Deck 3: The Ethics and Politics of Social Research

Question 1

Weber called the lack of intrusion of the researcher's own political position on research:

A)value-free sociology.
B)anonymity.
C)confidentiality.
D)the identity of the researcher.
E)deception.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The norm of voluntary participation threatens the social research goal of generalizability.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Anonymity and confidentiality are two different names for the same concept.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

is a norm in which subjects base their voluntary participation in research projects on a full understanding of the possible risks involved.

A)Research participation
B)The Hawthorne effect
C)Generalizability
D)The code of ethics
E)Informed consent

Question 5

The PRIMARY ethical research issue raised by the Milgram study was:

A)the willingness of people to harm others when "following orders" required it.
B)the administering of electronic shocks to the pupils.
C)the effects of the methods on the pupils.
D)the effects of the methods on the teacher.
E)the examination of obedience as a topic for study.

Question 6

In which of the following scenarios would confidentiality be of the LEAST concern?

A)Secondary data analysis
B)Face-to-face interviews
C)Paper questionnaires
D)Telephone interviews
E)Laboratory experimental research

Question 7

When names are removed from questionnaires and are replaced with identification numbers so that only the researcher can later link a response to a particular name,the researcher should tell the respondent that the information is:

A)anonymous.
B)confidential.
C)anonymous and confidential.
D)harmless.
E)secure.

Question 8

The process of debriefing,in the context of research,serves to:

A)inform subjects of any potential risks before their participation.
B)check periodically with subjects to determine their emotional state.
C)remove identifying information from collected data.
D)interview subjects and discuss deception after their participation.
E)intentionally mislead subjects during a research project.

Question 9

Which of the following variables would be of the LEAST ethical concern to an IRB?

A)Subject's sexual orientation
B)Subject's age
C)Subject's criminal history
D)Subject's drug use
E)Subject's social security number

Question 10

Which of the following was NOT suggested by Kathleen McKinney as a way to ensure the right to privacy in doing research on sexuality?

A)Anonymous surveys
B)Anonymous interviews
C)Disguising the identity of the person or group being studied
D)Reporting data at the group level
E)Keeping interviews confidential.

Question 11

Only experimental research and face-to-face interviews are subject to ethical concerns.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT an essential component of informed consent?

A)Disclosure of any potential risks associated with the research
B)A description of the possible benefits to science and society
C)A statement that once they begin participation,they cannot quit
D)A statement that participation in the project is voluntary
E)A statement of any provisions for confidentiality or anonymity

Question 13

Which of the following does NOT harm subjects?

A)Having them face aspects of themselves that they do not normally consider
B)Asking them to reveal their unpopular attitudes
C)Asking them to identify their deviant behavior
D)Allowing them to identify themselves easily in the final report
E)Asking them to provide demographic information

Question 14

Which of the following techniques of data collection is MOST likely to make a guarantee of anonymity difficult?

A)Face-to-face interviews
B)Mailed questionnaires
C)Secondary data analysis
D)Unobtrusive measures
E)The data collection technique does not affect the guarantee of anonymity.

Question 15

Ethical issues are distinguished from political issues in research in that:

A)ethics deals more with the substance of research.
B)politics deals more with the methods of research.
C)there are no formal codes of accepted political conduct whereas there are codes of ethical conduct.
D)ethics deals more with the use of research.
E)ethical issues and political issues are the same in the research process.

Question 16

Which of the following statements is NOT found in the AAPOR Code of Professional Ethics and Practice?

A)We shall correct any errors in our own work that come to our attention which could influence interpretation of the results,disseminating such corrections to all original recipients of our content.
B)We shall select research tools and methods of analysis because of their special capacity to yield a desired conclusion.
C)We shall protect the anonymity of every respondent,unless the respondent waives such anonymity for specified uses.
D)We shall not knowingly imply that interpretations should be accorded greater confidence than the data actually warrant.
E)We shall respect the respondents' desires,when expressed,not to answer specific survey questions or provide other information to the researcher.

Question 17

Social scientists are totally objective in their research.

Question 18

Professor 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 kept confidential.The students complete her survey during class.Her research most clearly impinges on:

A)deception.
B)analysis and reporting of the data.
C)voluntary participation.
D)the value placed on anonymity.
E)value-free reports of the data.

Question 19

Ethical obligations to one's colleagues in the scientific community:

A)require that technical shortcomings and failures of the study be revealed.
B)encourage researchers to ignore negative findings.
C)encourage researchers to describe their findings as the product of a carefully preplanned analytical strategy.
D)require researchers to report only the positive discoveries.
E)encourages researchers to not report limitations.

Question 20

Which of the following statements is FALSE regarding university IRBs?

A)IRBs must review all research.
B)IRBs seek to ensure that the risks faced by subjects are minimal.
C)IRBs may refuse to approve a study.
D)IRBs may require a researcher to revise the study design.
E)IRBs must review all research seeking federal research funds.

Question 21

Debriefing entails discussing any potential threats to the participants in research before they take part,during the informed consent process.

Question 22

At the conclusion of his research project,Fred interviews his research subjects to discover whether they have problems because of their participation in the research project.Fred is engaged in the debriefing process.

Question 23

Theo is excited because he received a grant from the National Institute of Health to conduct his study.As an undergraduate student he is exempt from bringing his research before his school's IRB.

Question 24

IRBs work to ensure that the agency doing the research is protected against lawsuits by human subjects.

Question 25

Only names,birthdates,and social security numbers are considered identifiable data.

Question 26

Any agency wishing to receive federal funds for research must establish an institutional review board (IRB).

Question 27

Social scientists agree that objectivity is necessary for research.

Question 28

Everyone agrees that Tom's research does NOT inflict physical harm on subjects.Tom is pleased by this conclusion because it means that he no longer has to be concerned with the issue of harm to subjects.

Question 29

Choose a hypothetical research of your own interest.Rather than focusing upon the ethical concerns before and during the research project,think of what could come after the research has been completed.Why would this be a potential issue? What would you do to avoid these problems?

Question 30

Political issues tend to focus on substance and the use of research.

Question 31

It is often as important to report that two variables are unrelated as to report that they are related.

Question 32

Choose an ethical issue presented in this chapter,create a research situation where this issue could arise,and tell how you would handle it.

Question 33

Once people are told that their participation in a research study is voluntary,there are no ethical problems.