SOCI 3201 Practice Exam Questions
Define "observer effect."
The presence of the researcher may affect the subjects' behaviors and thus change the research results.
A concept that does not vary is known as a constant. a. True b. False
a
A researcher is interested in studying the effects of racial discrimination on self-esteem. He decides to measure self-esteem by asking respondents the extent to which they agree with the statement, "I feel that I am a person of worth." The response choices are as follows: strongly disagree, somewhat disagree, somewhat agree, strongly agree. This is an example of what? a. Likert item b. Guttman item c. Thurston item d. Sinderman item
a
Deductive approaches to research are designed to test theory. Inductive approaches are concerned with the generation of a new theory that emerges from the data. a. True b. False
a
In-person interviews are the strongest survey design and are preferable when sufficient resources and a trained staff is available. a. True b. False
a
Measurement validity exists when a measure measures what we think it measures. a. True b. False
a
Social science is defined as the use of scientific methods to investigate individuals, societies, and social processes. a. True b. False
a
The ability of respondents to accurately recall past events declines over time. a. True b. False
a
The everyday error that involves unjustifiably concluding that what is true for some cases is true for all cases is called ______ a. overgeneralization b. selective observation c. inaccurate observation d. illogical reasoning
a
The steps involved in conducting qualitative research are more fluid and less linear than the steps involved in conducting quantitative research. a. True b. False
a
When conducting research, it is important to seek out information that runs counter to, or can falsify, your hypothesis. a. True b. False
a
When we operationalize, we identify specific observations that we will take to indicate a concept in empirical reality. a. True b. False
a
Years of formal schooling is an example of ratio measurement. a. True b. False
a
A a. variable characteristic that doesn't change across cases is known as a/an ______. b. constant c. operation d. scale
b
Exploratory research identifies the causes and effects of social phenomena. a. True b. False
b
Face validity addresses the question, "Are all aspects of the conceptual definition captured?" a. True b. False
b
Gender is a good example of a ratio level of measurement. a. True b. False
b
Selective observation occurs when people conclude that what is true for some cases is true for all cases. a. True b. False
b
As average income of a neighborhood increased, violent crime rate decreased. This information is an example of which kind of social research? a.Descriptive b.Exploratory c.Explanatory d.Evaluation e.Qualitative
c
Face validity refers to: a. The ability of subsets of items to predict one another b. The strength of items to predict one another c. The apparent appropriateness of how a concept is measured d. The likelihood that multiple indicators measure the same phenomenon e. The ability of indicators to predict desired outcomes
c
In order to write up an effective literature review, researchers should use reports that have been ______. a. proved wrong b. found in newspapers and magazines c. screened for quality and critiqued by other social scientists d. all of these
c
For variables measured at the nominal level of measurement, ______. a. rankings are possible b. addition and subtraction are possible c. multiplication and division are possible d. values measure in kind but not quantity
d
Legitimate motives for social research may include all of the following EXCEPT ______. a. to assist in making government decisions b. to test academic theories c. for personal reasons d. all of these are legitimate motives for social research
d
The type of survey design that is most expensive per completed survey is ______. a. mailed survey b. group survey c. phone survey d. in-person interview
d
What is the research question of Freese et al.'s "Rebel Without a Cause or Effect: Birth Order and Social Attitudes"? What is the key independent variable in their study? How is it measured?
(1) Does birth order affect social attitudes? Are first-borns more conservative and tough mindedness (as opposed to more liberal for latter-borns)? More generally, is Sulloway's claim supported by the contemporary data in the United States? (2) Birth order. (3) Measured as a dichotomous variable. First born =1, later born = 0.
What are the four types of validity discussed in class?
