sample is an acceptable size and no new information of any significance is being gained.

D. snowball

A researcher wishes to compare income, educational level, and race in regard to people's attitudes toward capital punishment. _____ research would probably be the best research method for this researcher.

D. survey