Soc 497 - Research Methods » Summer 2021 » Midterm Exam
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Question #1
Which of these “ways of knowing” obstructs knowledge by refusing to be wrong?
A.
tradition, intuition, and mysticism
B.
tradition
C.
intuition and mysticism
Question #2
Which of these was not given as an advantage for science as a way of knowing?
A.
ability to capture absolute truth about reality
B.
clear criteria for evaluation
C.
systematic reduction of bias
D.
audience appeal
Question #3
Science offers total protection against the errors nonscientists commit in casual inquiry.
A.
TRUE
B.
FALSE
Question #4
With which of these ontological approaches are scientists often accused of being aligned?
A.
empiricism
B.
positivism
C.
realism
D.
post-modernism
Question #5
Which of these ontological approaches does the instructor say science employs?
A.
positivism
B.
empricism
C.
realism
D.
post-modernism
Question #6
Which of these barriers to knowledge can be overcome somewhat by using large samples and replication?
A.
overgeneralization
B.
illogical reasoning
C.
ecological fallacy
D.
Hawthorne effect
Question #7
According to the “wheel of science” idea, science is primarily…
A.
deductive and inductive
B.
inductive
C.
deductive
D.
none of the above
Question #8
The statement “wealthy countries should give aid to poorer countries” is a…
A.
bivariate conceptualization
B.
value judgement
C.
theory
D.
hypothesis
Question #9
Which of the following did the instructor present as the most important criteria of “good theory”?
A.
originality
B.
testability
C.
generality
D.
simplicity
Question #10
Idiographic explanations seek to explain things “economically”, using as few factors as possible.
A.
FALSE
B.
TRUE
Question #11
According to the instructor, which of these is not a unique purpose of sociological research?
A.
explanation
B.
exploration
C.
evaluation
D.
description
Question #12
Which of the following ought (according to the instructor) to occur before operationalization?
A.
sampling procedures
B.
choice of observation method
C.
data processing
D.
statistical analysis
Question #13
The unit of analysis and the unit of observation need to be the same thing.
A.
FALSE
B.
TRUE
Question #14
Unlike operations, concepts are:
A.
variable
B.
observable
C.
abstract
D.
measurable
Question #15
Compared to qualitative data, quantitative data are…
A.
less explicit
B.
less reliable
C.
richer in meaning
D.
easier to aggregate
Question #16
Which of the following is not a longitudinal design?
A.
cohort study
B.
cross-sectional study
C.
panel study
D.
trend study
Question #17
If accuracy has three parts, which of these is not one of them?
A.
truth
B.
precision
C.
reliability
D.
validity
Question #18
Which of the following is a weakness of qualitative analysis:
A.
reliability and replicability problems raise questions about objectivity, typically small samples mean that there is a problem with inferences, and personal and personnel differences introduce problems with reliability
B.
typically small samples mean that there is a problem with inferences and personal and personnel differences introduce problems with reliability
C.
reliability and replicability problems raise questions about objectivity
D.
personal and personnel differences introduce problems with reliability
Question #19
Which method of checking reliability requires some kind of longitudinal study?
A.
Cronbach's alpha
B.
using established measures
C.
split-half method
D.
test-retest method
Question #20
Which type of validity depends on a relationship among variables?
A.
criterion
B.
construct
C.
content
D.
face
Question #21
Which of the following is not true about coding of data?
A.
Codes should capture as much detail as possible, at least initially.
B.
Coding schemes should be appropriate to the theoretical concepts examined.
C.
Codebooks should be firm, and not allowed to evolve over time.
D.
You could use established codes or generate your own.
Question #22
Which of these internal threats to validity does not result from interaction between researcher and subjects?
A.
sensitization
B.
Hawthorne effect
C.
personal attribute effect
D.
sleeper effects
Question #23
Conceptualization is the process of specifying how we observe something whose abstract meaning we've already identified.
A.
TRUE
B.
FALSE
Question #24
It is acceptable to use shorthands, idioms, slang, even clichés as part of conceptualization.
A.
TRUE
B.
FALSE
Question #25
When a researcher is selecting items for an index, which of the following should be kept in mind?
A.
There should be concern about the amount of variance provided by the items. A composite measure should be unidimensional. Each item should have face validity.
B.
There should be concern about the amount of variance provided by the items.
C.
Each item should have face validity.
D.
A composite measure should be unidimensional.; and Each item should have face validity.
Question #26
To consider an index unidimensional, its component items indicate only one underlying factor.
A.
TRUE
B.
FALSE
Question #27
Consider a questionairre item which asks, "How do you feel about your instructor’s leadership style on the following two items" and asks respondents to choose between “valuable” and "worthless", as well as between “easy” and “demanding". Which kind of scale would involve that item?
A.
Likert Scale
B.
semantic differential scale
C.
Guttman scale
D.
Thurstone scale
Question #28
Which of these use judges or evaluators in their construction?
A.
Guttman scales
B.
Likert scales
C.
Thurstone scales
D.
none of the above
Question #29
If you used the campus telephone directory to sample students, those listed in it would be…
A.
the sample
B.
the main cluster
C.
the sampling frame
D.
the sampling error
Question #30
To study a fairly rare characteristic or behavior, which kind of sample are you more likely to use?
A.
Probability, because that’s always the best.
B.
Probability, because there is no sampling frame.
C.
Non-probability, because there is no sampling frame.
D.
Non-probability, because that’s always the best.
Question #31
If the registrar reports that 10% of the student body is transfer students, and I instruct you to conduct 8 interviews with transfer students and 72 interviews with students who are not transfer students, what sampling method have I required of you and your project?
A.
simple random sampling
B.
cluster sampling
C.
stratified sampling
D.
quota sampling
Question #32
The statistical computations involved in the most commonly used test statistics assume:
A.
simple random sampling
B.
strafied sampling
C.
systematic random sampling
D.
cluster sampling
Question #33
Non-probability sampling…
A.
excludes the use of statistical theory to estimate the probability of correct inferences.
B.
always produces samples that possess distorted characteristics relative to the population.
C.
requires the use of a complete sampling frame.
D.
should never be used under any circumstances.
Question #34
Random selection of elements in a sample can be accomplished by use of:
A.
A table of random events.
B.
A table of random incidents.
C.
A random number of tables.
D.
A table of random numbers.
Question #35
For which situation is cluster sampling most appropriate and efficient?
A.
a large population centered in one area
B.
a large population scattered across a wide geographic area
C.
a small population scattered across a wide geographic area
D.
a small population centered in one area
Question #36
If a researcher examines newspaper editorials from major U.S. cities that dealt with the topic of grade inflation, the unit of observation would be:
A.
major cities
B.
grade inflation
C.
newspapers
D.
editorials
Question #37
A.
Standard deviation is most appropriate for nominal variables.
B.
Medians are most appropriate for interval variables.
C.
Means are most appropriate for ordinal variables.
D.
Any of these can be used with an interval variable.
Question #38
Bonus: Which theorist offers a strategy which has no unit of analysis?
A.
Max Weber
B.
Donald Black
C.
Karl Marx
D.
Emile Durkheim
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