SOCI Methods Chap 1
What is a level of confidence? What is a confidence interval? What are confidence limits?
A level of confidence is the first step in finding a confidence interval. It is how certain that the researcher can be that population mean will fall within the parameters. Typically the level of confidence is 90, 95, 99%. Typically, the larger the sample size you draw from the higher the level of confidence you have. A confidence interval would be a range of values where it is likely that the population parameter lies. Again the smaller the sample the larger the CI will be, assuming there is no sampling bias, so if the interval is large it is suggested for more data. The confidence limits are what actually form the confidence interval. The limits provide an upper and lower limit which are found by taking the extreme high and low values of the data.
One instance of conflict between reporting results and maintaining confidentiality was provided in your text in a description of the study Small Town in Mass Society: Class, Power and Religion in a Rural Community. One of the major problems the researchers faced occurred
All of these were problems with this research.
Provide examples of both the ecological fallacy and the reductionist fallacy without drawing upon either the lecture or the textbook.
An example of the ecological fallacy would be studying the national football league players who have been arrested for violent crimes, and assuming that all NFL players are more violent then professional athletes of other sports. An example of the reductionist fallacy would be inferring that all greek-life members were members of the upper socioeconomic class, after meeting one fraternity member who is.
____ is when it is impossible for the researcher or anyone else to connect individuals with specific data.
Anonymity
____ is known as a socially defined source of knowledge.
Authority
Miriam, a basketball fan, strongly believes that all the students from the University of North Carolina are good basketball players just because Michael Jordan played basketball there. That belief is an example of a(n)_____.
Bias
_____ is the process of defining key terms.
Conceptualization
____ is the paradigm that focuses on who wins and who loses based on the way that society is organized.
Conflict Theory
_____ are abstractions that cannot be observed directly but that can be defined based upon that which is observable.
Constructs
____ focuses on power, inequality, and social change.
Critical paradigm
Which of the following is true of the difference between critical paradigm and postmodernism?
Critical paradigm may argue that power, inequality, and change shape reality and truth, while postmodernism may in turn ask, whose power, whose inequality, whose change, whose reality, and whose truth?
The multiple elements of a single concept are known as _____.
Dimensions
"To do no harm" researchers must be careful not to cause pain to subjects. Critics of Milgram's study argue that he violated this principle by
Failing to anticipate that subjects might suffer by participating in the study.
A sample survey is usually the best way to collect data on any subject of interest to sociologists.
False
A study of globalization that examines the interrelationships between nations would be an example of a micro-level study.
False
An index is a type of measure that contains a single indicator and is used to summarize a specific concept.
False
An individual's life is seldom shaped by social scientific research.
False
An institutional review board (IRB) is designed to make sure that the researcher will not publish false results.
False
At the micro level, sociologists examine social structures and institutions.
False
Conceptualization works by identifying specific indicators.
False
If a research project is well designed, it is very unlikely that the researcher will confront any unexpected ethical dilemmas.
False
If no force or coercion is used to enroll subjects in a study, that will satisfy the question of whether they are voluntarily participating in the research.
False
If subjects can withdraw from research at any time, it will be impossible for a researcher to conduct good research.
False
In actual field research, there is no difference between anonymity and confidentiality.
False
Indirect observables are things that we can see with the naked eye simply by looking at them.
False
Longitudinal surveys are those that are administered at just one point in time.
False
Nonprobability sampling refers to sampling techniques for which a person's (or event's or whatever-the-researcher's-focus-is) likelihood of being selected for membership in the sample is known.
False
One of the advantages of using probability sampling is that it eliminates the possibility of having error due to sampling.
False
Overgeneralization is a socially defined source of knowledge that might shape our beliefs about what is true and what is not true.
False
Paradigms often help us answer our "how" questions.
False
Positivism emphasizes the truth as varying, socially constructed, and ever-changing.
False
Qualitative methods of data collection can usually be represented by and condensed into numbers.
False
Reification is the process by which we describe and ascribe meaning to the key facts, concepts, or phenomena that we are investigating.
False
Sampling bias occurs when the elements selected for inclusion in a study fairly represent the larger population from which they were drawn.
False
Social constructionism emphasizes objectivity, whether facts can be known, and deductive logic.
False
Societal changes are disregarded by sociological research because sociologists usually pay more attention to recognizing facts.
False
Sociologists are trained to understand patterns of human morality and ethics.
False
Sociology seldom relies on a systematic process of inquiry for gaining knowledge.
False
The Tuskegee Syphilis study could not be considered to be racist, because both white and African-American men were involved in the study, and there were no differences between the "races" in how subjects were treated.
