Sociology Chapter 2: Sociological Investigation

Inductive logical thought turns theory into testable hypotheses.

False

A false correlation between two variables caused by a third variable is described as a "spurious" correlation.

True

A positivist approach assumes that an objective reality exists "out there."

True

A random sample is likely to represent the population from which it is drawn.

True

A survey is a research method in which subjects respond to a series of statements or questions.

True

To identify cause-and-effect relationships, it is usually necessary to exercise experimental control of variables.

True

Validity is a concept that refers to actually measuring what you want to measure.

True

From a research point of view, what is the problem with the question, "Do you think that the government should spend less on defense and spend more on health care?"

Two different questions are being asked, so that a simple "yes" or "no" may distort the subject's actual opinion.

_________ refers to measuring exactly what one intends to measure.

Validity

In a questionnaire, asking respondents to identify their income level from a number of possible categories represents ________

a closed-ended question format.

An apparent, although false, association between two variables that is caused by a third variable is called ________

a spurious correlation.

Interpretive sociology refers to sociology that ________

focuses on the meaning people attach to behavior.

A theory states that increasing a person's formal higher education results in increased earnings over the individual's lifetime. In this theory, "higher education" is the ________

independent variable.

Scientific methodology is most closely linked to ________

structural-functional theory.

In a cause-and-effect relationship

the independent variable must come before the dependent variable in time.

Two variables are said to display correlation if ________

they vary together.

Inductive logical thought involves ________

transforming specific observations into general theory.

Deductive logical thought involves ________

turning theories into hypotheses suitable for testing.

In the process of measurement, reliability refers to ________

whether repeating the measurement yields consistent results.

Which research method asks subjects to respond to a series of items in a questionnaire or an interview?

A survey