Question 1

Which of the following statements is true about analyzing existing statistics?
A)Existing statistics in official government documents can be presumed to be highly valid.
B)Existing statistics in official government documents can be presumed to be highly reliable.
C)In government agencies existing statistics always can be presumed to have been collected in a careful, systematic fashion.
D)None of these

Accepted Answer

None of these statements is entirely true. While official government statistics are generally rigorous and carefully collected, they are not infallible. Additionally, the validity and reliability of statistics can vary depending on factors such as the methodology used to collect them, the sample size, and the accuracy and honesty of the data sources. Therefore, it is important to critically evaluate existing statistics before using them in research or decision-making.

Question 2

The adage that you must walk a mile in another person's shoes before judging the person is similar to which of the following concepts?
A)verstehen.
B)foot sense.
C)ideal types.
D)all of these.

Accepted Answer

The adage "walk a mile in another person's shoes before judging them" emphasizes understanding and empathizing with another person's perspective, which is the essence of the sociological concept of "verstehen." Foot sense and ideal types are not related to this concept.

Question 3

Professor Jenner was interested in using Census Bureau data to examine the trend in unemployment rates in the United States.However,Jenner's definition of unemployment did not match the one used by the Census Bureau.Jenner was dealing with the issue of
A)reliability.
B)validity.
C)the ecological fallacy.
D)ideal types.
E)verstehen.

Accepted Answer

Jenner's issue relates to the concept of validity, which refers to the extent to which a measure accurately captures the concept it is intended to measure. In this case, Jenner's definition of unemployment did not match the one used by the Census Bureau, so using their data to examine unemployment rates would not accurately capture his intended concept of unemployment.

Question 4

Historical research can involve quantitative as well as qualitative methods.

Accepted Answer

Historical research can use both quantitative methods (such as statistical analysis of data) and qualitative methods (such as analysis of primary sources and narratives).

Question 5

Cluster sampling techniques should NOT be used in content analysis.

Accepted Answer

Cluster sampling can be used in content analysis to efficiently handle large populations by dividing them into clusters and then sampling from those clusters.

Question 6

Which of the following statements is/are true about historical/comparative analysis?
A)It is comparative in that it seeks to discover common patterns that recur in different times and places.
B)Primary sources for raw data might include old letters, diaries, or lectures.
C)Flaws might exist in both primary as well as secondary sources.
D)Even official government records might be biased.
E)All of these.

Accepted Answer

All of the statements are true. Historical/comparative analysis involves comparing various historical events, cultures, and societies to identify common patterns. Primary sources for raw data can include old letters, diaries, or lectures, but flaws can exist in both primary and secondary sources. Even official government records might be biased, so it is important to take all sources into account when conducting historical/comparative analysis.

Question 7

In which of the following analyses is content analysis least likely to be useful?
A)themes in newspaper editorials.
B)the wording of this exam.
C)topics covered in class lectures.
D)the theme of love as discussed in song.
E)dating patterns among high school seniors.

Accepted Answer

Content analysis is least useful for analyzing dating patterns among high school seniors because it is a method used to analyze textual, visual, or audio content, not behavioral patterns or social interactions.

Question 8

In comparison to coding the manifest content of communication,coding the latent content
A)has a disadvantage in terms of validity.
B)has an advantage in terms of reliability.
C)is better designed for tapping the underlying meaning of communications.
D)has an advantage in terms of specificity.

Accepted Answer

Coding the latent content of communication is better designed for tapping the underlying meaning of communications, as it involves identifying the symbolic or hidden meanings behind the words being used. While coding the manifest content may have advantages in terms of validity and specificity, it may not reveal the full meaning or intention behind the communication. Additionally, coding the latent content may also have advantages in terms of inter-rater reliability, as multiple coders may agree on the underlying meaning despite differences in how they interpret the manifest content.

Question 9

Which of the following statements is true about the strengths or weaknesses of content analysis?
A)It is likely to be economical in terms of time and money.
B)It is hard to correct mistakes.
C)It cannot study processes that occur over time.
D)It is obtrusive.

Accepted Answer

Content analysis can be a cost-effective method of data analysis, as it involves examining existing materials rather than conducting expensive new research.

Question 10

After examining the FBI Crime Reports for a 30-year period,Professor Hall claimed that the incidence of rape has increased.After examining the same reports,Professor Shine claimed that the reporting of rape,not the incidence of rape,has increased.This illustrates
A)the problem of reliability in using existing statistics.
B)the problem of validity in using existing statistics.
C)the need to replicate existing statistics.
D)the ecological fallacy.

Accepted Answer

The answer of After examining the FBI Crime Reports for...

Question 11

Professor Perlman from question 4 found that textbook A contained the word "he" 80 times,whereas textbook B contained it 20 times.In addition,textbook A used the word "chairman" 16 times,whereas textbook B used it only 4 times.Perlman was correct in concluding that
A)textbook A was four times as sexist as textbook B.
B)textbook B was one-fourth as sexist as textbook A.
C)the words "he" and "chairman" appeared four times more in textbook A than in textbook B.
D)all of these.