False
The researcher can assure anonymity only if the identity of the participants is known only to the researcher.
False
Theories often help us answer our "why" questions.
False
Theories seldom provide a way of looking at the world and of understanding human interaction.
False
When a sociologist is doing idiographic research, she is searching for general laws about social behavior.
False
You should not choose a topic for research about which you have strong personal opinions.
False
Authority is taken as a source of truth when we assume that broad patterns exist even when our observations have been limited.
False -- Overgeneralization
Epistemology deals with research questions about "what is" rather than "how" we know what is.
False -- how
In research, what is an inductive approach?
In this approach, researchers collect data, analyze patterns in the data, and then theorize from the data.
Which of the following involves processes that are not deliberate?
Informal observation
____ is when subjects are informed about the general purpose of the research.
Informed consent
A committee on human subjects is more commonly known as
Institutional Review Board
Which of the following is true of applied research?
It is often client focused
Which of the following is true of quantitative research?
It offers less depth but more breadth because it typically focuses on a larger number of cases.
Which of the following is a feature of a good sociological research question?
It should consider relationships among multiple concepts.
Examination of social structures and institutions is done at the _____ level.
Macro
Which of the following best suits research that examines the interrelationships between nations?
Macro research
When sociologists investigate a group, their inquiry is at the _____ level.
Meso
At the _____ level, sociologists examine the smallest levels of interaction and examine just "the self."
Micro
The level of enquiry is ____, when the researcher is analyzing interactions between a student and a teacher.
Micro
_____ is the possible result of having too few sample members return completed questionnaires.
Non-response bias
What stimulated the impetus for social science disciplines to consider ethical issues?
Nuremberg trials after WWII
Based on few experiences, Connor assumed that all the respondents in his research study are generally stressed because they are addicted to smoking. Connor's assumption is an example of _____.
Overgeneralization
A(n) _____ is an analytic lens, a way of viewing the world, and a framework from which to understand the human experience.
Paradigm
_____ assumes that society can and should be studied empirically and scientifically.
Positivism
_____ is a paradigm guided by the principles of objectivity, knowability, and deductive logic.
Positivism
Which of the following is true of the difference between positivism and social constructionism?
Positivism seeks "the truth", whereas social constructionism posits that "truth" is a varying, socially constructed, and ever-changing notion.
Which of the following is true of the difference between positivists and postmodernists?
Positivists claim that there is an objective, knowable truth, while postmodernists would say that there is not.
_____ assumes that the truth in any form may or may not be knowable.
Postmodernism
_____ emphasizes inherent problems with previous paradigms.
Postmodernism
_____ is a paradigm that challenges almost every way of knowing that many social scientists take for granted.
Postmodernism
_____ is a paradigm that challenges most social scientific ways of knowing, arguing that there are no universals.
Postmodernism
_____ is a particular way of knowing that attempts to systematically collect and categorize facts or truths.
Science
Which of the following is true of basic research?
Soci for Socis sake
_____ is a paradigm that argues that we create reality through our interactions and our interpretations of those interactions.
Social Constructionism
____ emphasizes that the truth as varying, socially constructed, and ever-changing.
Social constructionism
Which of the following is true of the difference between social constructionists and postmodernists?
Social constructionists may argue that truth is in the eye of the beholder, while postmodernists may claim that we can never really know such truth.
Intersubjectivity means:
Sociologists try to determine if others see and hear the same things.
_____ is the paradigm that focuses on the interrelations between various parts of society and how parts work together.
Structural Functionalism
_____ focus on how meaning is created and negotiated though meaningful symbolic reciprocations.
Symbolic interactionists
The text provides several examples of 'famous cases' on questionable ethics practices. Which of the following is about brief, impersonal, homosexual acts in public restrooms? Some researchers believe that the study violated two principles of ethical research: voluntary participation and informed consent.
Tearoom trade study
Why did the Literary Digest "poll" of 1936 fail so badly?
The Literary Digest poll of the 1936 presidential election failed for multiple reasons. They had mailed out 10 million sample ballots and had 2 million returned predicting a Landon victory. This was a text book definition of a convenience sample, as they sent out ballots to subscriber's to the magazine, from car and voting records, and names in the phone book. This led to a huge sampling bias because all of the people the ballots were sent to were of an upper socio-economic class. Roosevelt's base of voters came largely from the poorer and working classes. The other major issue was that the Digest's poll took months to complete. This did not account for public opinion of the candidates changing over time. These flaws in the polling/sampling led to inflated numbers for Landon and an inaccurate prediction of the presidential election outcome.
