Question 1

Despite a record number of cars being stolen in Newark, NJ, in 2000, Newark's auto theft rate was really lower than that of Miami, Denver, and Chicago. What is unit of analysis used in this example?
A) group
B) organization
C) individual
D) social artifacts

Accepted Answer

The unit of analysis refers to the major entity that is being analyzed in a study. In this example, the focus is on comparing the auto theft rates among different cities (Newark, Miami, Denver, and Chicago), which are considered as groups. Therefore, the correct unit of analysis is "group".

Question 2

After a one-year study of the recidivism rates of boot camps in the state of Georgia, the lowest rates were found in the boot camps located in Macon. What units of analysis were used in this study?
A) social artifacts
B) individuals
C) groups
D) organizations

Accepted Answer

The units of analysis in this study are organizations, as the study focuses on comparing recidivism rates across different boot camps, which are specific types of organizations, in the state of Georgia.

Question 3

Which of the following is not a type of longitudinal study?
A) cross-sectional study
B) panel study
C) trend study
D) cohort study

Accepted Answer

Cross-sectional study is a type of research design that compares different groups of people at the same point in time, whereas the other options listed (panel study, trend study, and cohort study) are all forms of longitudinal studies that follow the same group of participants over time.

Question 4

In a general sense, external validity is concerned with whether research findings from one study can be
A) exhaustingly conclusive
B) reproduced in another study, often under different conditions
C) reproduced in another study, often under the same conditions
D) validated by the National Academy to Advance Scientific Learning

Accepted Answer

External validity refers to the extent to which research findings can be generalized to other populations, settings, and conditions beyond the original study. B is the best choice because it captures the idea that findings should be able to be replicated in other studies, even if the conditions are different from the original study. A is incorrect because research findings are rarely exhaustingly conclusive. C is incorrect because external validity specifically refers to generalizing findings to other conditions beyond the original study. D is incorrect because there is no such thing as the National Academy to Advance Scientific Learning.

Question 5

What type of study attempts to account for errors in drawing a sample by measuring the same people on two or more occasions?
A) cohort study
B) panel study
C) trend study
D) cross-sectional study

Accepted Answer

A panel study attempts to account for errors in drawing a sample by measuring the same people on two or more occasions.

Question 6

Which of the following would serve as an example of a cross-sectional study?
A) Uniform Crime Reports
B) the 2010 U.S. census
C) a single wave of the National Crime Victimization Survey
D) both Uniform Crime Reports and a single wave of the National Crime Victimization Survey

Accepted Answer

Cross-sectional studies involve observations of all of a population or a representative subset at one specific point in time. Both Uniform Crime Reports and a single wave of the National Crime Victimization Survey are examples of cross-sectional studies because they collect data at a single point in time or over a short period, providing a "snapshot" of the situation.

Question 7

Regarding nomothetic explanation, which of the following specific criteria for causality do researchers consider?
A) Two variables must vary together-they must be empirically correlated.
B) The cause must occur before the effect.
C) The empirical correlation between cause and effect is not due to some other factor.
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

The answer of Regarding nomothetic explanation, which of the following...

Question 8

Which of the following would not be an example of social artifacts as units of analysis?
A) newspaper editorials
B) probation officers
C) television news programs
D) diaries

Accepted Answer

Probation officers are individuals, not social artifacts. The other options are all examples of social artifacts as they are created and circulated within society.

Question 9

The well-known Kansas City Preventive Patrol Experiment, discussed in Chapter 1, provides another example of
A) construct validity problems
B) internal validity problems
C) statistical validity problems
D) replication validity problems

Accepted Answer

The Kansas City Preventive Patrol Experiment is often cited as an example of construct validity problems because it raises questions about what exactly is being measured when assessing the effectiveness of police patrols.

Question 10

Households used by the National Crime Victimization Survey are an example of which unit of analysis?
A) individuals
B) groups
C) social artifacts
D) organizations

Accepted Answer

The National Crime Victimization Survey uses households as the unit of analysis, which is a form of a group. The survey collects data on crimes experienced by individual members of the household, but the household as a whole is the unit of analysis.

Question 11

After careful study of the relationship between the economy and arson, the conclusion was drawn that when the economy is poor and unemployment is high arson rates go up. The researcher concluded that unemployed people are more likely to commit arson than are those that are employed. What error was just committed?
A) the ecological fallacy
B) reductionism
C) using the wrong time dimension
D) an internal validity threat

Accepted Answer

The ecological fallacy occurs when conclusions about individual behavior are drawn from aggregate data. In this case, the researcher inferred individual actions (unemployed people committing arson) from broad economic trends, which is a classic example of the ecological fallacy.

Question 12

Which of the following would not be an example of organizations as units of analysis?
A) police departments
B) federal courthouses
C) drug treatment facilities
D) civilians in the military

Accepted Answer

Civilians in the military do not represent an organization as a unit of analysis. They may be a part of an organization, but they do not represent an organization in and of themselves. The other choices (police departments, federal courthouses, and drug treatment facilities) all represent specific organizations that can be studied as units of analysis.