(1) Face Validity, (2) Criterion-Related Validity, (3) Construct Validity, and (4) Content Validity
A standard guideline in social research ethics is that research should cause no harm to subjects. a.True b.False
a
Suppose there are data about people belonging to three different sex categories: male, female, and transgender. This type of classification is an example of data captured at the nominal level of measurement. a. True b. False
a
The process by which a researcher defines specifically what he or she means when using a concept is known as ______. a. conceptualization b. operationalization c. generalization d. reliability
a
A good social research question should not have to be refined or revised. a. True b. False
b
Theory is defined as a pattern found in existing data. a. True b. False
b
What is not one of the reasons that survey research is so popular? a. generalizability b. versatility c. nonspuriousness d. efficiency
c
In Cheng and Weakliem, "Beyond the One-Drop Rule," the authors study a. The 2000 presidential election. b. The 2004 U.S. Senate race in Ohio. c. The 2004 U.S. Senate race in Illinois. d. The 2004 presidential election. e. The 2008 presidential election.
e
What does CATI stand for?
CATI stands for computer-assisted telephone interviewing.
When the researcher has access to a respondent's personal information but promises not to disclose it, the respondent has been assured ______. a. ethical consideration b. social desirability c. confidentiality d. anonymity
c
Define validity and authenticity as goals of social research. Explain why both are important for generating social science.
A. Causal validity--truthfulness of an assertion that A causes B; internal validity; social scientists are most concerned with correlation and what causes what; authenticity-- reflects a belief that those who study the social world should focus first on how participants view their surroundings; focus attention on the subjectivity of the participants.
Discuss the difference between conceptualization and operationalization.
Conceptualization--the process of specifying what we mean by a term; Operationalization--the process of specifying the operations that will indicate the value of cases on a variable; when a researcher operationalizes, he or she identifies specific observations that the researcher takes to indicate that concept in empirical reality.
What is the difference between inductive and deductive research?
In deductive research, the researcher develops hypotheses from theories and then tests the hypotheses using empirical data. In inductive research, the researcher draws data first and then finds empirical patterns from the data to form theories.
Consider the advantages and disadvantages of using an in-person survey, compared to a self-administered survey and a telephone survey.
In-person interview Advantages: Response rates are higher than with any other survey design; questionnaires can be complex, with both open-ended and closed-ended questions and frequent branching patterns, the order in which questions are read and answered can be controlled by the interviewer, the physical and social circumstances of the interview can be monitored, and respondents' interpretations of questions can be probed and clarified; Disadvantages: Special hazards due to the presence of an interviewer, more expensive, and trained staff needed to do the interviews. Self-administered survey Advantages: Cheaper and can reach more people within the population Disadvantages: Low response rate and the hazard of incomplete response (skipping questions).
Define each of the four levels of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio) and give an example of each.
Nominal--variables whose values have no mathematical interpretation such as race; ordinal--a measurement of a variable in which the numbers indicating a variable's values specify only the order of the cases, permitting "greater than" and "less than" distinctions; interval--a measurement of a variable in which the numbers indicating a variable's values represent fixed measurement units but have no absolute zero point such as temperature in degrees Fahrenheit; ratio--a measurement of a variable in which the number indicating a variable's values represent fixed measuring units and an absolute zero such as age since it can be added and subtracted.
How do you measure the concept "Education" as an ordinal variable, a continuous variable, and a dichotomous variable? Specify the numbers you use for each type of coding.
Ordinal variable: What is the highest degree you have obtained? 1. less than high school 2. high school diploma 3. associates or vocational degree 4. some college 5. college degree 6. some graduate school 7. master's degree or higher Continuous variable: What is the highest grade of school or level of education that you have completed? 1-18: exact values 19: more than 18 years of schooling Dichotomous variable: Do you have a college degree? 1: no 2: yes
What are unobtrusive measures?
Unobtrusive measure--a measurement based on physical traces or other data that are collected without the knowledge or participation of the individuals or groups that generated the data.
What are the conclusions of Cheng and Weakliem, "Beyond the One-Drop Rule: Views of Obama's Race and Voting Intention in 2008"?
Voters who saw Obama as biracial were substantially more likely to vote for him, suggesting that many Americans regard a biracial identity more favorably than a black identity. The relationship was stronger among Democrats than among Republicans.