Which of the following best suits research that involves analyzing workplace norms?
The meso approach
Identify a sociological variable that you wish to measure. How would you measure this variable? [Better scores will be given if you choose something other than a nominal variable.]
The sociological variable that I would measure is average household income, an interval variable, and how it affects the GPA of UConn students. I would use a method of surveying by asking both cumulative GPA of first semester seniors only, to keep consistency, and their socioeconomic status (how much gross income their household makes). From there I would graph and plot the results to see if there was any correlation to suggest a higher gross income equated a higher GPA at UConn.
What is the advantage of triangulation in research?
The use of triangulation, the use of several research strategies, could increase the reliability, validity, accuracy and precision of your sociological study.
Which of the following is the only unique feature of nominal level measurement?
The variable attributes meet the criteria of exhaustiveness and mutual exclusivity.
A(n) _____ is a way of explanation, a mapping out of the why and how of the social phenomenon being studied.
Theory
A good research question usually has more than one plausible answer, not just simply "yes or no."
True
A person's ontological perspective shapes her or his beliefs about the nature of reality.
True
A research method is an organized, logical way of learning and knowing about our social world.
True
A researcher is ethically bound to "do no harm."
True
A typology is a way of categorizing concepts according to particular themes or types.
True
An inductive approach to research is used when the researcher simply observes without immediately formulating a theory.
True
At the core, theories can be used to provide explanations of any number or variety of phenomena.
True
At the micro level, sociologists examine the smallest levels of interaction and even examine just "the social self."
True
Both inductive and deductive methods can be used to form complementary approaches.
True
Constructs are abstractions that cannot be observed directly but can be defined based upon that which is observable.
True
Critical paradigm assumes that truth in any form may or may not be knowable.
True
Critical paradigm emphasizes power, inequality, and social change.
True
Empirical research should be made based on full knowledge not only of how the research was designed, but also of how its concepts were defined and measured.
True
In a closed-ended question the response options should be mutually exclusive and exhaustive.
True
In an inductive approach to research, a researcher will begin by collecting data that has something to do with her or his topic of interest.
True
Informal observation occurs when we make observations without any systematic process for observing or assessing accuracy of what is observed.
True
It is important when conducting research not to deviate from the sampling procedures, informed consent statements, and research instrument that has been approved by your IRB.
True
One legacy of the atrocities of the Tuskegee Syphilis study is that some African-Americans are suspicious of governments to the extent that they believe that the HIV/AIDS virus was bioengineerd for the prpose of committing genocide.
True
Personal experiences may be a good starting point for choosing a research topic.
True
Positivism assumes that society can and should be studied empirically and scientifically.
True
Postmodernism assumes that social science can never be truly value-free and should be conducted with the express goal of social change in mind.
True
Postmodernism emphasizes inherent problems with previous paradigms.
True
Ratio level variables are not particularly common in social science research.
True
Researchers cannot promise those participating in research that their privacy will be safeguarded in the same way that lawyers can claim lawyer-client privilege.
True
Researchers taking a deductive approach start with a social theory that they find compelling and then test its implications with data.
True
Social constructionism assumes that reality is created collectively and that social context and interaction frame our realities
True
Sometimes, a researcher is justified in using a bit of deception to conduct an investigation.
True
The New York Times published a story about the "trail of death and heartbreak" that follows veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In fact, when compared to the crime rate among non-veterans of the same age group, veterans had a lower crime rate.
True
The system of Apartheid developed in South Africa was partly based upon sociological work done at Stellenbosch University.
True
Univariate analysis is the analysis of a single variable.
True
While employing quota sampling, the researcher selects cases from within many different subgroups or cells of a multidimensional matrix.
True
The scientific method is based on the logic of explanation and empirical observations.
True -- ***
The two fundamental assumptions of social science are (1) there is order in the social world and (2) that order can be known.
True-- ***
In some cases, research subjects have been deceived about the real purpose of the research they were participating in. One of the most outrageous instances of this was the infamous
Tuskegee syphillis study
Which of the following posits that sociologists should set their personal opinions and beliefs aside in favor of pursuing objective truth?
Value free sociology
Which of the following is a sociological research question?
What traumatic personal experiences or emotional states drive a person to join a gang?
In The Tea Room Trade, Humphreys may have violated the ethical principle of
a and b confidentiality informed consent
The general purpose of IRBs is to
a and b a. review research protocol to guarantee that the benefits of research outweigh the risk to the subjects. b. determine whether subjects will be properly informed about the research.
