Deck 1: What Is Social Research a Particular Way of Knowing

Question 1

Reasons for conducting social research include all except

A) understanding the social world
B) exploring a new phenomenon
C) promote personal opinions
D) seeking solutions to social problems

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Studying and understanding the world through systematic and direct observation is known as

A) Empirical research
B) Sociological imagination
C) Epistemology
D) Sociology

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The sociological imagination is

A) The practice of linking people's experiences to social conditions
B) Studying the social world using observation
C) Focused on individual level explanations for social problems
D) A concept developed in the 18^th century

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following is the best example of using the sociological imagination to understand unemployment

A) William is fired for being late to work three times in a row.
B) Kiera has trouble finding a job after college due to large scale downsizing.
C) After Li tells her boss that she hates working 2^nd shift, she is taken off the schedule.
D) Stephanie misses her shift because her regular babysitter is sick.

Question 5

Tools and practices used to gather and analyze information are known as

A) Surveys
B) Sociological imagination
C) Research Methods
D) Experiments

Question 6

Knowing where social knowledge comes from is

A) A form of power
B) Not related to methodology
C) Not possible to determine
D) A way of perpetuating false claims

Question 7

Research conducted to generate questions and hypotheses about emerging or not-yet-defined phenomena is called

A) Exploratory research
B) Descriptive research
C) Explanatory research
D) Evaluative research

Question 8

Research that is focused primarily on describing a social phenomenon is known as

A) Exploratory research
B) Descriptive research
C) Explanatory research
D) Evaluative research

Question 9

_____________ research attempts to explain and predict future conditions for people, situations, and settings

A) Exploratory research
B) Descriptive research
C) Explanatory research
D) Evaluative research

Question 10

A researcher who wanted to assess or improve the effectiveness of a policy would engage in _______________.

A) Exploratory research
B) Descriptive research
C) Explanatory research
D) Evaluative research

Question 11

Dr. Scott is interested in conducting research that will shed light on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the amount of physical distance that people put between themselves and others when in public. Which type of research is this most likely to fit into?

A) Descriptive
B) Explanatory
C) Evaluative
D) Exploratory

Question 12

Dr. Glover wants to assess how well online and hybrid teaching impacted student's understanding of course content. What type of research is she most likely conducting?

A) Descriptive
B) Exploratory
C) Evaluative
D) Explanatory

Question 13

Dr. Filoteo hypothesizes that students who were online during the COVID-19 pandemic are less likely to have a favorable opinion of their college experience than students who were in a hybrid or fully in-person learning environment. What type of research is she likely to be conducting?

A) Explanatory
B) Descriptive
C) Evaluative
D) Exploratory

Question 14

Research that is conducted with the goal of advancing knowledge is known as

A) Applied research
B) Evaluative research
C) Basic research
D) Descriptive research

Question 15

Dr. Parks is assessing the effectiveness of a program for kindergarten students focused on citizenship and empathy for a local organization. This is an example of _____________ research.

A) Applied
B) Basic
C) Exploratory
D) Descriptive

Question 16

Ontology is concerned with

A) What sorts of things can be known
B) Methods for gathering data
C) The nature of reality and existence
D) The morality of society

Question 17

Dr. Jenson is interested in the way that content is including into high school curricula, particularly with the notion the topics that are included shape what students know and will know. Which field does his inquiry best fit into.

A) Epistemology
B) Ontology
C) Philosophy
D) Psychology

Question 18

Which of the following inform what we know?

A) Tradition and authority
B) Intuition and common sense
C) Personal experiences
D) All of these

Question 19

What is the goal of sociological theory?

A) To advance a researcher's opinions
B) To make sense of the social world
C) To advocate for a particular cause
D) To ponder the morality of an issue

Question 20

_________ research begins with theory from which hypothesis are developed and tested using data.

A) Inductive
B) Descriptive
C) Deductive
D) Exploratory

Question 21

Inductive research ________________.

A) Begins with theory
B) Begins with data collection
C) Is not a method for acquiring knowledge
D) Moves from the general to the specific

Question 22

Dr. Myers discovers a set of diaries in his university library archival section that has not been previously analyzed. He starts combing through the data and discovers a pattern in how friendship dynamics are described. Based on this, he starts to develop a theory of male friendship. What type of research best describes this process?

A) Deductive research
B) Evaluative research
C) Applied research
D) Inductive research

Question 23

Dr. Glimore formulates a hypothesis that students who are exposed to anti-racist curricula in high school are more likely to have interracial friendships. She tests the hypothesis by collecting data using a survey of college students. Her analysis of the data supports her hypothesis. Which type of research best describes this process?

A) Descriptive research
B) Deductive research
C) Inductive research
D) Applied research

Question 24

Hypotheses are ______________________.

