Question 1

When reading a table, the________ states the topic of the table.

Accepted Answer

The title of a table states the topic of the table, providing a clear indication of what information or data the table contains.

Question 2

In Humphrey's study, the men who acted as an early warning signal for police were called:

Accepted Answer

In Humphrey's study, the men who acted as an early warning signal for police in gay tearooms were referred to as "watchqueens."

Question 3

A[n] ____is a factor that varies from one case to another.

Accepted Answer

A variable is a characteristic, number, or quantity that increases or decreases over time, or takes different values in different situations.

Question 4

Jessica has decided to repeat Max's study of spousal abuse to test the findings. This process is known as:

Accepted Answer

Replication is the process of repeating a study or experiment to test the findings and ensure their reliability and validity.

Question 5

Phillip would like to collect information from a large number of people, but only has a limited budget. In order to sample a large number, but to keep the cost low, Phillip will most likely use _______ as a research method.

Accepted Answer

Self-administered questionnaires are cost-effective and can reach a large number of people, making them suitable for Phillip's needs.

Question 6

Studying _______would be considered a legitimate topic for sociological research.

Accepted Answer

Sociology is the study of human society and social behavior, including how people interact and organize themselves. People's disgusting or inappropriate behavior falls under the purview of sociological research because it involves understanding social norms, deviance, and the social construction of morality.

Question 7

Laud Humphrey's research focused on:

Accepted Answer

Laud Humphrey's research is most notably recognized for his study on anonymous sex among men in public restrooms, which he detailed in his work "Tearoom Trade: Impersonal Sex in Public Places."

Question 8

After research is published, the research "belongs" to the scientific community and the findings are available for:

Accepted Answer

Replication is the process of repeating a research study to see if the same results are obtained. This is important for verifying the validity of the original findings and for building a body of scientific knowledge.

Question 9

Although establishing rapport with participants is an important concern for researchers, it can sometimes lead to the problem of:

Accepted Answer

"Going native" refers to researchers becoming overly involved or sympathetic to the group they are studying, potentially compromising their objectivity and the study's validity. This can happen when researchers establish too deep a rapport with participants.

Question 10

Michael has conducted two studies and the results of his studies show very similar results. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

When two studies show very similar results, it is an example of reliability. Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure or the extent to which an experiment, test, or measuring procedure yields the same results on repeated trials.

Question 11

John is developing an operational definition to measure the military strength of different nations. He is concerned that his operational definition actually measures what it is intended to measure. John is concerned about the:

Accepted Answer

John's concern about whether his operational definition actually measures what it is intended to measure directly relates to the concept of validity. Validity refers to the degree to which a tool or method measures what it claims to measure.

Question 12

To be able to generalize your findings to a total population, it is important to select a sample that is:

Accepted Answer

A representative sample is crucial for generalizing findings to the total population because it reflects the characteristics of the entire group, ensuring that the conclusions drawn from the sample are applicable to the broader population.

Question 13

Max has formulated a hypothesis that men who are unemployed are more likely to abuse their wives than men that are employed. In this statement, unemployed and employed are termed:

Accepted Answer

Unemployed and employed are considered variables because they represent characteristics or conditions that can change or vary from one individual to another within the context of the hypothesis.

Question 14

In a _______sample, everyone in the population has the same chance of being included in the study.

Accepted Answer

In a random sample, every individual in the population has an equal opportunity of being selected, ensuring that the sample represents the population as closely as possible without bias.

Question 15

Max is a graduate student in sociology. He has decided to research and find out if unemployment contributes to the problem of spousal abuse. After deciding on his topic and defining the problem, the next step in his research should be to:

Accepted Answer

After defining the problem, the next step in the research process is to review the literature. This involves examining existing research and studies on the topic to gain a deeper understanding of what has already been discovered and to identify gaps that the new research could fill.

Question 16

A[n] ________predicts a relationship between or among variables.

Accepted Answer

A hypothesis predicts a relationship between or among variables, proposing a possible outcome that can be tested through research.

Question 17

Data are considered to be _______when the operational definitions measure what they are intended to measure.

Accepted Answer

Data are considered to be valid when the operational definitions measure what they are intended to measure. Validity refers to the accuracy of the measurement, i.e., whether it measures what it claims to measure.

Question 18

If Frannie, a sociologist, wanted to know how many families decorated the outside of their homes at Christmas time in her town, she would most likely use which type of research method?

Accepted Answer

Surveys are the most efficient method for collecting data from a large number of respondents within a short period. They are particularly useful for gathering information on practices, behaviors, or opinions, such as the prevalence of Christmas decoration among families in a town.

Question 19

The term______ refers to the extent to which different studies come up with similar results.

Accepted Answer

Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure, including the extent to which different studies or research efforts yield similar results under consistent conditions.

Question 20

Max wants to test his hypothesis that unemployed men are more likely to commit spousal abuse than men who are employed. He is most likely to use a _______analysis to test his hypothesis.

Accepted Answer

Max's hypothesis involves comparing rates of spousal abuse between two groups (unemployed men vs. employed men), which requires numerical data analysis to determine if there is a statistically significant difference between the two groups. Therefore, a quantitative analysis, which involves the collection and statistical analysis of data, is most appropriate for testing this hypothesis.

Quiz 2: What Do Sociologists Do