MIdterm CJ research Methods
When information is gathered by researchers and there are no identifying characteristics allowing the researchers to match up results to individual subjects, this illustrates _____.
Anonymity
The final stage of the research process is _____.
Application
Your college has implemented a new policy on campus regarding underage drinking. You want to evaluate its effects. The purpose of your research is _____.
Application
Validity is "the approximate truth of an inference". Here the emphasis is on:
Approximate
When we trust the judgments of people who have special training, such as a doctor or a lawyer, we are accepting their _____.
Authority
You observe police activity in your city for one week, and then you describe what you observed. What type of study have you performed?
Descriptive
Determining whether a program designed to reduce burglary actually had the intended effect is an example of _____.
Evaluation
When we attempt to answer questions about why something happens the purpose of our research is _____.
Explanation
Casual human inquiry is a more rigorous way of investigation than probability and causality.
False
Confidentiality and anonymity mean the same thing, so they can be used interchangeably.
False
Deception of subjects is never appropriate.
False
Ecological fallacy refers to the dangers of making assertions about large groups as the units of analysis based upon examination of individuals.
False
Ethical considerations in research are always evident.
False
In all cases, participation as a subject in research is voluntary.
False
In grounded theory, observations may not contribute to theory development.
False
Non-Government organizations that conduct research involving human subjects need not establish review committees known as institutional review boards
False
Research projects known as longitudinal studies are designed to permit observations over a short period of time.
False
There are several errors in human personal inquiry, such as overgeneralization, inaccurate observation, replication, and selective observation.
False
We live in a world of two realities; agreement and empirical.
False
In an examination of violent crime among the most populous nations in the world, the United States ranks very high along with England, France, and Australia. The chance of being raped is higher in France than in the United States. What units of analysis are being used?
Groups
A survey distributed on a college campus discovered that males support the death penalty in greater numbers than do females. The units of analysis in this case would be _____.
Individuals
Criminal justice research is organized around two basic activities: measurement and _____.
Interpretation
Which of the following is an example of a panel study?
National Crime Victimization Survey
The keystone of inquiry is _____.
Observation
Units of analysis are typically also the units of __________.
Observation
Whereas people often observe inaccurately, science avoids such errors by making ______ a careful and deliberate activity
Observation
Data analysis looks for patterns in what is ____________.
Observed
Which of the following is not included in the "CRAAP Test?"
Policy
Which of the following statements is NOT accurate?
Researchers do not need to respond to court orders.
A _______is the most appropriate method for studying both general concern and fear for personal safety
Survey
When we rely on the "truths" of our culture we are accepting knowledge derived from the majority. This is acceptance of _____.
Traditions
A major midwestern university does annual surveys of its alumni. These surveys are designed to gauge the attitudes that alumni hold about the university, its academic programs, and the major team sports. These surveys have been an annual event for the last two decades and represent which type of study?
Trend study
A scientific realist approach to examining mechanisms in context bridges idiographic and nomothetic approaches to causation.
True
As a rule, possible harm to subjects may be justified when the potential benefits of the study outweigh the possible harm.
True
As you review the research literature, you should make note of how other researchers approached the problem, and consider whether the same designs will meet your research objective
True
Criminal justice research sometimes yields mistaken results, and we are wise to accept research findings with caution even if they come from experts.
True
Cross-sectional studies are those based on observations made at one time.
True
Each of us is born into and inherits a culture made up, in part, of firmly accepted knowledge about the workings of the world.
True
Explanatory scientific research centers on the notion of cause and effect.
True
Four purposes of research are exploration, description, explanation, and application.
True
Harm to research subjects may be justified if the potential benefits of the study outweigh the harm.
True
Individuals may be units of analysis in criminal justice research.
True
Individuals must be allowed to make their own decisions about participation in research.
True
Making observations in a more deliberate way helps to reduce error.
True
Most explanatory social research uses a probabilistic model of causation.
True
Selective observation is a danger of overgeneralization.
True
Social science involves three fundamental aspects: theory, data collection, and data analysis.
True
The benefits and burdens of participating in research should be distributed fairly.
True
The existence of exceptions does not support the existence of regularities.
True
The research goal of voluntary participation may be impossible to follow.
True
When scientists consider whether causal statements are true or false, they are concerned with the validity of causal inference.
True
Which of the examples below would create an ethical dilemma when doing applied research that is evaluative in nature?
Upon review of a juvenile probation department, researchers found that contact sheets, which are designed to keep track of both phone and personal interactions between the officer and the juvenile, in one probation officer's files were all dated June 15th.
Which of the following would not be a unit of analysis?
Variables
A local university is hosting the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) for a large group of prospective law students. Since there is such a large group taking the test, some professors of sociology from the local university decide to administer a questionnaire to the group asking their ideas on teenage sexual promiscuity. The professors informed the group about their research project. They assured them that their identity will not be disclosed and all information gathered will remain confidential. Which ethical consideration was not considered?
Voluntary participation
Things we consider real because we've been told they are real is which type of reality?
agreement reality
Traditional beliefs about patrol effectiveness, response time, and detective work are examples of _____.
agreement reality
The value of institutional review boards includes which of the following?
all of the above
Which of the following is an example of research where there was potential harm to the researcher?
all of the above
Which of the following is not a key ethical issue addressed by informed consent?
allowing police officers to use excessive force.
