Deck 4: C: Research,methodology,and Ethics

Question 1

The assertion that ice cream sales cause sexual assaults because the data indicates that when ice cream sales are at their highest (say,from June to August),sexual assault figures go up exemplifies

A)deductive reasoning.
B)a dubious hypothesis.
C)a causal explanation.
D)a spurious correlation.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Whereas quantitative researchers convert aspects of social life to numerical form,the focus for qualitative researchers is

A)personality.
B)subjectivity.
C)rich detail.
D)objective meaning.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The type of variable that may be varied or manipulated by researchers is a/an _________________ variable.

A)floating
B)structural
C)dependent
D)independent

Answer 3

D

Question 4

___________ refers to a relationship between two variables,whereas ________________ refers to a situation in which a correlation is false.

A)Correlation;spuriousness
B)Spuriousness;correlation
C)Causation;spuriousness
D)Causation;correlation

Question 5

The kinds of research questions that you ask will depend on

A)the research topic.
B)your level of education.
C)the theoretical perspective you are working from.
D)the hypothesis.

Question 6

Research methods should always be understood in relation to

A)theoretical perspective.
B)normative structures.
C)bias.
D)social policy.

Question 7

How does Statistics Canada garner its non-census data?

A)Through a sample
B)By surveying the entire population
C)Through a non-random sample
D)Through participant observation

Question 8

If you want to study the features of the lives of people who rent out their basements to students,what would be an example of an independent variable?

A)Landlords of basement apartments
B)Social class
C)University students
D)Your hypothesis

Question 9

Surveys are well suited to asking about _________ people think,but not as helpful in answering _________ people think the way they do.

A)why;what
B)what;why
C)the truth of what;the reasons for why
D)whether or not;how often

Question 10

Researchers who use inductive logic move from _________ to __________.

A)data;theory
B)theory;data
C)qualitative;quantitative
D)quantitative;qualitative

Question 11

A tentative statement about a particular relationship-whether between objects,people,or groups of people-that can be tested empirically is a

A)variable.
B)hypothetical.
C)hypothesis.
D)deductive presupposition.

Question 12

A study that examined the relationship between the number of hours that students study and their grades on an exam amazingly found that those who studied more did better on the test.In this example,what is the dependent variable?

A)Grades on the exam
B)Number of hours studied
C)Students
D)Sleeping

Question 13

A hypothesis is usually used in which kind of study?

A)Quantitative
B)Qualitative
C)Observatory
D)Active interviewing

Question 14

The relationship between smoking and cancer can best be described as

A)correlational.
B)causal.
C)a spurious correlation.
D)reliable.

Question 15

A _________________ is a subset of a _______________.

A)sample;population
B)population;sample
C)survey;sample
D)sample;survey

Question 16

What do qualitative studies use as the main techniques for data collection?

A)Surveys and questionnaires
B)Interviews and observations
C)Questionnaires and interviews
D)Secondary analysis and surveys

Question 17

The Census of Population as performed by Statistics Canada is an example of a/an

A)self-administered questionnaire.
B)telephone survey.
C)in-person survey.
D)interview.

Question 18

When a given measurement is said to be accurately measuring the concept that the research claims is being measured,then the study is

A)reliable.
B)verifiable.
C)valid.
D)true.

Question 19

Patti is conducting a study on the relationship between pharmaceutical companies and university hiring (and firing)practices.In her research,she interviews a series of psychologists,physicians,university administrators (where she can access them),and union activists to figure out how they are making sense of this relationship.On the basis of this material,Patti develops an argument and makes several recommendations to the broader university community.Her work is an example of which type of reasoning?

A)Deductive logic
B)Inductive logic
C)Reductive logic
D)Hypothesis testing

Question 20

A description of how a particular variable,such as gender equality,is measured for purposes of a given research study is known as a/an _______________ definition.

A)conceptual
B)optimal
C)operational
D)operating

Question 21

Which of the following is not an example of something you would analyze in secondary analysis?

A)Newspaper articles
B)The results of your questionnaire
C)Legislation
D)Content from magazines

Question 22

At least how many research methods are employed in a mixed method approach?

A)Two
B)Three
C)Four
D)Five

Question 23

Which of the following does participant observation involve?

A)The development of a hypothesis
B)Conducting semi-structured interviews with research subjects
C)Covert or semi-covert research
D)Secondary analysis

Question 24

In his classic study on obedience,Milgram set out to study the effects of

A)authority.
B)gender insensitivity.
C)power.
D)the Protestant work ethic.

