Question 1

Research in online chat rooms is challenging. Even if researchers announce that they have logged in, someone logging in later might not be aware of their presence. This is an important research issue. What does it pertain to?

Accepted Answer

This pertains to ethics as it raises questions about informed consent and the potential for deception in research. Participants may not be aware that they are being studied and may not have given consent to be included in the research. As a result, it is important for researchers to carefully consider the ethical implications of studying online chat rooms and to take steps to ensure that participants are fully informed about the research and have the opportunity to opt out if they choose.

Question 2

What is random-digit-sampling?

Accepted Answer

Random-digit-sampling is a method used primarily in telephone surveys where random numbers are generated to select potential survey participants, ensuring that each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. This technique helps in establishing random samples for research purposes.

Question 3

To randomly select members of a household, what do survey researchers often ask?

Accepted Answer

Survey researchers often use the "most recent birthday" method to randomly select household members because it is a simple and unbiased way to ensure each member has an equal chance of being selected.

Question 4

When a researcher talks about the validity of things being measured, what does that mean?

Accepted Answer

Validity refers to the degree to which a research instrument measures what it is supposed to measure. It is important that the measurements accurately reflect the concept or construct being studied in order to draw valid conclusions. The other options refer to reliability, generalizability, and extraneous variables, which are related but distinct concepts.

Question 5

Pavel explained his research to a potential participant. He told her that he wanted to study the influence of a specific government policy on household finances, in order to understand purchasing decisions in the family. Pavel was required to give this much detail in order to obtain which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Pavel was required to obtain informed consent from the potential participant, which involves providing detailed information about the research study and its purpose in order for the participant to make an informed decision about whether or not to participate.

Question 6

Having studied Stanley Milgram's experiments on obedience to authority, which were conducted in the early 1960s, Thomas wanted to see if people were still as willing to obey authority. Using the same methodology, Thomas conducted his experiments and found that the average obedience rates were remarkably similar. What can be said about Milgram's original experimental results?

Accepted Answer

Milgram's original experimental results have reliability, as they were able to be replicated by Thomas. However, they do not necessarily show causation, confidence, or verifiability.

Question 7

Jodi and Paula were discussing their research proposals and Jodi asked Paula what form of data collection activity she was going to undertake. Paula answered, "The primary one of social science research." Which of the following is Paula going to use in her research project?

Accepted Answer

The primary form of data collection activity in social science research is a social survey. This involves gathering information from a sample of individuals through questionnaires or interviews. It is a useful method for gathering large amounts of data and can be used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Field studies involve observing people in their natural setting, ethnographic studies involve living within a culture to gain an inside perspective, and experiments involve manipulating variables to determine cause-and-effect relationships.

Question 8

When are measurements in research considered reliable?

Accepted Answer

Measurements in research are considered reliable when they are consistent or repeatable. This means that if the same measurements are taken multiple times, they should produce similar results. Correlation (A) refers to the degree to which two variables are related, but this does not necessarily guarantee reliability. Similarly, measuring what was supposed to be measured (C) and being accurate and relevant (D) are important, but they do not determine reliability on their own.

Question 9

Which of the following refers to obtaining consistent results with the same measure?

Accepted Answer

Reliability refers to obtaining consistent results with the same measure. Multiple causation refers to the idea that different factors can contribute to a particular outcome. Experimenter presence refers to the potential influence of the researcher on the results. Validity refers to the extent to which a measure accurately measures what it is supposed to measure.

Question 10

Who bears the primary ethical responsibility in university-based academic research?

Accepted Answer

The researchers are the ones conducting the research and making decisions that impact the subjects, so they hold the primary ethical responsibility. However, funding agencies and ethics boards also play important roles in ensuring the research is conducted ethically. Subjects also have a right to informed consent and protection from harm.

Question 11

As an honours sociology student, you spend considerable time preparing a survey questionnaire on the use of Internet porn sites. What is your biggest concern about conducting survey research?

