Question 1

What stage of the research design is the researcher dealing with when he or she is facing the question "from whom or what information would be gathered"?

Accepted Answer

The question "from whom or what information would be gathered" pertains to the unit of analysis or the specific individuals, groups, or objects that will be studied in the research.

Question 2

Professor Dooley examined the literature on AIDS and could find nothing that examined children's attitudes toward parents and friends with AIDS. To examine this topic, Dooley should undertake a(n):

Accepted Answer

An exploratory study is used when there is little existing research on a topic and the goal is to gain a better understanding of it. Since Professor Dooley could find no literature on children's attitudes toward parents and friends with AIDS, an exploratory study would be the best choice to begin investigating this topic. A descriptive study would be used if the goal was to simply describe the attitudes of children once they were already identified, whereas an explanatory study would be used if the goal was to determine the cause-and-effect relationship between variables. A panel study involves observing the same group of individuals over a period of time, which would not be applicable to this particular research question. Examination of reductionism does not necessarily apply to this research question.

Question 3

A research proposal describes what you intend to accomplish and how.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 4

Professor Sheckler is looking to study the career trajectories of a specific group of college students, following the same individuals through their senior year and then five years afterward. What form of research methodology would he be using?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Professor Sheckler is looking to study the...

Question 5

The topic of surrogate mothers interested Professor Snyder. Snyder read the available materials on the topic and wanted to develop an age, education, and income profile of women who serve as surrogate mothers in the United States. To develop this profile, Snyder should undertake a(n):

Accepted Answer

A descriptive study would be the best option to develop an age, education, and income profile of women who serve as surrogate mothers in the United States. Descriptive studies are used to describe characteristics of a population or phenomenon being studied. A trend study would look at changes over time, while an explanatory study would aim to identify cause-and-effect relationships. A panel study would involve following a group of individuals over a period of time, while a cohort study would involve following a specific subset of a population and tracking outcomes.

Question 6

The final stage of the research process is:

Accepted Answer

The final stage of the research process is application, where findings are used to inform decisions, policies, or further research.

Question 7

Tyler finds that in burglary cases male and female jurors are equally likely to vote to acquit. Tyler should conclude that:

Accepted Answer

Tyler's observation suggests that gender does not play a role in the verdict in burglary cases. Therefore, there is no relationship between gender and verdict in burglary cases.

Question 8

In Sweden, there is a very strong correlation between the number of storks and the number of babies born. However, both of these variables are associated with region (rural vs. urban). This illustrates:

Accepted Answer

The correlation between the number of storks and the number of babies born is likely a coincidence, and there is no causal relationship between these variables. The association with region also suggests that other factors, such as access to healthcare and cultural differences, may be influencing the number of births. Option A, B, D, and E are all unsupported by the information given.

Question 9

Professor Root was studying the arrest rates for driving under the influence in urban and rural areas of Ohio. It was found that the arrest rate was higher in the rural areas. Professor Root concluded that people who live in rural areas are more likely to drive while intoxicated than are people who live in urban areas. Root's conclusion illustrates the:

Accepted Answer

Professor Root's conclusion illustrates the ecological fallacy, which occurs when conclusions are drawn about individuals based solely on group data. Just because the rural area has a higher arrest rate for driving under the influence, it does not mean that individuals in the rural area are more likely to drive while intoxicated. This conclusion is drawn by assuming that the group characteristic is representative of the individual characteristics.

Question 10

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following statements is TRUE?
...

Question 11

Research designs are descriptive, explanatory, or exploratory-never more than one.

Accepted Answer

Research designs can be descriptive, explanatory, or exploratory, but they can also be a combination of these types. For example, a study that describes the characteristics of a population (descriptive) and then investigates the factors that influence those characteristics (explanatory) would be considered a mixed-methods research design.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a cross-sectional study?

Accepted Answer

A cross-sectional study is conducted at only one point in time and provides a "snapshot" of a population. It can be exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory, and it provides a means for studying a large population at the same point in time. However, it does not concentrate on changes that take place over a period of time in a specific sample. This is a characteristic of a longitudinal study.

Question 13

The use of a selection of newspaper articles on racial discrimination as a unit of analysis would be an example of:

Accepted Answer

The use of newspaper articles on racial discrimination as a unit of analysis falls under social artifacts, which are elements of culture that provide evidence of social behavior and values. The articles can provide insight into the prevalence and nature of racial discrimination in a society, and how it is perceived and reported on by the media.

Question 14

Explanatory studies are designed to find answers to which of the following questions?

Accepted Answer

Explanatory studies are designed to find answers to why or how questions. Option B is the only question that begins with "why." The other options are descriptive and seek to provide information about a group or population.

Question 15

Rose is conducting a study where she intends to follow a random selection of teenagers over a five-year period. Each year she will randomly sample 500 individuals from a total of 50 high schools. What form of research is she performing?

Accepted Answer

A cohort study follows a group of individuals over a period of time, in this case, a five-year period. The random selection of teenagers from 50 high schools represents the cohort that will be followed. Additionally, the fact that the same individuals are being followed over time (yearly sampling from the initial cohort) indicates a cohort study.

Question 16

A single U.S. census is a:

Accepted Answer

A U.S. census is a cross-sectional study as it collects data from a population at a single point in time. Panel studies involve collecting data from the same group of individuals over multiple time points, time series studies analyze changes in data over time, trend studies compare data from different groups over time, and longitudinal studies follow individuals over time.

Question 17

Professor Stone designs a study to examine the effect of a teenage pregnancy on the career choices of the teens. Stone interviews a sample of teenage women during their pregnancy, after the birth, and one year later. Stone is using a:

Accepted Answer

Professor Stone is using a panel study because they are following the same group of participants (teenage women) over time (during pregnancy, after birth, and one year later).

Question 18

Researchers ignore previous work on a topic so that their research can be original.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Researchers ignore previous work on a topic...

Question 19

If a researcher were conducting a study of women's attitudes toward abortion, the unit of analysis would be:

Accepted Answer

The unit of analysis refers to the entity or level of social reality being studied. In this case, the researcher is studying women's attitudes toward abortion, which is an individual-level phenomenon. Therefore, the unit of analysis is the individual woman and her attitudes toward abortion.

Question 20

Which of the following studies uncovers only net changes?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following studies uncovers only...

Quiz 4: Research Design