Question 1

A _______ is the process of collecting information from volunteer respondents for the purpose of explaining, describing, or comparing people's knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.

Accepted Answer

A survey is a very commonly-used method in social science because it affords respondents with opportunities to provide their levels of knowledge, express their opinions, and state their behaviors on a wide range of subjects.

Question 2

Masters and Johnson believed that to understand human sexual behavior, researchers should _______.

Accepted Answer

Masters and Johnson were innovators in many aspects of human sexuality research; their belief that studying physiological responses was key to understanding human sexuality was one such example.

Question 3

Researchers conducting a sex survey who are interested in establishing a trusting rapport with participants and who wish to have more flexibility when asking planned and follow-up questions should use which of the following?

Accepted Answer

During the course of a survey, researchers may wish to ask additional questions, or he/she can request clarification or elaboration from a respondent. This is more readily accomplished when the researcher employs a face-to-face interview with the respondent.

Question 4

Large-scale surveys of sexual behavior and attitudes were pioneered by _______ in the 1940s.

Accepted Answer

Kinsey was the first one to do this type of research.

Question 5

In 2002, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began a study of human sexuality using face-to-face interviews with over 5,000 men and women in the United States.What is the name of that study?

Accepted Answer

The National Survey of Family Growth is an example of an ongoing, large-scale longitudinal survey.

Question 6

Individuals selected to respond to a researcher's request for information are called _______.

Accepted Answer

A respondent is one who provides information in a social science survey.

Question 7

Dr.Levin allowed members of his target population to volunteer to participate in his study.As a result, the findings of Dr.Levin's study were influenced by _______.

Accepted Answer

Self-selection bias occurs when members of a target population volunteer to participate in a study. Such a bias can cause the results of a study to be called into question.

Question 8

People who take a course in human sexuality _______.

Accepted Answer

Taking a human sexuality class exposes people to material that is often thought of as embarrassing or controversial. Such exposure can alleviate their discomfort in discussing such matters.

Question 9

A researcher is conducting a sex survey and would like to use a method that allows for both anonymity and flexibility in questioning.Which type of survey should this researcher use?

Accepted Answer

If the researcher is speaking directly to the respondent, the former can ask additional questions, or he/she can request clarification or elaboration. The anonymity of the telephone survey allows the respondent to provide only as much personal information as he/she wishes.

Question 10

A researcher conducted a study about flirting behavior among adults.She gathered data by watching the behavior of adults in public places such as bars and nightclubs.The _______ research method was used in this study.

Accepted Answer

When social scientists engage in people-watching, they are doing observational research.

Question 11

Surveys conducted over the Internet _______.

Accepted Answer

The ubiquity of the Internet allows survey researchers to enjoy advantages with regard to the number of respondents who can be accessed, as well as in their geographical distribution. The Internet also can shorten the time it takes to complete a potentially large-scale survey.

Question 12

Which of the following describes a flaw in the methodology used in surveys found in magazines?

Accepted Answer

Most magazines are geared to specific types of readers rather than to the general public. Such a phenomenon ensures that a survey done by any given magazine will probably not be representative of the American population as a whole.

Question 13

Professor Jones is attempting to apply his study's findings to all students enrolled in sexuality classes.All students enrolled in sexuality classes are considered Professor Jones' _______.

Accepted Answer

The target population is the group on whom research is focused, and to whom findings will be applied.

Question 14

Professor Karney's target population consisted of several thousand people, so he decided to select a sample in such a way that each member of the target population had an equal chance of being selected.Which of the following terms describes the method he used to select a sample?

Accepted Answer

The term random sampling is a method of selecting the individuals who actually participate in a research project in such a way that each member of the target population has an equal chance of being chosen.

Question 15

A research study that compared volunteer and randomly-selected participants for sexuality research revealed that _______.

Accepted Answer

People who volunteer to participate in research projects often differ from randomly-selected participants on a number of important variables. An example of a specific variable is age; volunteers tend to be younger than those who are randomly selected.

Question 16

Dr.George is beginning a study in which he will ask participants to give personal and potentially sensitive information about their sexual attitudes and behaviors.Which survey method should he use to get the most honest replies?

Accepted Answer

The survey that consists of a self-administered questionnaire affords the researcher with the greatest potential for obtaining information as potentially sensitive as an individual's sexual attitudes and behaviors.

Question 17

Professor Franco is interested in collecting data from a group of individuals concerning their sexual beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.Which research method should Professor Franco use to obtain those kinds of data?

Accepted Answer

A survey is the most commonly-used method to explore respondents' beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors about sexual issues.

Question 18

The term used to describe a subset of the target population selected by researchers to represent the entire population under study is the _______.

Accepted Answer

It is not always feasible or necessary to contact every member of the target population, so a representative sample of that group is used.

Question 19

Dr.Grenier is studying the sexual behaviors of American millionaires.Should Dr.Grenier go to the local welfare office and ask people waiting in line to receive food stamps to fill out his questionnaire?

Accepted Answer

Many research projects fail because their samples are not representative of their population; this question provides a glaring example of a sample that would not be representative of the target population. Millionaires are not usually found waiting in line in a welfare office.

Question 20

When conducting a research study, _______.

Accepted Answer

Statistical analysis of data can provide additional understanding and insight into many types of social science research results.

Quiz 1: Studying Human Sexuality