Question 25

With this type of research method,a researcher may ask a series of questions that are structured,semi-structured,or unstructured.

A)Qualitative survey
B)Longitudinal survey
C)Interview
D)Questionnaire

Question 26

The following two classic studies are,by today's standards,examples of unethical research: Milgram's study on obedience and Zimbardo's study of ____________.

A)sex workers in Vancouver.
B)street youth in Montreal.
C)the prison environment.
D)Internet chatrooms.

Question 27

Which type of research approach stands outside of power relations?

A)Qualitative
B)In-depth interviews
C)Mail surveys
D)No research method is outside of power relations.

Question 28

How often is the Census of Population (commonly known as the Census)administered by Statistics Canada?

A)Every year
B)Every 2 years
C)Every 5 years
D)Every 10 years

Question 29

Russell Ogden had to participate in legal proceedings due to his promise of _____________ to his research participants.

A)the right to withdraw from the study at any time
B)full compliance
C)conditional confidentiality
D)absolute confidentiality

Question 30

Which renowned Canadian sociologist or institution declared,"Little is gained if we eliminate one type of sexism only to replace it with another one"?

A)Smith
B)Eichler
C)Humphries
D)The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

Question 31

Ethical guidelines aim to ensure a balance in research between

A)informed consent and covert research.
B)eliminating sexism in research and the independence of researchers.
C)risks and benefits.
D)funding and the independence of researchers.

Question 32

_________________ interviews are more open-ended than __________ interviews.

A)Structured;unstructured
B)Semi-structured;unstructured
C)Semi-structured;structured
D)Structured;semi-structured

Question 33

Which of the following is not a distinct problem of sexism in research identified by Margrit Eichler?

A)Androcentricity
B)Overgeneralization
C)Sex appropriateness
D)The researcher's gender

Question 34

What does the acronym REB stand for?

A)Research and Education Board
B)Research Ethics Board
C)Reason and Education Board
D)Reason and Ethics Board

Question 35

When Helleiner bought a trailer,settled into a Traveller "camp," and observed camp life for nine months,she was engaging in which type of social research?

A)Participant observation
B)Secondary analysis
C)Participatory action research
D)Mixed methods

Question 36

The method of participant observation is most likely to be taken up by researchers coming from this general theoretical approach.

A)Functionalism
B)Post-modernism
C)Conflict theory
D)Symbolic interactionism

Question 37

What type of interview do quantitative studies typically use?

A)Unstructured
B)Semi-structured
C)Structured
D)Quantitative studies do not use interviews.

Question 38

On what basis was Zimbardo's prison experiment criticized as unethical?

A)Failure to protect the participants from harm
B)Failure to obtain informed consent
C)Presence of sexism
D)Failure to protect anonymity of respondents upon publishing results of study

Question 39

What two approaches does participatory action research bring together?

A)Action research and participatory research
B)Participatory observation research and interviews
C)Participatory observation and secondary analysis
D)Mixed methods and secondary analysis

Question 40

A study that is rooted in a vision of the world in male terms,thereby depicting the social world as a male social universe,exemplifies ________.

A)androcentrism
B)ethnocentrism
C)sexual dichotomism
D)overgeneralizing

Question 41

Ethical standards for research originally developed

A)as a response to the racism that occurred in early scientific experiments.
B)as a response to Humphrey's Tearoom Trade study.
C)as a response to the experiments conducted by Nazi doctors during the Second World War.
D)as a response to the sexism that once existed in academic institutions.

Question 42

What do quantitative researchers use as their main methods of data collection?

A)Radical interpretive inquiry
B)Surveys and questionnaires
C)Interviews and observations
D)Transcriptions and interviews

Question 43

According to the textbook,terms such as mankind and man-made are examples of

A)overgeneralization.
B)sexual dichotomism.
C)gender insensitivity.
D)overspecificity.

Question 44

Participatory action research

A)must remain politically neutral.
B)must contain both an action component and a collaboration component.
C)must help improve the lives of the marginalized.
D)must contain both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

Question 45

Which of the following statements is not true?

A)Symbolic interactionists are interested in face-to-face encounters and the meanings people attach to social events.
B)Conflict theorists are generally concerned with the struggle over scarce resources.
C)Functionalists are concerned with the smooth functioning of society,and how roles and shared values promote equilibrium.
D)Both conflict and functionalist theorists tend to approach society from a micro-sociological perspective.

