Question 1

There are several steps to critically reviewing previous research. Which of the following is NOT an example of critically reviewing previous research listed in your book?

Accepted Answer

D

Question 2

Which is the correct order of steps to developing a research question?

Accepted Answer

The correct order to develop a research question starts with identifying a broad topic of interest, then refining this topic into a more specific research question, and finally evaluating the refined question to ensure it is clear, focused, and researchable.

Question 3

In your textbook, which of the following is NOT a suggestion on best practices for searching the research literature?

Accepted Answer

Examining newspaper and magazine articles is not typically suggested as a best practice for searching academic or research literature, as these sources are not scholarly and may not provide the depth of research or peer-reviewed material often required for academic purposes.

Question 4

It is often a good idea to narrow your literature search by requiring that abstracts contain combinations of words or phrases that include more of the specific details of your research question. What is this tactic called in your book?

Accepted Answer

Using Boolean search logic involves combining keywords with operators like AND, OR, NOT to refine search results, making it a tactic for narrowing down literature searches by requiring abstracts to contain specific combinations of words or phrases.

Question 5

Dr. Smith's newly developed theory on criminal behavior cannot be tested. His research is in violation of which of the following requirements of theory?

Accepted Answer

A theory must be falsifiable, meaning it can be tested and potentially disproven through empirical evidence. If Dr. Smith's theory on criminal behavior cannot be tested, it violates the principle of falsifiability.

Question 6

Theory and data have a two-way, mutually reinforcing relationship. Researchers may make this connection by starting with a social theory and then testing some of its implications with data. What is this process called?

Accepted Answer

Deductive reasoning involves starting with a theory or hypothesis and then conducting research or experiments to test the theory's implications with data. This process moves from the general (the theory) to the specific (the data).

Question 7

Dr. Williams used the theory of differential association (theory that focuses on how associating and learning from delinquent peers influences crime) to collect and interpret data on vandalism committed in groups and individually. He invoked which type of process in conducting his research?

Accepted Answer

Deductive reasoning involves starting with a theory or hypothesis and then designing a research strategy to test the hypothesis. Dr. Williams used the theory of differential association as a starting point to collect and interpret data on vandalism, which is an example of deductive reasoning.

Question 8

A graduate student collected qualitative data on domestic violence and used the data to develop a theory that explained the patterns in her data. Which type of process did she use in conducting her research?

Accepted Answer

The graduate student used inductive reasoning, which involves collecting data and developing a theory as a result of observing patterns within the data. This contrasts with deductive reasoning, where a theory is developed first and then tested through data collection.

Question 9

Unexpected patterns in data, which stimulate new ideas or theoretical approaches are commonly referred to as ______.

Accepted Answer

Serendipitous findings are unexpected patterns in data that stimulate new ideas or theoretical approaches.

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT an example of a hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

C is a question, not a statement that can be tested or observed for validity, which is what a hypothesis requires. A hypothesis should be a declarative statement proposing a possible explanation for a phenomenon or a predicted outcome of a study, not a question.

Question 11

A ______ is a characteristic or property that can vary, whereas a ______ has a fixed characteristic or property.

Accepted Answer

A variable is a characteristic or property that can change or vary, while a constant has a fixed or unchanging characteristic or property.

Question 12

In a study examining type of crime committed in an all-male prison, what should gender be considered?

Accepted Answer

In this context, gender is considered a constant because the study is conducted in an all-male prison, meaning that the gender does not vary among the subjects—it is consistently male.

Question 13

A research assistant wanted to see whether or not poverty predicted crime rates. In this example, what term represents crime rates?

Accepted Answer

Crime rates are the outcome being studied, which is influenced by the predictor (poverty), making it the dependent variable.

Question 14

A research assistant found that as an individual's self-control increased, their criminal activity decreased. This is an example of what type of relationship between self-control and criminal activity?

Accepted Answer

A negative relationship is indicated when one variable increases as the other decreases, which is the case with increased self-control leading to decreased criminal activity.

Question 15

A researcher hypothesized that as liquor sales increased, so would the crime rate in areas near those liquor stores. What type of relationship between liquor sales and crime rates did this researcher hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A researcher hypothesized that as liquor sales...

Question 16

A researcher had evidence that unemployed spouse abusers recidivate (i.e., reoffend). So, when he conducted an interview with Joe, an unemployed spouse abuser, he concluded that Joe would most likely recidivate. What type of reasoning did this researcher use to make his conclusion?

Accepted Answer

Deductive reasoning is a type of logical reasoning that draws a conclusion from a general statement to a specific case. In this case, the researcher had evidence that unemployed spouse abusers recidivate (i.e., reoffend). This is a general statement. The researcher then interviewed Joe, an unemployed spouse abuser. This is a specific case. The researcher concluded that Joe would most likely recidivate. This conclusion is based on the general statement that unemployed spouse abusers recidivate. Therefore, the researcher used deductive reasoning to make his conclusion.

Question 17

According to your text, empirical generalizations refer to statements that describe ______.

Accepted Answer

Empirical generalizations refer to statements that describe findings, typically based on observation or experimentation.

Question 18

Crime is lower in those communities where the police patrol on foot is an example of a ______.

Accepted Answer

This statement is a hypothesis because it proposes a relationship between two variables (police patrol on foot and crime rates) that can be tested through research.

Question 19

A researcher engaged in a small-scale study to examine a new policing strategy to address domestic violence, but because they were worried about the generalizability of their results, they conducted replications of their study in other locations. Which of the following best describes the type of study in which the researcher engaged?

Accepted Answer

The researcher conducted replications of their study in other locations to address concerns about the generalizability of their results, which is a characteristic of inductive research.

Question 20

A researcher wanted to examine if vandalism of a school decreased if the school had and enforced policies against vandalism. What is the dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the outcome that the researcher is interested in examining, which in this case is the "vandalism of a school." This variable is expected to change based on the presence and enforcement of policies against vandalism.

Quiz 2: The Process and Problems of Research of Criminological Research