Question 1

Corey wants to survey prisoners about their experience with violence inside the penitentiary. In Corey's study, prisoners are the:

Accepted Answer

The population is the group of individuals that the researcher wants to learn about, in this case, prisoners. The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated or changed by the researcher, and it is not applicable to this study. The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured in response to the independent variable, and it is also not applicable to this study. Cohort refers to a group of people who share a common characteristic, such as being born in the same year or participating in the same study, but it is not the best choice for this study as the focus is specifically on prisoners. Therefore, the best choice is A, prisoners are the population being studied by Corey.

Question 2

What can arise when people recognize a problem and take action to deal with it?

Accepted Answer

When people recognize a problem and take action to deal with it, it can lead to the development of social policies. Social policies are formal guidelines, plans, and actions that governments and other organizations use to address social problems. By recognizing and addressing a problem, individuals and groups can advocate for changes in policy and work towards a solution. Triangulation refers to the use of multiple methods or sources to validate research findings, operationalization refers to the process of defining a concept in order to measure it, and ethnography is a research approach that involves studying a culture or group of people through observation and participation. While these concepts may be relevant to addressing social problems in certain contexts, they are not directly related to the question at hand.

Question 3

Michelle is examining the eating habits of students at the local university. Which of the following would be an example of triangulation?

Accepted Answer

Triangulation involves using multiple methods or sources of data to confirm or cross-check findings. In this case, Michelle is using both quantitative (food sales) and qualitative (in-depth interviews) data, which would be an example of triangulation. The other options involve collecting data through different means, but they do not necessarily involve triangulation.

Question 4

Imani is conducting research on car accidents in Canada. Imani finds that as the number of hours that local bars stay open increases, the number of car accidents also increases. As such, the relationship between car accidents and bar hours involves a:

Accepted Answer

A positive correlation describes a relationship where both variables increase or decrease together. In this case, as the number of hours that local bars stay open increases, the number of car accidents also increases, indicating a positive correlation between the two variables.

Question 5

Rosa is conducting cross-sectional research on the exercise habits of pet owners in Ottawa. How might she collect her data?

Accepted Answer

Conducting surveys of pet owners in Ottawa would be the most effective way for Rosa to collect data on the exercise habits of pet owners in the city. This would allow her to directly ask pet owners about their exercise habits and obtain accurate and specific information about their routines. Conducting interviews over a 10-year period would not be efficient or necessary for the purposes of her research, collecting existing data from a variety of sources may not provide the specific information she needs, and relying on studies conducted in other cities may not accurately reflect the exercise habits of pet owners in Ottawa.

Question 6

Which term refers to the scientific procedures that sociologists use to conduct research and collect data about a particular topic?

Accepted Answer

Research methods refer to the scientific procedures that sociologists use to conduct research and collect data about a particular topic. Reliability and validity are important components of research methods, but they do not encompass the entire process of conducting sociological research. Objectivity is also important, but it is more of a goal than a specific method.

Question 7

Lance is conducting research on the employment-seeking skills of homeless people in Vancouver. Lance poses as a volunteer at a homeless shelter so that he can study homeless people in their natural environment. This is an example of which type of field research?

Accepted Answer

Lance is participating in the environment and observing the participants, which is an example of participant observation.

Question 8

Dr. Lergo selected a sample of 250 Canadian truck drivers and interviewed them on their use of driving log books. Dr. Lergo takes the findings from the sample and applies them to all truck drivers in Canada. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

This is an example of generalization because Dr. Lergo is taking the findings from a small sample of Canadian truck drivers and applying them to all truck drivers in Canada. This assumes that the sample is representative of the entire population of Canadian truck drivers and that the findings can be generalized to the larger population.

Question 9

Jessica is interested in the number of females in leadership positions in Fortune 500 companies. Jessica's research is:

Accepted Answer

Jessica's research is focused on collecting numerical data about the number of females in leadership positions in Fortune 500 companies. This type of research is quantitative in nature as it involves collecting and analyzing numerical data through statistical methods.

Question 10

Martin has decided to do a study of how much students spend on textbooks. Which of the following would be the most reliable measure of the cost of a student's textbooks?

