Deck 1: Human Inquiry and Science

Question 1

Patterns of cause and effect are probabilistic in nature.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The analysis of deviant cases-cases that do not fit the general pattern-helps guard against _____

A)illogical reasoning.
B)inaccurate observation.
C)the misuse of authority.
D)selective observation.
E)theory.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following is FALSE concerning the use of tradition in inquiry?

A)It helps avoid the task of starting from scratch in our search for regularities.
B)It demonstrates that knowledge is cumulative.
C)The jumping-off part for the development of knowledge is often the inherited body of information.
D)It enables us to seek a different understanding of what we all know to be true.
E)It increases our bias.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Fred's biology teacher told him about the "birds and the bees." By relying on his biology teacher's explanation, Fred relies on _____ as a way of knowing.

A)experience
B)tradition
C)authority
D)the misuse of authority
E)theory

Question 5

Idiographic explanations are inductive and nomothetic explanations are deductive.

Question 6

Which of the following is(are)a probabilistic statement(s)?

A)When serving as jurors, women always vote for acquittal.
B)When serving as jurors, women never vote for acquittal.
C)When serving as jurors, women tend to vote for acquittal.
D)When serving as jurors, women do not vote for acquittal.
E)When serving as jurors, women always generally vote for acquittal.

Question 7

Pregnant at age 15, Tammy decided to have her baby. Her parents were upset with her decision and threatened to "cut her off" if she did not complete high school. A difficult pregnancy and embarrassment resulted in Tammy dropping out of school. After the baby was born, her parents said that they would raise the baby but that she would have to leave the house. At age 16, Tammy was on her own and without any money or job market skills. She began to work as a prostitute. This explanation of Tammy's prostitution is

A)idiographic.
B)nomothetic.
C)probabilistic.
D)quantitative.
E)based on agreements.

Question 8

The contradiction of scientific research in which we exert our free will or are the product of our environment is

A)idiographic versus nomothetic thinking.
B)determinism versus agency.
C)induction versus deduction.
D)epistemology versus methodology.
E)qualitative versus quantitative.

Question 9

In comparison to nonscientific inquiry, scientific inquiry

A)takes special precaution to avoid error.
B)is a semiconscious activity.
C)is an activity where we are less concerned about making mistakes.
D)guards against all errors.
E)creates bias.

Question 10

Female, ages 18 to 25, brown hair, and teacher are examples of

A)variables.
B)social regularities.
C)aggregates.
D)attributes.
E)nomothetic analyses.

Question 11

If an exception is found to a sociological pattern, the pattern is invalid.

Question 12

Quantification

A)often makes our observations more explicit.
B)can make it more difficult to aggregate data.
C)can make it more difficult to summarize data.
D)limits the possibility of statistical analyses.
E)can increase bias.

Question 13

Epistemology is best described as

A)the science of knowing.
B)the discovery of reality through experimentation.
C)the discovery of reality through agreement.
D)tradition.
E)authority.

Question 14

Methodology differs from epistemology in that methodology is

A)the science of knowing.
B)the science of finding out.
C)the discovery of reality through agreement.
D)only found through tradition.
E)the logical aspect of science.

Question 15

Which of the following is most likely to be a list of variables?

A)Female, Jewish, educational level
B)Plumber, professor, dentist
C)Occupation, political party preference, birthrate
D)21, violent, social class
E)Dishonest, conservative, farmer

Question 16

After examining divorce court records, Jenny concludes that mothers are more likely than fathers to obtain custody of their children. This type of statement is

A)nomothetic and deterministic.
B)idiographic and deterministic.
C)deductive and deterministic.
D)nomothetic and probabilistic.
E)idiographic and probabilistic.

Question 17

An independent variable is a

A)theoretical concept.
B)variable influencing other variables.
C)variable influenced by other variables.
D)set of attributes.
E)variable influencing other variables or a variable influenced by others.

Question 18

The ability to have two different, conflicting ideas in one's mind simultaneously without denying or dismissing either of them is known as

A)nomothetic thinking.
B)tolerance for ambiguity.
C)idiographic thinking.
D)probabilistic thinking.
E)free will.

Question 19

Qualitative explanations tend to be _____ and quantitative explanations tend to be _____.

A)idiographic; idiographic
B)nomothetic; nomothetic
C)idiographic; nomothetic
D)nomothetic; idiographic
E)deductive; inductive

Question 20

The development and implementation of simple and complex measurement devices is a safeguard against

A)overgeneralization.
B)abuse of authority.
C)inaccurate observation.
D)illogical reasoning.
E)tradition.

Question 21

Every observation is quantitative at the outset.

Question 22

Why is overgeneralization a problem in causal inquiries? How can a researcher keep from making this kind of error?

Question 23

What is a social regularity? Why do social scientists focus on patterns rather than individuals?

Question 24

One of your friends scored in the 90s on her last ten exams. Although she has been studying for this exam and feels prepared, she told you, "I know I'm going to flunk this exam. I've been doing too well on exams." Your friend is committing the error of

A)illogical reasoning.
B)theory.
C)inaccurate observation.
D)selective observation.
E)overgeneralization.

Question 25

We can predict without understanding.

Question 26

Social science theory addresses

A)what should be.
B)what is.
C)what is not.
D)beliefs.
E)philosophy.

Question 27

As students we learn that studying hard causes good grades. Such cause and effect are _____ in nature.

A)Theoretical
B)Idiographic
C)Probabilistic
D)Independent
E)Qualitative

Question 28

Professor Rodgers found that the average level of happiness reported by people under 65 years of age declined from 1957 to 1970. However, for this same group, the average level of happiness increased slightly from 1970 to 1978. Rodgers also found that the average level of happiness reported by people age 65 and older increased from 1957 to 1978. An(the)independent variable(s)in this study is(are)

A)people.
B)level of happiness.
C)age.
D)gender.
E)marital status.

Question 29

Nomothetic reasoning is more useful than idiographic reasoning.

Question 30

Name five sociological variables and their attributes.

Question 31

Researchers analyzed the effects of race on sexual activity among adolescent women. The dependent variable is

A)race.
B)sexual activity.
C)adolescence.
D)women.
E)age.

Question 32

What are two strengths and two weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative approaches to social research? How do researchers choose which to use?

Question 33

A form of human interference in which what we learn about society can change reality so what we learned is not true is known as being

A)trivial.
B)exceptional.
C)recursive.
D)dismissive.
E)evolutionary.

Question 34

Social regularities are probabilistic patterns.

Question 35

There is never a time that we should generalize.

Question 36

Social science theories try to explain why aggregated patterns of behavior are so regular, even when the individuals participating in them may change over time.

Question 37

The variable age has the attribute of 18 to 24.

Question 38

Which of the following is an aim of social science?

A)Finding patterns in social life
B)Predicting social phenomena
C)Understanding individual behavior
D)Explaining theories
E)Replicating studies

Question 39

Which of the following would a sociologist be LEAST likely to study?

A)Crime rates increasing in rural areas
B)The incidence of child abuse in middle-income families
C)Mr. Smith quitting his job
D)The incidence of unemployment among white-collar workers
E)Difference in unemployment rates between black teens and white teens

Question 40

Discuss how scientific inquiry tries to avoid the common pitfalls that produce error in nonscientific inquiry.