A researcher who conducts a survey with 200 participants and then does in-depth interviews with 40 of these participants os using mixed methods research. a.True b.False
a
A statement with responses ranging from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree" on a survey questionnaire is an example of a ______. a. Likert item b. contingent question c. floater d. forced choice
a
In the most recent election, 45 percent of voters cast ballots for Candidate A, 40 percent for Candidate B, and 15 percent for candidate C. This study is an example of which kind of social research? a. Descriptive b. Exploratory c. Explanatory d. Evaluation e. Idiographic
a
Interobserver reliability occurs when ______. a. different observers measure the same phenomena in the same way b. different observers agree on a definition of measurement c. different observers administer an instrument d. different observers contribute to the conceptualization process
a
Quantitative methods generally present findings as ______ a. percent and other statistics b. focus groups c. quotations d. executive summaries
a
What is wrong with the following survey question: On the following scale ranging from 1 to 7, (where 1 means "extremely unlikely" and 7 means "extremely likely"), how likely are you to vote for a candidate who supports reducing spending on education and welfare? a. It is a double-barreled question. b. It is a loaded question. c. It is a false premise question. d. The answer choices are not unique. e. None of the above
a
When researchers measure an unchanging phenomenon at two different times, the degree to which the two measurements are related is called: a. Test-Retest reliability b. Criterion validity c. Predictive validity d. Inter-item reliability e. Alternate-forms reliability
a
When we conceptualize, we specify what we mean by a term. a. True b. False
a
Which of the following is NOT a problem for phone surveys? a. Low response rates b. Visual aids cannot be used c. Respondent may be interrupted d. The number of callbacks required has increased greatly
a
Which of the following is a good idea for making the questionnaire attractive to respondents. a. leave lots of space white on the pages b. list responses in a single line c. incorporate instructions into the questions themselves d. If the questionnaire has several pages, do not staple them together.
a
Which of the following is an example of a negative direction of association. a. As number of hours of TV watched per week increases, number of hours spent reading per week decreases. b. The more extracurricular activities in which a student participates, the more likely the student will describe his or her school experience as positive. c. As an individual's income decreases, so does the likelihood that he or she will vote. d. The higher an individual's score on a depression index, the more likely that he or she will attempt suicide.
a
"Do you think the United States should release more oil reserves in order to reduce gas prices or let gas prices continue to climb until no one can afford to drive?" Which of the following guidelines does this question violate? a. Avoid double negatives b. Avoid double-barreled questions a. Minimize risk of biased words b. Avoid making disagreement or agreement disagreeable
b
True social science cannot be motivated by personal reasons. a. True b. False
b
Using shorter and less complex words on a survey will insult respondents with more education and so should be avoided. a. True b. False
b
When a respondent is asked to choose among explicit response categories, he or she has been asked what type of question? a. qualitative b. closed-ended c. hermeneutic d. reliable
b
When an independent variable decreases, and the dependent variable also decreases, the direction of association is negative. a. True b. False
b
When collecting quantitative data, one can only ask survey questions that require respondents to reply with a number, such as, "In the past 7 days, how many minutes of cardiovascular activity did you engage in?" a. True b. False
b
When writing survey questions, it is important to avoid jargon or slang. a. True b. False
b
A computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) has all of the characteristics below EXCEPT ______. a. The questionnaire is programmed into a computer b. Relevant skip patterns are programmed into a computer c. A computer randomly dials digits of a specified telephone exchange d. The system incorporates the tasks of interviewing and data entry.