Survey research is:
a data collection method whereby a researcher poses some set of pre-determined questions to an entire group, or sample, of individuals.
An informed consent form would include
a promise of anonymity and confidentiality. a description of the study. a statement that participation is completely voluntary. the contact information for the principal investigator. ***all of the above would be included on an informed consent form
A filter question differs from a double barreled question in that the filter question is:
a question designed to identify some subset of survey respondents who are then asked additional questions that are not relevant to the entire sample.
An example of a lack of voluntary participation is when
an individual with power over another asks that he or she participate in a project.
____ and ____ are almost always at the very heart of ethical research.
anonymity and confidentiality
Institutional Review Boards are found
at every college, university and research center
Quantitative research differs from qualitative research in that quantitative research:
can be condensed into numbers
Ethical dilemmas do not arise in which of the following situations?
choosing subjects recruiting participants publishing the results of research conducting the actual research interview ***dilemmas occur in all of the above
Qualitative research differs from quantitative research in that qualitative research:
collects data that yields results such as words or pictures.
A [] is a characteristic of a sample that we use to estimate a parameter.
confidence interval
_____ assumes that social science can never be truly value-free and should be conducted with the express goal of social change in mind.
critical paradigm
Epistemology differs from ontology in that epistemology:
deals with research questions of how we know what is.
Researchers can best protect the identity of participants whose disclosure is likely to result in legal action, for example, drug dealers, prostitutes, by
destroying all records immediately after the data is used.
A question that is posed as a single question but in fact asks more than one questionions is known as a(n) _____.
double-barreled question
If researchers discover illegal behavior during the course of their investigations, they are
ethically compelled to consider the risks of doing this research to subjects and to themselves.
____ refers to a set of abstract principles that are used to determine appropriate and acceptable professional conduct. Choose the single best answer.
ethics
Of the following ways to do research, which is likely to involve the most serious ethical concerns?
in person interviews
A written consent form is used to
inform the participants about the research and any potential benefits and risks associated with their participation in the study.
At the _____ of measurement, variable attributes meet the criteria of exhaustiveness and mutual exclusivity, can be rank ordered, and the distance between attributes is known to be equal.
interval level
Basic research differs from applied research in that basic research:
is motivated solely by researcher interest.
Rose Weitz faced many dilemmas in her research with AIDS patients. Which of the possible ethical challenges did she consider the least difficult?
legal
Informal observation differs from selective observation in that informal observation:
makes observation without any systematic process for observing or assessing accuracy of what is observed
The Four-City Spousal Abuse study (select one or more--multiple response)
may have been key to changing how police deal with reports of spousal or partner abuse randomly assigned abusers to the "treatment" (arrest) condition or to the control condition, provided that certain conditions were met (such as that the victim was not in immediate danger)
A median is a(n):
measure of central tendency that identifies the middle point in a distribution of responses.
For an effective closed-ended question the response options should be:
mutually exclusive and exhaustive.
Selective observation differs from informal observation in that selective observation
notices only patterns that one has experienced directly or wishes to find.
Attributes at the _____ level meet the criteria of exhaustiveness and mutual exclusivity and can be ranked in a sequence. However, the distance between the attributes are not equal and don't have a true zero point.
ordinal level
_____ are a way of framing what we know, what we can know, and how we can know it.
paradigms
A parameter is a characteristic of a [] that we wish to estimate by sampling.
population
First and foremost, the central ethical obligation for researchers is to
protect study participants from harm
Mark, a teenager, believes that the concept of justice does exit in a concrete manner. Mark's assumption is an example of _____.
reification
The Belmont Report enunciated the principles of ____.
respect, beneficence and justice
_____ assumes that reality is created collectively and that community context and interaction frame our realities.
social constructionism
The plaintiffs of a gender bias suit enlisted Professor Rebecca to conduct an analysis of B&G Inc's personnel policies in order to support their claim that B&G engages in gender discriminatory practices. Rebecca's analysis shows that B&G Inc's compensation and promotion decisions may indeed have been vulnerable to gender bias. This gender bias suit is an example of:
sociological research in action
A(n) _____ is most likely to ask this question: Are members of some upper classes more likely than others to join gangs?
sociologist
A researcher must anticipate in advance if any danger may come to participants by virtue of their participating in research. This is especially the case when
there may be some legal, social, or other consequences that may arise because of their participation.
Sociologists are best equipped to:
to answer empirical questions.
In the Illumination Experiment in the Hawthorne Experiments
worker productivity improved no matter what the experimenters did to the lightin