Foundations of Sociological Inquiry
Review Session
In comparison to nonscientific inquiry,
scientific inquiry
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
takes special precaution
to avoid error.
is a semiconscious
activity.
is an activity where we
are less concerned
about making mistakes.
guards against all
errors.
None of these choices
is true.
56%
19%
5%
1
2
8%
3
11%
4
5
The two pillars of science are
60%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
qualitative and
quantitative data.
logic and observation.
idiographic and
nomothetic
explanation.
variable and
attributes.
tradition and authority.
39%
0%
1
2
3
2%
4
0%
5
Georgette observed a few preschool children at play
and saw what she thought was a pattern in all
preschool children’s play behavior. She committed
which error?
80%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
inaccurate
observation
overgeneralization
selective
observation
illogical reasoning
immature
observation
15%
3%
1
1%
2
3
4
2%
5
Nora observed people in her Sunday School for several
months and then determined if there was a pattern in the
different responses of men and women. Which one of the
following approaches is
reflected?
63%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
deductive
transductive
applied
inductive
reductice
27%
7%
3%
1
2
0%
3
4
5
If a reader asks, “Who originally collected the data being
reanalyzed?” or “When were the data collected?”, that
reader is most clearly examining issues that focus on
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
research design.
survey research.
theoretical
orientation.
field research.
analysis of existing
statistics.
63%
16%
10%
9%
2%
1
2
3
4
5
Questions about the unit of analysis and the
purpose of the study reflect which section of the
evaluation criteria to be used in reading research
reports?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
theoretical
orientations
research design
measurement
sampling
summary and
conclusion
45%
19%
16%
11%
1
9%
2
3
4
5
Questions about who was studied and how they
were selected reflect which section of the
evaluation criteria to be used in reading research
reports?
86%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
experiments
research design
theoretical
orientations
sampling
results
8%
3%
1
3%
2
3
0%
4
5
Ethical obligations to one’s colleagues in the
scientific community
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
require that technical
shortcomings and failures of
the study be revealed.
encourage researchers to
ignore negative findings.
encourage researchers to
describe their findings as the
product of a carefully
preplanned analytical
strategy.
require researchers to report
only the positive discoveries.
all of these choices reflect
the ethical obligations owed
to colleagues.
55%
33%
9%
2%
1
2
1%
3
4
5
Which of the following techniques of data collection is
MOST likely to make a guarantee of anonymity
difficult?
79%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
interviews
mailed questionnaires
secondary data analysis
unobtrusive measures
The data collection
technique does not
effect the guarantee of
anonymity.
12%
4%
1
2
3
5%
1%
4
5
The main reason that codes of ethics exist
are that
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
ethical issues are both
important and ambiguous.
both the state and federal
governments require
them.
researchers would be both
unwilling and unable to
make ethical decisions
without them.
the directors of the
professional associations
require and enforce them.
people are naturally
unethical.
77%
6%
1
2
8%
3
6%
4
4%
5
Cameroon did a study in which he could identify a
given person’s responses but promised not to do
so publicly. He employed:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
78%
anonymity
deception
value free research
confidentiality
informed consent
13%
3%
1
2
6%
1%
3
4
5
Professor Smith examines the dating behaviors of college
students. Smith decides to track the dating behaviors of college
students throughout their college careers. She decides to begin
her research using her introductory class. After explaining the
study, she assures students that
their responses will be confidential.
The students complete her survey
71%
during class. Her research most
clearly impinges on
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
deception.
no harm to participants.
voluntary participation.
the value placed on
anonymity.
value-free reports of the
data.
15%
11%
2%
1%
1
2
3
4
5
Among the advantages of field research is(are)
that it
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
yields precise descriptive
statements about a large
population.
involves the uniform
application of precise
operational definitions.
allows for the
modification of research
design.
produces definitive
conclusions.
is an extremely reliable
technique.
42%
41%
9%
4%
1
2
3
4
4%
5
Harry, an ethnographer, lived among the homeless in Queens,
New York, for a year, and has recently written a book on his
observations. Based on his experiences that the homeless took
care of each other in Queens, he concludes
that homeless people will take
care of one another. In stating
42%
that conclusion, Harry has
committed the
31%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
ecological fallacy.
individual fallacy.
group fallacy.
aggregate fallacy.
ethnographic fallacy.
18%
6%
3%
1
2
3
4
5
Code notes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
cover reflections about
the dimensions of
concepts.
cover relationships
among concepts.
identify the code labels
and their meanings.
discuss the deeper
meanings of concepts.
do all of these choices.