Accepted Answer

As a sociologist, accuracy and truthfulness in responses are crucial in conducting survey research. It is important to make sure that the questions asked are answerable truthfully by the participant. It is also important to account for possible biases in the responses, which can affect the overall accuracy of the data collected.

Question 12

What kind of research is Statistics Canada's national census?

Accepted Answer

Statistics Canada's national census is a form of survey research as it collects data from a representative sample of the population. The census is designed to provide a snapshot of Canada's population, which includes demographic, social, and economic information. Ethnographic research involves the study of a particular culture or community, an experiment is a controlled study designed to test a hypothesis, and a field study involves observing people in their natural environment.

Question 13

When does the Hawthorne effect occur?

Accepted Answer

The Hawthorne effect occurs when people's behaviors are due to their awareness of being studied.

Question 14

You conduct a survey with a large introductory class of sociology students, but you want to sample only 30 percent of them. When passing out the survey, you need to make sure that each person in the class has an equal chance of being selected to complete it. What kind of sample have you selected?

Accepted Answer

A random sample is necessary to ensure that each person in the class has an equal chance of being selected. This allows for a representative sample of the larger population. Option A, multivariate sample, involves selecting participants based on multiple variables, which is not necessary for this survey. Option B, cross-sectional sample, refers to surveying participants at a single point in time, which is not relevant for this question. Option D, multistage sample, involves selecting participants through multiple stages or levels, which is not necessary for this survey.

Question 15

Carly believes that, contrary to the stereotype of silent men and chatty women, men chat as often-if not more-as women do when they're eating. For four months, Carly eats her lunch in the university cafeteria, recording the talking time of males and females in couples and in groups during their food breaks. What type of study is Carly conducting?

Accepted Answer

Carly is conducting an observational study because she is simply observing and recording the behavior of males and females during their lunch breaks, without manipulating any variables.

Question 16

An experimenter sets up a situation to observe people's behaviour when they are subjected to certain variables that she is testing. However, she begins to suspect that her presence alone is changing the behaviour of the subjects. What is this phenomenon called?

Accepted Answer

The Hawthorne effect refers to the phenomenon of people changing their behaviour because they know they are being observed or because they think they are being experimented on. This can occur when the experimenter is present or when subjects are aware of being filmed or recorded. Self-monitoring refers to the ability to observe and control one's own behaviour in response to social cues. Self-consciousness involves being aware of oneself as an object of attention. Experiment anxiety is a general term for stress or anxiety related to being experimented on or observed.

Question 17

In survey research, what is a sampling frame?

Accepted Answer

A sampling frame is a list from which the sample is selected. It is a list of individuals or units that make up the population from which the sample will be drawn. This list could be a physical list, a database, a telephone directory, or any other list that includes the target population.

Question 18

Which of the following techniques is often employed by social scientists to eliminate the problem of external validity associated with experiments?

Accepted Answer

The field experiment technique is often employed by social scientists to eliminate the problem of external validity associated with experiments. This technique involves conducting an experiment in the natural environment of the participants, thus increasing the likelihood of results that can be generalized to real-world situations. Participant observation, personal interviews, and the survey technique do not necessarily address the issue of external validity.

Question 19

There are 500 000 farmers affected by a new federal policy. A subset of 1000 farmers will be used to examine the effect on all of the farmers. Within sociological research, which of the following labels is given to the 500 000 farmers?

Accepted Answer

The 500 000 farmers are the sampling frame, which is the list or population of individuals from which a sample will be drawn for research purposes.

Question 20

Kamal told the researcher he believes children should exercise every day, using the example of playing in the park. However, during that week, Kamal took his child to the park only three times. This example shows the potential for discrepancy between which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The example highlights the discrepancy between Kamal's stated attitude or belief (that children should exercise every day) and his actual behavior (only taking his child to the park three times). This shows the potential for discrepancy between attitudes and behaviors.

Quiz 20: Research Methods