c
Qualitative research methods are used most commonly in which type of research? a. descriptive b. explanatory c. exploratory d. evaluation
c
The following question is most representative of which theoretical approach: What contribution did the addition of women's studies as a new discipline and major make to colleges and universities? a. Conflict Theory b. Symbolic Interaction c. Functionalism d. Rational Choice Theory e. None of the above
c
What is defined as "information acquired by observation or experimentation grounded in human sensory experience: touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste"? a. Sensical data b. Inductive data c. Empirical data d. Deductive data e. Experimental data
c
Which of the following exists when a measure measures what we think it measures? a. causal validity b. generalizability c. measurement validity d. authenticity
c
A social research question can emerge from ______. a. a researcher's own experience b. other research c. social theory d. all of these
d
In the article by Schuman et al. the relationship between college grades and effort is analyzed. They found that grades are: a. b. c. d. e. Strongly related to self-reported effort Not related to class attendance Determined by aptitude testing Only weakly related to self-reported effort Negatively correlated with class attendance
d
Which of the following is NOT one of the standards for validity we must be concerned with? a. Measurement b. Generalizability c. Causal d. Correlational
d
Which of the following is NOT true regarding closed-ended questions? a. They are used by most surveys with large numbers of people. b. They are easy to process with computers and analyze with statistics. c. They make it easier for respondents to answer questions. d. They lessen confusion about meaning of responses involving complex concepts.
d
Which of the following is a benefit of survey research, compared to other methodological approaches? a. Surveys are relatively easy to administer b. Surveys are relatively cost effective and efficient c. A broad range of data can be collected with survey data d. A, B, and C e. None of the above
d
Which of the following is an advantage of web surveys? a. Very fast and inexpensive to conduct. b. Can use visual images, audio, or video. c. They allow researchers to probe when they want more information. d. A and B only e. A, B, and C
d
Which of the following is an example of a variable measured at the ordinal level of measurement? a. military rank b. birth order of siblings c. age measured as child, teen, adult, and elderly d. All of these are measured at the ordinal level.
d
A researcher who complements her survey data by also conducting a historical case study using public records and historical photographs is trying to establish what? a. Causal validity b. Proof c. Authenticity d. Corroboration e. Triangulation
e
Reliability refers to which of the following? a. That a measurement captures what it intends to measure b. That a measurement includes all dimensions of a concept c. That a measurement is free of error d. That a measurement is based on empirical reality e. That a measure yields consistent scores
e
Which of the following can strengthen and address the limitations of social research? a. Clearly defined populations of interest. b. Use of surveys in which each respondent is asked the same set of questions. c. Carefully describing each stage of the research and clearly presenting the findings. d. A and B e. A, B, and C
e
Which of the following is NOT a common error in survey research? a. Sampling error b. Nonresponse c. Inadequate coverage of the population d. Omnibus e. Poor measurement
e
Which of the following is an example of a variable measured at the ordinal level of measurement? a. Military rank b. Birth order of siblings c. Age measured as child, teen, adult, and elderly d. Order in which subjects complete a given task e. All of the above are measured at the ordinal level
e
A survey asks married people whether their marriage is very happy, somewhat happy, or not very happy. This is an example of a closed-ended question. a. True b. False
a
A theory is a logically interrelated set of propositions that helps us make sense of interrelated phenomena and predict behavior or attitudes that are likely to occur under specific conditions. a. True b. False
a
An index is formed by using several questions to measure one concept and summing or averaging responses. a. True b. False
a
Both explanatory and evaluation research studies are concerned with the causes and effects of social phenomena. The difference between them is that evaluation research focuses on the: a. effect of particular policies or programs b. meanings that people give their actions c. description of the social phenomena of interest d. consideration of the impact of social context
a
Cheng and Weakliem used secondary data in their analysis, "Beyond the One-Drop Rule." a. True b. False
a
Confounding variables are factors that are not part of the intended hypothesis being tested but have effects on variables of interest and therefore threaten internal validity. a. True b. False
a
Deductive research involves deriving specific expectations from general theoretical premises. a. True b. False
a
Deductive theory begins with which element? a. social theory b. hypothesis testing c. empirical generalization d. descriptive research
a
Descriptive research ______. a. defines and illustrates social phenomena b. investigates social phenomena without expectations c. identifies causes and effects of social phenomena d. determines effect of a social program
a
Illogical reasoning occurs when researchers prematurely jump to conclusions on the basis of invalid assumptions. a. True b. False
a
In experimental research, when something other than the independent variable influences the dependent variable, the internal validity of the experiment has been threatened. a. True b. False