A) Based on a researcher's personal opinions and beliefs.
B) Ideas or systems of ideas that provide logical explanations of the social world.
C) Tentative assertions that are tested with data.
D) Not connected to theory.

Question 25

Which of the following is an example of a good sociological hypothesis?

A) Birth control is immoral.
B) As access to birth control decreases, women's overall health declines.
C) Laws related to birth control are absurd.
D) Sixty five percent of women indicate they support teen access to birth control.

Question 26

Martin and Luke (2010) hypothesized that mothers talk more with their daughters about relationships, sexual abuse, their reproductive bodies, and morality than their sons. Their hypotheses were based on

A) Their own experiences
B) Media representations of mother/daughter dialogs about sexuality
C) The data they collected
D) Their review of existing research and theory

Question 27

The research process does not always adhere to a rigid sequence. Instead, it can be the case that researchers may shift between theory and data gathering several times in the process. This strategy is described as

A) Qualitative
B) Iterative
C) Deductive
D) Inductive

Question 28

The 2004 study by González-López (2004) was inductive because

A) She found that masculinity and fatherhood are variable experiences.
B) She used interviews to gather data on this topic.
C) Her work suggested a new theoretical understanding of patriarchy.
D) She interviewed immigrant men from a variety of regions.

Question 29

Émile Durkheim's theory of suicide is best understood as

A) A middle-range theory
B) Inductive research
C) A grand theory
D) A qualitative study

Question 30

Which theory is best understood as a grand theory?

A) Standpoint theory from Smith and Hill Collins
B) Merton's theory of anomie
C) Durkheim's theory of suicide
D) González-López theory of patriarchy

Question 31

Research that relies mainly on words and non-numeric data is known as

A) Qualitative research
B) Quantitative research
C) Applied research
D) Exploratory research

Question 32

Research that uses numbers and statistics is known as

A) Quantitative research
B) Qualitative research
C) Descriptive research
D) Basic research

Question 33

All of the following are differences between qualitative and quantitative research EXCEPT

A) Qualitative research focuses on interpretive work while quantitative researcher relies on numerical analysis.
B) Quantitative research is primarily deductive while qualitative is primarily inductive.
C) Quantitative research approaches social reality as dynamic and changing while qualitative research approaches the social reality as more objective aligning with natural laws.
D) Quantitative research incorporates the norms of positivism while qualitative research seeks to determine how people interpret the social world.

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT a part of the scientific method?

A) Review the literature
B) Replicate other researcher's study
C) Formulate a hypothesis
D) Design and conduct a study

Question 35

Which of the following statements are true about how qualitative and quantitative research relate to the scientific method.

A) Both quantitative and qualitative research follows the scientific method in the same ways.
B) Only quantitative research adheres to principles of the scientific method.
C) Both qualitative and quantitative research involve systemic inquiry that rely on the methodological, logical and consistent practices of data collection.
D) Qualitative research involves testing hypotheses in a sequence that aligns with the steps of the scientific method.

Question 36

An approach to data collection and analysis that draws on multiple tools and procedures is known as:

A) Qualitative research
B) Quantitative research
C) Mixed methods research
D) Basic research

Question 37

Which of the following is true of mixed methods research?

A) It can include quantitative and qualitative analysis.
B) It is used increasingly in social science research.
C) It can reduce the divide between qualitative and quantitative research.
D) All of these are true of mixed methods research.

Question 38

In Bonilla-Silva's mixed methods study (2006)

A) Interview data provided greater insight on how racist attitudes identified in the survey data were expressed
B) White people were likely to admit they were racist in interviews but not in surveys.
C) He was able to identify color-blind rhetoric from survey responses.
D) Liberal whites were more likely to avoid color-blind rhetoric than conservatives.

Question 39

Which types of research methodology did Olsen (1997) use in her study of immigrant students in high schools?

A) Interviews and participant observation
B) Surveys and interviews
C) Participant observation and surveys
D) Participant observation

Question 40

The literature search, study design, data analysis, and even presentation of findings are all guided by what?

A) Hypothesis
B) Mixed-methods
C) Research question
D) Methodology

Question 41

All of the following are true of research questions EXCEPT

A) It states the purpose of the study.
B) It is an answerable question which determines how data is collected and analyzed.
C) It can change as the research progresses.
D) It cannot be too broad in its scope.

Question 42

Research questions can shift in the course of a study for all of the following reasons EXCEPT

A) New data or findings can lead to a new discovery.
B) The researcher has time limitations.
C) Funding sources may shift.
D) The researcher is afraid they will be wrong about their predictions.