Question 13

Causally related can also be expressed as
A) one relies upon the other
B) one precedes the other
C) one causes the other
D) none of the above

Accepted Answer

Causal relationship means one event causes another event. Therefore, option C, "one causes the other," is the best choice. Options A and B could describe a causal relationship, but they do not necessarily imply causation. Option D is incorrect because if two events are causally related, then one event does affect the occurrence of the other.

Question 14

In examining the relationship between drug use and crime discussed in your text, which of the following represents an internal validity threat?
A) the amount of variation in drug use and crime participation
B) the different patterns among different population groups means that there is no cause-and-effect relationship
C) both drug use and crime can be attributed to other causes
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

Option C states that both drug use and crime can be attributed to other causes, which is an internal validity threat to the relationship between drug use and crime. This suggests that there may be other variables that could explain the relationship between drug use and crime, making it difficult to isolate the true causal relationship between the two variables. Options A and B do not represent internal validity threats. Option A refers to the degree of variation in drug use and crime, which is not necessarily a threat to internal validity. Option B describes the fact that different population groups may have different patterns of drug use and crime, which is more of a general limitation of the study rather than a specific internal validity threat.

Question 15

Which of the following would be an example of a retrospective approach to longitudinal studies?
A) asking how many victims of childhood abuse later abuse their own children
B) asking how many child abuse victims' parents were also abuse victims
C) asking how many offenders incarcerated in the state of New York have high school degrees
D) none of the above is an example of a retrospective approach

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following would be an...

Question 16

The effects of violence in children's programming is a major research endeavor that requires counting the number of violent acts in Saturday morning cartoons for an entire year. The units of analysis being used for this project are
A) social artifacts
B) individuals
C) groups
D) organizations

Accepted Answer

The units of analysis being used for this project are social artifacts because the researchers are counting the number of violent acts in children's programming, which is a form of media or cultural product.

Question 17

Which of the following would serve as a "snapshot" of a phenomenon at one point in time?
A) panel study
B) cross-sectional study
C) cohort study
D) trend study

Accepted Answer

A cross-sectional study captures data from a specific population at a single point in time, providing a snapshot of the phenomenon being studied. The other options require data collection at multiple points in time.

Question 18

Marvin Wolfgang's study of males born in Philadelphia in 1945 was an attempt to measure delinquency by following those males from their tenth birthdays until they were 18. This is an example of what type of study?
A) cohort study
B) panel study
C) trend study
D) cross-sectional study

Accepted Answer

Marvin Wolfgang's study is an example of a cohort study because it follows a group of people who share a common characteristic (in this case, males born in Philadelphia in 1945) over a period of time to measure changes or developments, such as the incidence of delinquency.

Question 19

All but which of the following would be a unit of analysis?
A) individuals
B) groups
C) organizations
D) social sentiments

Accepted Answer

A social sentiment is not a concrete entity that can be measured or analyzed, therefore it cannot be a unit of analysis. The other options (individuals, groups, organizations) are all tangible units that can be studied and analyzed.

Question 20

A major Midwestern university does annual surveys of its alumni. These surveys are designed to gauge the attitudes that alumni hold about the university, its academic programs, and the major team sports. These surveys have been an annual event for the last two decades and represent which type of study?
A) cohort study
B) panel study
C) trend study
D) cross-sectional study

Accepted Answer

A trend study involves collecting data from different samples over time to identify changes or trends in the population's attitudes or behaviors. The university's annual surveys of different alumni groups each year fit this description.

Quiz 4: General Issues in Research Design

Despite a record number of cars being stolen in Newark, NJ, in 2000, Newark's auto theft rate was really lower than that of Miami, Denver, and Chicago. What is unit of analysis used in this example?

After a one-year study of the recidivism rates of boot camps in the state of Georgia, the lowest rates were found in the boot camps located in Macon. What units of analysis were used in this study?

Which of the following is not a type of longitudinal study?

In a general sense, external validity is concerned with whether research findings from one study can be

What type of study attempts to account for errors in drawing a sample by measuring the same people on two or more occasions?

Which of the following would serve as an example of a cross-sectional study?

Regarding nomothetic explanation, which of the following specific criteria for causality do researchers consider?

Which of the following would not be an example of social artifacts as units of analysis?

The well-known Kansas City Preventive Patrol Experiment, discussed in Chapter 1, provides another example of

Households used by the National Crime Victimization Survey are an example of which unit of analysis?

Which of the following would not be an example of organizations as units of analysis?

Causally related can also be expressed as

In examining the relationship between drug use and crime discussed in your text, which of the following represents an internal validity threat?

Which of the following would be an example of a retrospective approach to longitudinal studies?

The effects of violence in children's programming is a major research endeavor that requires counting the number of violent acts in Saturday morning cartoons for an entire year. The units of analysis being used for this project are

Which of the following would serve as a "snapshot" of a phenomenon at one point in time?

Marvin Wolfgang's study of males born in Philadelphia in 1945 was an attempt to measure delinquency by following those males from their tenth birthdays until they were 18. This is an example of what type of study?

All but which of the following would be a unit of analysis?