47%
2%
1
3%
2
47%
2%
3
4
5
Alicianna examined the levels of competition among
high school students. Which way of looking for
patterns does this example reflect?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
frequencies
magnitudes
structures
processes
content analysis
37%
30%
23%
6%
1
2
3
5%
4
5
Orthelia did a qualitative study of drug users, with a
particular focus on the factors associated with greater
or lesser use of drugs. Which one of the following did
she study?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
frequencies
structures
processes
causes
groups
51%
42%
2%
1
2
4%
3
1%
4
5
Conversation analysis is most closely linked
with which theoretical paradigm?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
naturalism
conflict
ethnomethodology
structural
functionalism
content analysis
36%
33%
14%
12%
6%
1
2
3
4
5
Walking with an open umbrella on a beautiful day or using
hands to eat mashed potatoes are techniques used by
_____ to understand the social world.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
29%
social Darwinists
conflict theorists
structural
functionalists
symbolic
interactionists
ethnomethodologists
26%
24%
16%
5%
1
2
3
4
5
Operationalizing a concept refers to
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
clarifying the meaning of
the concept.
specifying how a concept
is related to other
concepts.
interpreting the results
from the study of a
concept.
selecting indicators to
measure the concept.
comparing one concept to
another.
32%
25%
22%
13%
7%
1
2
3
4
5
The difference between the experimental and
control groups should be that the
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
experimental group receives
the dependent variable and
the control group does not.
experimental group receives
the independent variable and
the control group does not.
control group receives the
dependent variable and the
experimental group does not.
control group receives the
independent variable and the
experimental does not.
Nothing; these are synonyms
that refer to the same group.
42%
37%
16%
5%
0%
1
2
3
4
5
Sammy did an experiment on children in a classroom. He
measured their social anxiety on Monday, randomly
assigned half of them to be taught yoga on Wednesday,
and measured their social
anxiety again on Friday.
The half of the children
71%
who were not taught yoga
are known as the
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
independent variable.
experimental group.
pretest.
control group.
posttest.
9%
12%
7%
2%
1
2
3
4
5
Sammy did an experiment on children in a classroom. He
measured their social anxiety on Monday, randomly
assigned half of them to be taught yoga on Wednesday,
and measured their social anxiety again on Friday.
Measuring the children’s social anxiety on Friday is the
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
65%
independent variable.
posttest.
pretest.
experimental group.
control variable
19%
9%
2%
1
2
3
4
5%
5
Latona did an experiment at a military barracks over the space of a
few months to examine the effect of group size on group morale. He
randomly assigned soldiers to the experimental and control groups
and did a pretest and posttest. At the time of the posttest, several
soldiers realized that they received the same questions on the
pretest, and used the same answers they had originally given on the
pretest even though their morale may
40%
have changed. Which source of
internal invalidity does this example
reflect?
27%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
history
maturation
instrumentation
testing
mortality
13%
13%
7%
1
2
3
4
5
The loss of subjects over the duration of an
experiment is known as _____.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
maturation
testing
history
statistical regression
mortality
33%
28%
23%
14%
1%
1
2
3
4
5
A measure of dispersion describes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
where the data are
clustered.
which data are the most
important.
how the data are
distributed around some
central value.
which data are
appropriate for analysis.
discrete data only.
80%
16%
2%
1
2
2%
3
4
0%
5
Two factories (Apparel and Shoe) show annual average
wages of $30,000. However, the range of salaries in the
Apparel factory is $5,000, while the range of salaries in the
Shoe factory is $15,000. Which of the factories has a larger
variation in income?
50%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
apparel factory
shoe factory
neither
Both factories have
equal variation in
income.
The range is not the
appropriate measure.
30%
10%
10%
0%
1
2
3
4
5
As a measure of dispersion, a _____ tells us
how far the mean is from individual scores.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
86%
range
standard deviation
mode
regular distribution
median
11%
1
2
0%
1%
3
4
2%
5
If a researcher is interested in studying the effects
of different training regimens on a team’s
performance, the unit of analysis in this study is
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
the team member.
the team.
the coach.
the different training
regimens.
the researcher’s
perception of
performance.
56%
32%
8%
2%
1
2%
2
3
4
5
Reliability involves
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
whether a particular
technique applied repeatedly
to the same object would
yield the same results each
time.
ensuring accuracy.
ensuring that your measure
measures what you think it
should measure.
ensuring precision.
All of these choices are
correct.
57%
17%
1
2
17%
5%
5%
3
4
5
Myrna measured class level of students at her university,
which has graduate programs with these attributes: firstyear, sophomore, junior, and senior. Which quality of
measures does this measure lack?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
must be exhaustive
must be mutually
exclusive
must be ratio level
must be a real
definition
divergent validity
42%
26%
21%
5%
1
5%
2
3
4
5
Elmer worked hard to establish the meaning of the term
“prejudice” for his study on students. He consulted the
literature and colleagues who have studied prejudice in
order to come to an agreement about what the term
means. Elmer engaged in
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
reification.
dimensionalization.
conceptualization.
validity.
must be
corroborated by
colleagues
53%
21%
14%
11%
2%
1
2
3
4
5
You are doing research on hospital personnel—orderlies,
technicians, nurses, and doctors. You want to be sure you
draw a sample that has cases in each of the personnel
categories. You want to use probability sampling. An
appropriate strategy would be
39%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
36%
simple random
sampling.
quota sampling.
cluster sampling.
stratified sampling.
accidental sampling.