Accepted Answer

Looking at the bookstore receipt would provide an accurate and objective measure of how much a student spent on textbooks, whereas asking students how much they spent may not be accurate as they may not remember, may not include all their textbooks, or may exaggerate/inflate the cost. Calculating an average cost per discipline or counting the number of books bought would not give an accurate measure of an individual student's textbook cost.

Question 11

Dr. Crumbly measured student success using grade point average (GPA). Because GPA actually measures student success, Mr. Crumbly's research has:

Accepted Answer

Validity refers to the degree to which a measure accurately reflects the concept it is intended to measure. In this case, GPA is being used as a measure of student success, and it is a valid measure for this purpose.

Question 12

Bobby wants to ensure that his sample looks like the population that he is studying. Bobby should use:

Accepted Answer

A random sample ensures that every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected, thus increasing the likelihood of the sample being representative of the population as a whole. Oversampling can introduce bias, triangulation is a method of combining multiple sources of data to increase validity, and a case study involves studying a single individual or small group, which may not be representative of the larger population.

Question 13

Lila is studying the relationship that develops between drug users and drug dealers. Lila wants to understand the behaviours and attitudes of the subjects from the actors' point of view. According to Max Weber, Lila is practicing:

Accepted Answer

Max Weber's concept of verstehen refers to the understanding, empathy, and interpretation of social behavior and relationships from the point of view of the subjects involved. In this case, Lila is trying to understand the behaviors and attitudes of drug users and dealers from their own perspective, which aligns with the concept of verstehen.

Question 14

Dr. Yi's research examines how attitudes towards the Canadian government have changed over a 30-year period. Dr. Yi's project is an example of a(n) ____________________ study.

Accepted Answer

A longitudinal study involves following a group of subjects over a period of time to observe changes in behavior or attitudes. In this case, Dr. Yi is examining attitudes towards the Canadian government over a 30-year period, which is a clear example of a longitudinal study. Cross-sectional studies compare different groups at a single point in time, comparative studies analyze differences between two or more groups or variables, and experimental studies manipulate variables to determine cause-and-effect relationships.

Question 15

Professor Pettigrew's class will be conducting social research. Their first step is to:

Accepted Answer

The first step in conducting social research is to decide on a topic. This will guide the entire research process including developing a hypothesis, reviewing the literature, collecting data, and analyzing the results.

Question 16

David is studying the behaviour of fans during college football games. David conducts this research in the stadium, the natural setting for football games. This is an example of____________________.

Accepted Answer

Field research involves conducting research in a natural setting or environment, which is exactly what David is doing by studying football fans in a stadium. Survey research involves collecting data through questionnaires or surveys, which David is not doing in this scenario. Secondary data analysis involves analyzing data that has already been collected by someone else, which is not applicable here. An experiment involves manipulating variables to see the effect on an outcome, which David is not doing in this scenario.

Question 17

Carlos is studying the relationship between cheating and divorce among married couples. He wants household income to be a control variable. Which is the best way for Carlos to do this?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Carlos is studying the relationship between cheating...

Question 18

Samir is studying income and voting behaviour. Which of the following is an example of a hypothesis for this study?

Accepted Answer

This statement presents a clear relationship between income and voting behavior, making it a testable hypothesis. A and B are general research questions, and D is not a testable hypothesis.

Question 19

Erika is doing a survey on people's opinions about abortion. Although Erika is opposed to abortion, she does not allow her personal biases to prejudice her research. This suggests that Erika is practicing:

Accepted Answer

Objectivity refers to the ability to remain unbiased and neutral in research, despite personal beliefs or opinions. This is exactly what Erika is doing in her survey on people's opinions about abortion. Ethics, validity, and reliability are all important aspects of research, but they do not necessarily address the issue of personal bias.

Question 20

Professor Herchak is researching the study habits of students at the college where he teaches. Which of the following is an example of a convenience sample?

Accepted Answer

A convenience sample involves selecting participants that are easiest to access. In this case, choosing all the students in his two sections of Introduction to Sociology is an example of a convenience sample because these students are readily accessible to Professor Herchak.

Quiz 2: Sociological Research