a
In the ranging from 0 (extremely liberal) to 6 (extremely conservative). This is a categorical variable. article by Freese et al., political identification is measured as a seven-point scale a. True b. False
a
Quantitative methods use numerical data which is presented as percentages and other statistics in order to summarize relationships among different variables. a. True b. False
a
Reliability is a prerequisite for measurement validity. a. True b. False
a
Social research questions may emerge from your own experience. a. True b. False
a
Social science reduces the likelihood of overgeneralization by ______. a. using systematic procedures for selecting individuals to study that are representative for the groups to which we hope to generalize b. using explicit criteria for establishing causality c. requiring systematic measurement and sampling d. using empirical evidence
a
The biggest problem with mail surveys is their low response rate because many people do not complete or return them. a. True b. False
a
The central concern in a mailed survey is maximizing the response rate. a. True b. False
a
The difference between basic and applied research is: a. Basic research is the effort to figure out what world is like and why it works as it does while applied research involved evaluation research and other social research motivated by practical concerns b. Basic research tends to provide specific detail about a social setting while applied research goes on to identify the reason identify the reason something occurs c. Basic research aims to become familiar with the basic facts and setting while applied research goes on to identify the reason identify the reason something occurs d. Basic research tends to use secondary data as the data collection technique
a
The head of a law enforcement agency wants to know if a new mandatory arrest policy reduces spousal abuse. Which of the following terms best describes this type of research? a. Explanatory research b. Exploratory research c. Descriptive research d. Basic research e. Applied research
a
The process of conceptualizing and operationalizing necessitates boundaries. Some components of the abstract concept you wish to study (e.g., love, feminism, success) will not be captured by your conceptual and operational definitions. Suppose there are data about people belonging to three different sex categories: male, female, and transgender. This type of classification is an example of data captured at the level of measurement. a. True b. False
a
What is the dependent variable in the following statement: official crime rates are lower in wealthy neighborhoods than in poorer neighborhoods. a. Official crime rates b. Wealthy neighborhoods c. Poorer neighborhoods d. Average income in neighborhoods e. Wealth
a
Which of the following is an example of a variable measured at the nominal level of measurement? a. location in which respondent was born b. religiosity measured as not religious, somewhat religious, and very religious c. time in seconds in which a subject completes a given task d. number of respondents' first cousins
a
______ is an example of an electronic bibliographic database that is appropriate for searching the scholarly literature. a. Sociological Abstracts b. Lexis Nexis c. Google d. Yahoo
a
_______________ is the process of moving from a _______________ to specific activities or measures that allow a researcher to observe empirically. a. Operationalization, conceptual definition b. Conceptualization, operational definition c. Measurement definition, conceptual definition d. Measurement definition, operational definition e. Conceptualization, measurement definition
a
A negative direction of association occurs when as the independent variable decreases, so does the dependent variable. a. True b. False
b
A systematic review is a special type of literature review in which a writer organizes the results from many studies and uses statistical techniques to identify common findings in them. a. True b. False
b
A variable that is hypothesized to vary depending on the influence of another variable is called a(n) ______. a. control variable b. Dependent variable c. independent variable d. dichotomous variable
b
According to a conflict theory, people construct reality as they attach meanings to their behavior. a. True b. False
b
Anonymity exists when: a. Researchers limit information about respondents to trained staff b. No identifying information is ever collected to link respondent to responses c. The sample of respondents in a survey is selected purely by random d. The researcher only uses numbers to connect respondent identity to responses e. The respondent explicitly waives his or her right to confidentiality
b
Descriptive research tests a relationship between variables. a. True b. False
b
During a survey, respondents are asked to respond "yes" or "no" to series of questions related to their religious beliefs and behavior? Which of the following best describes the research method most likely to be used for this study? a. Qualitative b. Quantitative c. Applied d. Basic e. Evaluation
b
Explanation is the most often motive for using qualitative methods. a. True b. False
b
Filter questions are used primarily to ______. a. select individuals for participation in surveys b. limit certain survey questions to competent subgroups of respondents c. investigate how respondents interpret questions d. assess social and physical context of administration
b
In a blog about jury duty, an everyday observer made which of the following errors of overgeneralization? a. The justice system is not color blind. b. Most people dislike jury duty. c. Most people lie to get out of jury duty. d. Most judges are insensitive to why people can't serve on a jury.