Question 46

Amarnath is recruiting participants for a research study.Each participant is asked to fill out a questionnaire about his or her dating experiences.He hands each potential participant a page of information explaining how long the questionnaire will take,the risks that the participant might face,and the benefits that participating in the study might provide.What other information must Amarnath tell potential participants?

A)Participating in the study is completely voluntary,and the participant has the right to withdraw at any time.
B)Participation in the study is completely voluntary,but the participant must finish the questionnaire once it has been started.
C)The risk to the individual participant will not outweigh benefits to the scientific community and wider society.
D)The length and author of the questionnaire

Question 47

A sociologist named Sudhir Venkatesh recently spent almost a decade studying a street gang in Chicago.He spoke with various gang members,spent time with them in their hangouts,and accompanied them when they conducted business dealings.Which research methods did Venkatesh use?

A)Secondary analysis and participant observation
B)Participant observation and interviews
C)In-person surveys and fieldwork
D)Fieldwork and hypothesis building

Question 48

According to the textbook,"familism" occurs when

A)researchers apply an extreme double standard toward single mothers.
B)researchers use families as the smallest unit of analysis in situations where specific individuals are responsible for particular actions.
C)researchers adopt a vision of the world through the male perspective.
D)researchers assume families are entirely driven by the mother-nurturer role.

Question 49

Which of the following is not a criticism of ethical research guidelines?

A)Current ethical guidelines are unsuitable to certain kinds of research.
B)Current ethical guidelines are inflexible.
C)Current ethical guidelines do not account for the possibility of psychological harm.
D)Current ethical guidelines are very rigid,and do not take unique circumstances into account.

Question 50

One of the major principles of current research ethics is _______________,as upheld through current practices of _________________.

A)respect for others,review boards
B)academic freedom,review boards
C)academic freedom,informed consent
D)respect for others,informed consent

Question 51

Which of the following is a disadvantage of secondary research analysis?

A)Secondary analysis is only possible if information on the topic has already been recorded and collected.
B)Secondary analysis is only useful for criminologists.
C)Secondary analysis is only useful for studying part events.
D)Secondary analysis is only possible if information on a topic can readily be found in newspapers,magazines,and other periodicals.

Question 52

Matthew spends 20 minutes studying for his sociology mid-term,and gets 60 percent.He spends one hour studying for his sociology final,and he gets 80 percent on the exam.What can we not conclude from this information?

A)There might be a causal relationship between how much Matthew studied and the mark he received on the exam.
B)There is a correlation between the time Matthew spent studying and the mark he received on his exam.
C)The relationship between Matthew's studying time and his exam grades is completely spurious.
D)While there is a relationship of some sort between Matthew's grades and time spent studying,many other variables might have been at play.

Question 53

Psychologist Philip Zimbardo is best known for conducting the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment.Which of the following research questions motivated Zimbardo's study?

A)"How are male-male sexual encounters initiated and negotiated?"
B)"What happens when you put good people in an evil place?"
C)"Under what circumstances are research participants willing to harm another person?"
D)"Under what circumstances is obedience valued more highly than ethics?"

Question 54

Which of the following is a disadvantage of self-administered questionnaires?

A)They have higher administrative costs than telephone surveys.
B)Detailed,in-depth questions cannot be asked in a self-administered questionnaire format.
C)Researchers are unable to provide clarification or answer the questions of the respondent.
D)Self-administered questionnaires are only useful for people who lack strong literacy skills.

Question 55

Which of the following statements about correlation is true?

A)Correlation means that a change in one variable is caused by the presence of a second variable.
B)A correlation is a relationship between two variables.
C)The relationship between two variables must be strong in order for a correlation to exist.
D)Researchers refer to weak correlations as "spurious" correlations.

Question 56

Why is the Canadian Census a particularly important tool for researchers?

A)Census questions remain relatively stable,meaning that researchers are able to analyze data over time and get a sense of shifting trends in our society.
B)The data acquired from the Census can easily be used by both qualitative and quantitative researchers.
C)Census questions have been tested to assure they do not invade the privacy or ethics of Canadian citizens.
D)Because the Census is conducted every year,it provides a great wealth of information on many facets of Canadian life.