A group of researchers from an urban institute want to employ some target hardening techniques in their area. Which of the following might they expect?
an increase in crime in surrounding areas
Which of the following is a technique that works well when interviewing subjects about topics that may be emotionally or psychologically challenging?
asking the subject to respond to questions on a laptop computer
Which of the following would serve as an example of a cross sectional study?
both Uniform Crime Reports and the 2000 U.S. census
The relationship between attributes and variables lies at the heart of
both description and explanation in science
Marvin Wolfgang's study of males born in Philadelphia in 1945 was an attempt to measure delinquency by following those males from their 10th birthday until they were 18. This is an example of what type of study?
cohort study
The word ethical means:
conforming to the standards of conduct of a given profession or group
Ethical issues surrounding the prison simulation include all of the following except ________.
consent forms were signed
The researcher can lessen the potential for harm when doing research by _____.
considering which study design to use with regard to its potential for harm
Which of the following would serve as a "snapshot" of a phenomenon at one point in time?
cross-sectional study
Which of the following are social artifacts?
editorials in the New York Times
What are the two major types of applied research?
evaluate specific programs and policy analysis
We live in a world of two realities: _____.
experiential and agreement
Things we know from direct experience are a direct result of which type of reality?
experiential reality
Reporting why some people believe that police are doing a good job while other people do not is an example of _____.
explanatory research
What are the four purposes of research?
exploration, description, explanation, application
Which of the following represents voluntary participation?
full disclosure of research purpose with informed consent
Criminal justice research has the potential for all but which of the following?
harm to the reader of the research
A scientific realist approach to examining mechanisms in context bridges
idiographic and nomothetic approaches to causation
During observation, if you choose to follow "the exception that proves the rule," an idea that doesn't make any sense, you have made which error?
illogical reasoning
When attempting to make sure that what you are looking at is what you intended to look at, you avoid _____.
inaccurate observation
Having trouble reconciling general patterns of attitudes and actions with individual exceptions the research personally knows of is termed the __________?
individualistic fallacy
One objective of this book is to help future criminal justice professionals become _____.
informed consumers of research
Which of the following is necessary for establishing informed consent of research subjects?
informing subjects about the possible risks and side effects of the research
One way social science differs from our casual day-to-day inquiry is that _____.
it is a conscious activity
According to federal regulations, which of the following represents special populations that need attention in the field of criminal justice?
juvenile delinquents
An assertion must have both _________ and _________ support.
logical and empirical
Scientists must have which two types of support before they will agree on the reality of something?
logical and empirical
Which of the following would not be an example of organizations as units of analysis?
measurement levels
Which of the following would be an example of social artifacts as units of analysis?
newspaper editorials
In order to protect juvenile delinquents since they are a special population, researchers should do all of the following except _____.
offer the juvenile delinquents money to participate
If a cross-sectional study can be likened to a "snapshot," and a trend study to a "slide show," then which of the following is most like a "motion picture?"
panel study
What type of study attempts to account for errors in drawing a sample by measuring the same people on two or more occasions?
panel study
Which of the following is not an accurate description of the simulated prison project?
participants were allowed to leave the simulation periodically so that emotions did not run too high
Most criminal justice professionals routinely review which type of data?
performance reports and statistical tabulations
A promise of anonymity is unlikely to be extended in which of the following techniques?
personal interviews
An interview with victims of domestic violence designed to measure their reluctance to report their victimization to the police may result in _____.
physical harm
Social regularities represent _____.
probabilistic patterns
Justice organizations are increasingly using techniques of ______ to study patterns of cases and devise appropriate responses.
problem analysis
When assessing the potential for harm, the researcher should _____.
proceed when the benefit outweighs the harm
Which of the following is not essential in maintaining confidentiality in field or survey interviews?
put the master file on the computer so that you do not leave paper copies of the file laying around
With respect to causation, _____.
research explains most aspects of life
Which of the following are not exempt from IRB review under federal guidelines?
research that uses living subjects
If you have concluded that a particular pattern exists and have developed a general understanding of why, you may be tempted to ignore facts in the future that don't fit. If you do, you have just made what error?
selective observation
Three broad distinctions underlie many of the variations of scientific research. Which is of the following is one not of these distinctions?
social and cultural artifacts
In the following research conclusion, what units of analysis are being used? "An enormous variation of deviant activities was represented in a sample of 1,485 news items. We categorized these deviant activities into five general types of analysis: violence, economic, political, ideological/cultural and diversionary."
social artifacts
Violence in children's programming is a major research endeavor that requires counting the number of violent acts in Saturday morning cartoons for an entire year. The units of analysis being used for this project are _____.
social artifacts
Attempts to guard against harm to the participants in the simulated prison were accomplished by all but which of the following?
telling the participants in advance about all the potential harm
After careful study of the relationship between the economy and arson, the conclusion was drawn that when the economy is poor and unemployment is high, the arson rates go up. The researcher concluded that unemployed people are more likely to commit arson than are those who are employed. What error was just committed?
the ecological fallacy
Scientific theory deals with
the logical aspect of science
If a researcher uses only those subjects who volunteer for a study, then which of the following may result?
the results could not be generalized to a larger group of people
Haney, Banks, and Zimbardo designed a simulated prison to measure _____.
the situational hypothesis
Three major aspects of the overall scientific enterprise are _____.
theory, data collection, data analysis
Which of the following represent criteria for causality?
there is a correlation between the cause and the effect
Researchers may face legal liability when _____.
they become participants in the criminal activity they are observing
Which of the following comes closest to the purpose of an institutional review board?
to give guidance on reducing potential harm to subjects
Which of the following is not a purpose of institutional review boards?
to make sure that grant money is spent appropriately
Which of the following would allow a researcher to measure change in a general population over time?
trend study
When we say something is valid, we make a judgment about the extent to which relevant evidence supports that inference as being _____.
true or correct
The foremost ethical issue addressed by institutional review boards is _____.
voluntary participation