Accepted Answer

Textbook A used the words "he" and "chairman" four times more than textbook B, as shown by the counts provided.

Question 12

An ideal type is a conceptual model composed of the essential characteristics of social phenomena.

Accepted Answer

This is the correct definition of an ideal type. It was developed by Max Weber as a way to understand and analyze complex social phenomena by identifying their essential characteristics.

Question 13

A researcher using official government documents need not be concerned about the reliability of those records.

Accepted Answer

While official government documents are generally considered reliable sources of information, they can still contain errors, biases, or deliberate misinformation. It is always important for researchers to critically evaluate any source of information, including official government documents.

Question 14

Secondary analysis refers to the analysis of data collected by another researcher for a purpose similar to your research interests.

Accepted Answer

Secondary analysis involves using data collected by someone else for a similar research purpose, rather than collecting new data.

Question 15

Latent coding has the advantage of tapping underlying meanings,while reliability is an advantage of manifest coding

Accepted Answer

Latent coding involves identifying underlying meanings and themes in data, while manifest coding involves identifying obvious or surface-level content. While latent coding may yield richer insights, it can also be more subjective and less reliable than manifest coding, which relies on clearly defined categories and codes. Therefore, reliability is considered an advantage of manifest coding.

Question 16

Professor Perlman was interested in comparing two textbooks to determine whether one used more sexist language than the other.Perlman counted the number of times a gender reference appeared in each book.Perlman was doing
A)latent content coding.
B)manifest content coding.
C)quota sampling.
D)theoretical sampling.

Accepted Answer

Professor Perlman was counting and coding the manifest or obvious content of the texts by identifying the number of times a gender reference appeared in each book. Therefore, this is an example of manifest content coding.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a limitation of secondary analysis?
A)Large chunks of data might be missing.
B)There might be no variation in a variable that you want to analyze.
C)Trends over time cannot be assessed.
D)The variable might have been defined in a way that does not match your definition of that variable.

Accepted Answer

Trends over time can be assessed through secondary analysis, as long as the data collected over time is available. The other options are valid limitations of secondary analysis.

Question 18

For social scientists,an advantage to utilizing available records for data is
A)the reliability and validity of the data am guaranteed.
B)the reliability and validity of the data can easily be assessed and connected, if necessary.
C)the reports are very accurate.
D)the data can be obtained with limited financial cost.
E)the data is already in ideal types.

Accepted Answer

Utilizing available records for data can save researchers significant financial costs since the data has already been collected and compiled.

Question 19

Which of the following is true about negative case testing in qualitative content analysis?
A)It does NOT apply to hypothesis testing.
B)The data should be searched to find all cases that would contradict the original hypothesis.
C)It is a deductive process.
D)None of these.

Accepted Answer

Negative case testing in qualitative content analysis involves searching for cases that would contradict the original hypothesis. It is a way to test the validity and robustness of the findings. Option A is incorrect as negative case testing can be applied to hypothesis testing. Option C is also incorrect as it involves an inductive process, where hypotheses are derived from the data rather than tested against it. Option D is incorrect as B is the correct answer.

Question 20

As a mode of observation,content analysis is essentially an operation of coding.

Accepted Answer

Content analysis involves systematically coding and categorizing data based on pre-determined criteria or codes.

Quiz 16: Analyzing Available Records: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods

Which of the following statements is true about analyzing existing statistics?

The adage that you must walk a mile in another person's shoes before judging the person is similar to which of the following concepts?

Professor Jenner was interested in using Census Bureau data to examine the trend in unemployment rates in the United States.However,Jenner's definition of unemployment did not match the one used by the Census Bureau.Jenner was dealing with the issue of

Historical research can involve quantitative as well as qualitative methods.

Cluster sampling techniques should NOT be used in content analysis.

Which of the following statements is/are true about historical/comparative analysis?

In which of the following analyses is content analysis least likely to be useful?

In comparison to coding the manifest content of communication,coding the latent content

Which of the following statements is true about the strengths or weaknesses of content analysis?

After examining the FBI Crime Reports for a 30-year period,Professor Hall claimed that the incidence of rape has increased.After examining the same reports,Professor Shine claimed that the reporting of rape,not the incidence of rape,has increased.This illustrates

Professor Perlman from question 4 found that textbook A contained the word "he" 80 times,whereas textbook B contained it 20 times.In addition,textbook A used the word "chairman" 16 times,whereas textbook B used it only 4 times.Perlman was correct in concluding that

An ideal type is a conceptual model composed of the essential characteristics of social phenomena.

A researcher using official government documents need not be concerned about the reliability of those records.

Secondary analysis refers to the analysis of data collected by another researcher for a purpose similar to your research interests.

Latent coding has the advantage of tapping underlying meanings,while reliability is an advantage of manifest coding

Professor Perlman was interested in comparing two textbooks to determine whether one used more sexist language than the other.Perlman counted the number of times a gender reference appeared in each book.Perlman was doing

Which of the following is NOT a limitation of secondary analysis?

For social scientists,an advantage to utilizing available records for data is

Which of the following is true about negative case testing in qualitative content analysis?

As a mode of observation,content analysis is essentially an operation of coding.