b
In order to decrease the likelihood of overgeneralizing, a researcher should have a clear definition of the population of interest in his or her study. a. True b. False
b
In survey research, a closed-ended question allows respondents the freedom to offer any answer they wish to the question. a. True b. False
b
In-depth interviews with each participant with the same set of questions helps reduce the risk for selective or inaccurate observation. a. True b. False
b
Mailed surveys, phone surveys, and electronic surveys are usually self-administered. a. True b. False
b
Most social science research is motivated by personal gains only. a. True b. False
b
Open-ended questions are most frequently used for large surveys. a. True b. False
b
Qualitative methods are most often used for ______ type of research. a. descriptive b. exploratory c. explanatory d. evaluation
b
Researcher X has proposed a project in which she will interview several immigrants from other countries to find out why they chose to move to the United States. This study is an example of which kind of social research? a. descriptive b. exploratory c. explanatory d. evaluation
b
Social science research provides people with absolute, 100% truths about human behavior. a. True b. False
b
Survey research involves the collection of information from a sample of individuals through direct observation. a. True b. False
b
The everyday error that involves choosing to look at things that are in line with our own preferences or beliefs is called: a. Overgeneralization b. Selective observation c. Inaccurate observation d. Illogical reasoning e. Resistance to change
b
The independent variable is the effect or consequence of the dependent variable. a. True b. False
b
There can only be one correct definition of a concept. a. True b. False
b
To avoid illogical reasoning, social science researchers use implicit criteria to identify causes and determine whether the criteria is met in a particular instance. a. True b. False
b
When writing a literature review, you must summarize all relevant studies, one after another and include as much detail as possible. a. True b. False
b
Which of the following is an example of a positive direction of association in a hypothesis? a. As an individual's level of education increases, prejudice decreases. b. The more sexual partners a person has, the more likely he or she is to be exposed to sexually transmitted diseases. c. As computer literacy increases, amount of social interaction declines. d. As household income decreases, percentage of income devoted to housing increases.
b
Which of the following methods is NOT quantitative? a. Survey b. Field research c. Experiment d. Existing statistics research e. None of the above
b
Which of the following statistics is used commonly to measure interitem reliability? a. Pearson's r b. Cronbach's α c. Guttman's scale d. s
b
Which of the following type of closed-ended question does not have to have mutually exclusive response categories? a. qualitative b. check all that apply c. race/ethnicity d. demographic
b
You are conducting research on domestic violence and you decide to rely on data collected from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. You define domestic violence as the systematic use of violence, economic subordination, threats, isolation, and other control tactics. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, however, defines domestic violence as any incident of physical violence including hitting, slapping, choking, pushing, shoving or the like. Consequently, your research will have a what problem? a. reliability b. validity c. neutrality d. representative e. statistical
b
Explanatory research ______. a. defines and illustrates social phenomena b. investigates social phenomena without expectations c. identifies causes and effects of social phenomena d. determines effect of a social program
c
Mindy was recording the number of customers that visited a particular store from 2 to 4 p.m. When a large group entered at once, she accidentally recorded 8 customers instead of the 10 who entered. This is an example of what type of error in everyday observation? a. selective observation b. overgeneralization c. inaccurate observation d. illogical reasoning
c
The design of the overall questionnaire is important. Researchers should attend to all of the following features of questionnaire construction EXCEPT: a. Maintain a consistent focus throughout b. Get external feedback so you can refine questions c. Sort questions into thematic categories to be included in separate sections d. Make the questionnaire attractive e. Avoid interpretive questions
c
Which of the following techniques is most often used in survey research to increase the response rates? a. Material incentives b. Calling the respondents c. Follow-up mailing d. Professors' recommendations e. Advertisements
c