12%
9%
3%
1
2
3
4
5
A summary description of a variable in a
sample is called a
45%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
variable.
parameter.
confidence level.
confidence interval.
statistic.
34%
11%
9%
2%
1
2
3
4
5
_____ of people fall within TWO standard
deviations of a normal distribution.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
68%
90%
95%
99.7%
34%
56%
24%
12%
5%
1
2
3%
3
4
5
In her research project, Ella wants to study the processes
involved in lesbian partners adopting children. She starts
off by interviewing lesbian couples who have adopted in the
past, and they in turn, give her names of other lesbian
couples who have adopted.
67%
The process by which Ella
gets her sample is called
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
quota sampling.
convenient sampling.
snowball sampling.
systematic sampling.
judgmental sampling.
13%
13%
7%
0%
1
2
3
4
5
One of the most important natural abilities of good
interviewers is their ability to
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
dress in a fashion similar
to that of the people
being interviewed.
determine very quickly
the kind of person the
respondent will feel most
comfortable with.
rephrase questions in
their own words.
probe for responses.
pry into the respondent’s
personal life.
43%
19%
19%
14%
5%
1
2
3
4
5
Regarding sensitive issues and complicated
issues, which one of the following is correct?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
use questionnaires for both
use interviews for both
use self-administered
questionnaires for sensitive
issues and interviews for
complicated issues
use self-administered
questionnaires for complicated
issues and interviews for
sensitive issues
the use of either
questionnaires or interviews
depends on the rapport the
interviewer is able to form with
the interviewee
30%
21%
21%
15%
12%
1
2
3
4
5
The formula Y = f(X) tells us that
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
X is the dependent
variable.
Y is the dependent
variable.
f is the dependent
variable.
need to know what Y, f,
and X represent to
determine the
dependent variable.
None of these choices
is correct.
45%
38%
17%
0%
1
2
3
4
0%
5
A statistical significance level of .05 means that
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
the probability that a relationship
as strong as the observed one
can be attributed to sampling
error alone is 5 percent.
we can be 5 percent sure that
the relationship is real and not
due to sampling error.
there is an .05 percent chance
that a relationship as strong as
the observed one can be
attributed to sampling error.
the difference we observed in
the table is 5 percent different.
there is a 5 percent standard
error in the observations.
48%
28%
8%
1
2
8%
3
4
8%
5
After examining the FBI Crime Reports for a 30-year period,
Professor Hall claimed that the incidence of rape has
increased. After examining the same reports, Professor Shine
claimed that the reporting of rape, not the incidence of rape,
has increased. This illustrates
44%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
the problem of reliability
in using existing
statistics.
the problem of validity in
using existing statistics.
the need to replicate
existing statistics.
the ecological fallacy.
pre-testing.
26%
15%
15%
0%
1
2
3
4
5
Using existing statistics, Professor Ford finds that towns
with low median incomes tend to have higher crime rates
than towns with high median incomes. Ford concludes that
poor people are more likely to commit crimes than people
with high incomes. Ford is
48%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
committing the
ecological fallacy.
using verstehen.
doing content analysis.
developing ideal types.
doing replication.
28%
16%
8%
0%
1
2
3
4
5
Being clear on the unit of analysis in content
analysis has particular implications for
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
measuring latent
content.
measuring manifest
content.
determining the ideal
types.
selecting a sampling
strategy.
coding the data
38%
33%
17%
8%
4%
1
2
3
4
5
Gigi did a content analysis of school board meeting minutes to
determine who was the most influential. She developed an initial
hypothesis that men carried more power, but she then searched
her data to find all the cases that would contradict her initial
hypothesis. This process is
known as
56%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
systematic
reduction.
analytic induction.
analytic deduction.
corroboration.
systematic
deduction
25%
13%
6%
0%
1
2
3
4
5
Content analysis is not appropriate
for
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
evaluating census
data.
want ads.
diary entries.
email messages.
newspapers.
71%
18%
12%
0%
1
2
3
4
0%
5
What type of sampling is used in
content analysis?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
simple
random
stratified
all of the above
none of the above
55%
20%
15%
5%
1
5%
2
3
4
5
In conducting content analysis research,
ethical issues can arise from
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
how we collect the data.
protecting the privacy of
individuals/organizations.
analyzing the data.
a and b
all of the above
31%
25%
19%
13%
1
13%
2
3
4
5
Questions?