Question 43

Good research questions

A) Are formulated outside of the established theory or prior research.
B) Do not have to contribute to our knowledge but can simply reflect the researcher's interest.
C) Can focus on philosophical or moral considerations
D) Are clear, specific, understandable, and researchable

Question 44

The norm of researcher's drawing conclusions based on fact and not values, bias, or preconceptions is known as

A) Ontology
B) Objectivity
C) Epistemology
D) Sociology

Question 45

Which of the following is an example of an objective research approach

A) Attending to the meanings people attach to social reality
B) Developing sympathy for respondents in a study
C) Determining whether a respondent's viewpoint is right or wrong
D) Relying on personal values and experiences when interpreting findings

Question 46

Feminist research, critical race theory, and intersectional theory are examples of a(n) _____________ approach to research.

A) Objectivist
B) Qualitative
C) Quantitative
D) Reflexive

Question 47

Behar's (1996) contribution to social researchers' understanding of reflexivity in the book The Vulnerable Observer is best summarized as

A) Researchers should reflect on who they are in relationship to who they are studying and how this impacts their insights.
B) Objectivity is an important goal at all costs.
C) Being vulnerable as a researcher undermines the credibility of the research findings.
D) A researcher's identity and biography has little impact on the research process because of objectivity.

Question 48

Which of the following is not true regarding the connection between politics and research?

A) The priorities of organizations that fund research can shape how studies are designed.
B) How respondents view the utility of social research may impact their participation
C) Gaining access to a research site is a negotiated process that could involve interrogating the researcher's motivations.
D) Because of objectivity, politics does not impact research or the research process.

Question 49

Which of the following statements about the practicalities of research are true?

A) Researchers may find it difficult to develop rapport with research participants, particularly if they are studying groups involved with illegal activities.
B) Researchers typically do not need to worry about monetary costs when conducting research.
C) The ideal is more important than the feasible when pursuing a research project.
D) All researchers have the skills to conduct any type of study.

Question 50

Discuss the four general purposes of research and provide an example of each.

Question 51

How do epistemological and ontological considerations relate to the research process?

Question 52

Describe the difference between inductive and deductive research processes. How do they each relate to theory?

Question 53

How do middle range theories different from grand theories? What is example of each?

Question 54

Compare and contrast quantitative and qualitative approaches to research. How does each approach relate to positivism?

Question 55

Describe the characteristics of a good research question. Why is the construction of the research question so important to the research process?

Question 56

Discuss at least three ways that politics or political dimensions can impact the research process.

Question 57

What are the advantages of mixed methods research designs? Provide a specific example from the research studies discussed in the chapter. Why was a mixed method design important for the research question the researcher was studying?

Question 58

Discuss and contrast objective and reflexive approaches to the role of values in social research.

Question 59

What are some practical concerns to consider when designing and conducting research?

Question 60

What are some of the reasons people may conduct social research? What is beneficial about understanding research methods? Which do you find the most interesting or appealing and why?

Question 61

In your own words, explain the sociological imagination. Why is this approach to understanding the world important or value?

Question 62

What does it mean to claim that knowledge is created? How does social research and methodology contribute to the creation of knowledge?

Question 63

Provide an example of inductive and deductive research using the studies highlighted in the chapter.

Question 64

What is value-laden research and why is it important? Provide an example of this approach.

Question 65

Early sociologists, like Durkheim and Weber, saw objectivity as an ideal when conducting research. Do you think it is possible to be truly objective? Why or why not?

Question 66

Describe a research question that you are interested in studying. Then consider the reflexive ideal described in the chapter and Behar's guidance for thinking about reflexivity. What values, biases, characteristics, and so on would you need to be aware of when conducting this study?

Question 67

You have been asked to design a research study examining housing discrimination in your community. Formulate a research question considering the guidelines for a good question. Decide what type of research you will conduct. Will it be applied or basic? Qualitative or quantitative? Why do you think these are the best approaches?

Question 68

Empirical research involves understanding the world through systemic, direct observation

Question 69

The primary goal of the sociological imagination is examining individual experiences.

Question 70

A sociologist utilizing the sociological imagination to understand unemployment would argue that improving individual applicant's training would be the most effective solution.

Question 71

Research methods are tools and practices used to gather and analyse information to generate knowledge in sociology and other social sciences.

Question 72

Understanding how knowledge is created allows us to tell the difference between valid and false claims

Question 73

Exploratory research seeks to explain and predict future conditions for people, situations, and settings.

Question 74

"What is the impact of remote learning on graduation rates" is an example of an evaluative research question.

Question 75

Research studies typically fall into one research type

Question 76

Research studies typically fall into one research type

Question 77

Research studies typically fall into one research type

Question 78

Applied research is focused on solving a practical problem, for example, helping an organization assess the effectiveness of an intervention.

Question 79

Basic research does not have a practical application beyond contributing to our knowledge about a topic

Question 80

Epistemology would ask the question "what does reality mean?"