A researcher is interested in measuring self-esteem among a group of professionals. He measures self-esteem with a series of questions and finds that participants' responses are consistent with one another. For example, people who said they felt very important also said they felt superior to other people. The researcher is concerned, however, that the measure does not measure self-esteem per say but rather something akin to narcissism or egomania. Which of the following best describes the problem about which the researcher is concerned? a. The measure has low reliability and low validity. b. The measure has high reliability and high validity. c. The measure has low reliability and high validity. d. The measure has high reliability, but low validity. e. None of the above
d
Claims presented so that they appear scientific even though they lack supporting evidence and plausibility are known as ______. a. sociology b. psychology c. inaccurate observation d. pseudoscience
d
If sufficient resources and a trained staff are available, which survey design is almost always preferable? a. mailed surveys b. group surveys c. phone surveys d. in-person interviews
d
In a survey, a contingent question always follows a/an ______. a. double-barreled question b. double-negative question c. open-ended question d. filter question
d
In the process of creating a literature review, a researcher should check for relevance after locating journal articles through an index search by ______. a. consulting online databases b. checking Internet-based sources for similar results c. locating the articles in the social science citation index d. reading the articles' abstracts
d
Open-ended questions are preferable to closed-ended questions in which of the following situations? a. Responses are mutually exclusive but not exhaustive. b. The number of respondents is very large. c. There is little time to review questions before data collection. d. The range of responses cannot be anticipated.
d
Reliability refers to which of the following? a. That a measurement captures what it intends to measure. b. That a measurement includes all dimensions of a concept. c. That a measurement is free of error. d. That a measure yields consistent scores.
d
Survey research involves ______. a. the collection of in-depth observation and intensive interviews with key informants b. a considerable degree of data dredging, often in official government records c. randomization of subjects and manipulation of the independent variable d. the systematic collection of data from individuals using responses to standardized questions
d
Survey research is most appropriate when which of the following is a central research goal? a. Measurement validity b. Causal validity c. Internal validity d. Sample generalizability e. Cross-population generalizability
d
Surveys are considered efficient because they ______. a. are relatively inexpensive b. can be completed relatively quickly c. can measure many variables without increasing time or cost d. all of these
d
The best way to improve response rates on a mailed survey is: a. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope. b. Write an attractive questionnaire. c. Use different formatting to distinguish instructions. d. Send follow-up letters and replacement questionnaires. e. Include your contact information in a personalized cover letter.
d
The everyday error that involves the reluctance to reevaluate ideas in light of new information comes from all of the following sources except ______. a. excessive devotion to tradition b. ego-based commitments c. uncritical agreement with authority d. thinking we have seen something that is not true
d
When conducting a survey and deciding the best data collection approach to employ, which factors should the researcher take into consideration? a. Population and Sample b. Desired Response Rate c. Cost d. All of the Above e. B and C
d
Which of the following are potential goals of a good literature review? a. To specify your research question. b. To identify appropriate bibliographic databases to search. c. To create a tentative list of terms. d. All of the above.
d
In a field experiment to observe altruistic behavior, an observer records the number of people who stopped to hold the door for a student on crutches. She reports that seven people volunteered to assist the young man, when in fact there were only five. She has made an error called: a. Overgeneralization b. Selective observation c. Illogical reasoning d. Resistance to change e. Inaccurate observation
e
Kai Erikson went to Buffalo Creek, West Virginia in 1972 following a highly destructive flood. Based on his interviews with residents and after spending considerable time in Buffalo Creek, Erikson theorized that the damage to the social ties in the community caused by natural disasters were just as destructive as the physical damage to the affected community. Erikson's study is a good example of what kind of research? a. Descriptive b. Exploratory c. Explanatory d. Deductive e. Inductive
e
Which of the following can be done to improve reliability? a. Clearly conceptualize all constructs. b. Use higher or more precise levels of measurement. c. Use multiple indicators of a variable. d. A and B e. A, B, and C
e