Chapter 2 Sociological Research
Researchers who want to gather information about how people think would probably ______.
Administer a survey
A benefit of secondary analysis is that the researcher can find all of the precise data that are necessary.
False The inherent problem with secondary analysis is that the researcher who relies on data collected by someone else may not find exactly what is needed.
A speculative statement that a researcher makes about the relationship between two or more variables is called ______.
Hypothesis
Selection of a research design is often based on the theories and ______ the researcher initially possesses.
Hypothesis
The type of survey in which a researcher gets information by questioning a person directly, such as during a face-to-face meeting, is called a(n) ______.
Interview
Which of the following statements is true about operational definitions?
An operational definition serves as a useful explanation of an abstract concept.
Which of the following statements about finding information for a research report are true?
Begin with the materials closest at hand, such as textbooks. Make use of your library's online catalog.
Because sociologists are ethically obligated to protect the confidentiality of a person who is part of their research, the law clearly supports their right in court cases to withhold the name of anyone they interview.
False The legal status is unclear, as illustrated by a court case involving Rik Scarce, who was jailed for contempt of court while protecting the confidentiality of a person involved in a group he was researching.
Which of the following is true of a sociological researcher's vow to preserve confidentiality?
Federal law does not require a sociologist to preserve the confidentiality of those they interview
Which of the following is true of a sociological researcher's vow to preserve confidentiality?
Federal law does not require a sociologist to preserve the confidentiality of those they interview.
What term describes a study of an entire social setting through extended systematic fieldwork?
Ethnography
Subjects in an experiment who are exposed to an independent variable are known as what type of group?
Experimental
The _______ refers to the way sociologists go about researching a problem in the most objective, consistent way possible.
Scientific Method
A variety of research techniques that make use of previously collected and publicly accessible information and data is known as ______.
Secondary Analysis
Which of the following would be of least interest to a researcher performing a content analysis?
executive summaries from experiments
When conducting research, sociologists review literature in order to do which of the following?
gain insights about other factors that might pertain to their study analyze other relevant studies about the same problem they are researching to gain additional insights
Technology's impact on sociological research ______.
has allowed researchers to conduct studies independent of grants and institutions has helped researchers to access larger amounts of data
Technology's impact on sociological research ______.
has helped researchers to access larger amounts of data has allowed researchers to conduct studies independent of grants and institutions
Graphs and tables are used by sociologists to do which of the following?
help develop conclusions display data
In order for research to be both valid and reliable, it has to ______.
measure what it says it is going to measure and produce consistent results
Because of its strict standards for determining whether claims are accurate, the scientific ___ is useful for evaluating assertions of fact.
method
The median approximates the ______ between the highest and lowest values in a set of scores.
midpoint
In general, feminist researchers tend to do which of the following more than other researchers?
raise public consciousness influence policy
Causal logic is best defined as ______.
the relationship between a condition and a consequence, with one leading to the other
If a sample is representative, this means ______.
the sample reflects the test population
A hypothesis is ______.
a conjecture by the researcher about the connection between multiple fluctuating factors
An independent variable ______.
causes the change to another variable
When sociologists conduct research and test hypotheses, they do not necessarily need to collect new data all the time. They can also make use of ______.
data that were collected for use in another manner, such as census data.
Percentage is the term for a measure that shows ______.
A portion of 100
What is the term for the American Sociological Association's specific standards in conducting research?
Code of Ethics
The systematic coding and objective recording of data, guided by a particular rationale, is referred to as ______.
Content Analysis
If you are in a group being studied as part of a research project and you are not exposed to the independent variable, your group functions as the ______ variable.
Control
One type of summary sociologists use, ______, is a table that shows the relationship between two or more variables.
Cross-tabulation
When applying the scientific method to research a project, social science researchers have to develop a(n) ______ of each concept that is being studied.
Operational Definition
When researchers talk about a mean, they are referring to ______.
Mean
What is the term for the midpoint or number that divides a series of values into two groups of equal numbers of values?
Median
The most frequently occurring number in a series of numbers is the ______.
Mode
The use of historical evidence or legal studies by feminist researchers shows their willingness to use what kind of approach?
Multidisciplinary
Which of the following best characterizes a snowball sample?
Nonrandom
What is the term for a type of analysis that does not influence a person's behavior?
Nonreactive
Scientists use the scientific method to ensure which two things?
Objectivity and consistency
During the late 1930s, William F. Whyte moved into a low-income Italian neighborhood in Boston. For four years he joined the social circle known as the "corner boys" for the disclosed purpose of gaining greater insight into the community that these men had established. This best exemplifies which of the following?
Participant Observation
______ research provides rich information from sources such as field observations and in-depth interviews.
Qualitative
The type of survey in which a researcher gets information from the responses a person makes to questions on a printed form is called a(n) ______.
Questionnaire
The two main forms of the survey are ______.
Questionnaires and interviews
After completing your research, which of the following are useful tips for preparing a report for your class?
Read the report aloud. Cite all your sources. Take time to develop an outline.
When researchers decide how to collect data, they use a(n) ______, a detailed plan for gathering data scientifically.
Research design
Observation is a form of qualitative research that poses some challenges for researchers. Which of the following are challenges in using observation as a research technique?
Researchers must remain detached to some degree from the subjects under study. Researchers must be careful that the relationships they develop with the subjects do not influence the subjects' behavior.
How is the use of the "veiled reporting" technique most likely to affect the findings of a research study?
Respondents in a study using the "veiled reporting" technique are more likely to reveal sensitive information.
Which of the following can be avoided by using secondary analysis?
The Hawthorne Effect
What is an inherent problem with a researcher's reliance on secondary analysis?
The researcher may not find exactly what is needed.
What is the term for the degree to which a measure or scale truly reflects the phenomenon under study?
Validity
When researchers' findings run against their own personal views or widely accepted beliefs, the researchers have an ethical obligation to accept their findings. This demonstrates their commitment to ______.
Value Neutrality
Which of the following statements best characterizes an experiment?
an artificially created situation that allows researchers to manipulate variables
Which of the following approaches best represents a "veiled reporting" technique?
asking respondents a sensitive question among other less sensitive ones
Information found on the Internet is often incorrect. Which of the following approaches help ensure web-based research is valid?
avoiding web pages with an obvious bias confirming Internet research results with established, reputable sources
By ______, researchers refine the problem under study, clarify possible techniques to be used in collecting data, and eliminate or reduce avoidable mistakes.
reviewing the literature
Experiments are useful because ______.
they allow researchers to manipulate variables
Why did the American Sociological Association make the code of ethics a part of sociological research?
to encourage sociologists to maintain objectivity, integrity, and the confidentiality of their subjects
Why do sociologists use percentages, means, modes, and medians to conduct their research?
to save time analyzing data to identify patterns in long lists of numbers
What is the primary intent of applied sociology?
to yield practical applications for human behavior and organizations
Accepting money from an agency that stands to benefit from the research findings is an example of a potential conflict of interest.
true If an agency gives money to researchers and will benefit if the researchers find evidence to support that agency, then the objectivity and integrity of the results of a study can be called into question because of a potential conflict of interest.
Surveys can be administered in which of the following ways?
web-based questionnaires telephone interviews personal interviews