Question 57

Anita wants to design a research study to investigate whether Canadians in wealthier cities give more money to charities than Canadians who live in less wealthy cities.What is the dependent variable in Anita's study?

A)The average income in the cities where her research participants live
B)The amount of money donated to charities
C)The operational definition of wealth that Anita decides to use
D)The average income of her research participants

Question 58

While different kinds of research exist,almost all researchers share the following in common:

A)They use the scientific method to answer questions of theoretical and practical importance.
B)They investigate people's understanding of everyday occurrences.
C)They attempt to create knowledge through a process of discovery.
D)They rely on inductive reasoning skills.

Question 59

Which of the following is not an ethical criticism of Milgram's Obedience Study?

A)Milgram's participants were not fully informed about the nature of his study.
B)Deception was used without good reason.
C)Milgram's participants may have suffered psychological harm from participating in the study.
D)Milgram refused to pay his research participants.

Question 60

Mary is researching the experiences that AIDS patients have with community health organizations.She and her research assistant meet regularly with AIDS patients and advocates,discussing what health issues are most pressing for patients and how these issues could best be addressed.Her goal is to persuade legislators to increase the funding provided to community health-care organizations.What research method/s is/are Mary using?

A)Participant observation
B)Participatory action research
C)In-person surveying and advocacy
D)Quantitative interviews

Question 61

According to Margrit Eichler,John Gray's book "Men Are from Mars,Women Are from Venus" can be seen as employing what type of sexist bias?

A)Androcentricity
B)Overgeneralization
C)Sexual dichotomism
D)Familism

Question 62

The relationship between the type of music listened to while studying and knowledge retention can best be described as

A)valid.
B)causal.
C)correlational.
D)reliable.

Question 63

Participant observation research on street youth where the researcher reveals his/her identity to some but not all of the participants in order to gain their trust would be considered

A)open.
B)covert.
C)semi-covert.
D)unethical.

Question 64

An interview where the researcher is making note of the subject's body language and facial expressions would be aligned with the _________________approach to research.

A)deductive
B)value-laden
C)quantitative
D)qualitative

Question 65

The statement "If students listen to classical music instead of rap music while studying,then they are more likely to retain knowledge" would be considered

A)deductive logic.
B)inductive logic.
C)a hypothesis.
D)offensive to rap artists.

Question 66

A feminist study focusing on the messages being sent to young women through the ads of popular fashion magazines would be utilizing which of the following methods?

A)Secondary analysis
B)Content analysis
C)Participant observation
D)Participatory action research

Question 67

A research project employing government statistical data,a quantitative mail-out survey,unstructured interviews,and participant observation would best be described as utilizing

A)secondary analysis.
B)a mixed methods approach.
C)triangulation.
D)an enormous research budget.

Question 68

A study with the goal of testing the theory that playing classical music while studying is better for knowledge retention than rap music would be employing __________________ reasoning.

A)deductive
B)inductive
C)biased
D)quantitative

Question 69

According to Margrit Eichler,Solomen Asch's famous 1951 study on conformity that utilized only male undergraduates but applied the results to both genders can be seen as employing what type of sexist bias?

A)Androcentricity
B)Overgeneralization
C)Gender insensitivity
D)Familism

Question 70

A study with the goal of explaining the role of social media in the 2011 Stanley Cup Riot in Vancouver,BC,would be employing ___________________ reasoning.

A)deductive
B)inductive
C)biased
D)qualitative

Question 71

In a study investigating the correlation between smoking and lung cancer,the dependent variable is

A)whether or not a person smokes.
B)how many cigarettes smoked per day.
C)a diagnosis of lung cancer.
D)the type of cancer a person is diagnosed with.

Question 72

In a telephone survey,the researcher reads off a list of response categories the respondent is to choose from when answering.The types of questions the researcher is using are

A)reliable.
B)valid.
C)open-ended.
D)closed-ended.

Question 73

A researcher conducting a survey on Canada's immigration policies and their relation to the needs of our capitalist economy is most likely working from a __________________ perspective.

A)functionalist
B)symbolic interactionist
C)conflict theory
D)feminist

Question 74

In a study investigating the correlation between music and knowledge retention while studying for an exam,the independent variable is

A)the type of music listened to.
B)the grade on the exam.
C)knowledge retention.
D)the length of time studied.

Question 75

The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale is a measure that has been used in many studies with consistent results.This measure is therefore said to be

A)valid.
B)reliable.
C)unbiased.
D)Hypothetical.