Question 1

The attributes of the variable college class level include:
A)young, middle age, old
B)study hard and not study hard
C)first-year, sophomore, junior, senior
D)the minimum hours requirement for each class level
E)first, second, third, fourth, fifth

Accepted Answer

The choice of first-year, sophomore, junior, and senior accurately represents the different levels of college education and is widely recognized in the education system. The other options, such as "young, middle age, old," "study hard and not study hard," "the minimum hours requirement for each class level," and "first, second, third, fourth, fifth" do not accurately or effectively classify college class levels.

Question 2

Igor studied students at his community college and noticed that a slim majority carried no books to class.Then he saw a new set of people in the distance and concluded before seeing them that they would definitely be carrying books to class because someone should do that,especially since he had just seen students without books.Which error in inquiry is reflected?
A)illogical reasoning
B)overgeneralization
C)selective observation
D)inaccurate observation
E)immature observation

Accepted Answer

Igor's conclusion that the new set of people would definitely be carrying books is an example of illogical reasoning, as he assumes a balance must exist without evidence.

Question 3

In any given study,sex is a(n)________,whereas being male or female is a(n)________.
A)attribute; variable
B)definition; choice
C)choice; definition
D)variable; attribute
E)variable; choice

Accepted Answer

In research, "sex" is considered a variable because it can vary between individuals, while "male" or "female" are attributes or categories of that variable.

Question 4

Nora observed people in her Sunday School for several months and then determined if there was a pattern in the different responses of men and women.Which one of the following approaches is reflected?
A)deductive
B)transductive
C)applied
D)inductive
E)reductive

Accepted Answer

Nora observed a specific group of people (Sunday School attendees) and collected data through observation (not from pre-existing theories or knowledge). She then used this information to form a general conclusion about the behavior of men and women, which is characteristic of an inductive approach.

Question 5

If you notice two freshmen women in your dorm dressing up excessively to go to class,and assume that ALL freshmen women dress up excessively,you have engaged in
A)overgeneralization.
B)undergeneralization.
C)abstract reasoning.
D)ego involvement.
E)selective observation.

Accepted Answer

The individual has made a conclusion about all freshmen women based on observation of just two individuals, which is an overgeneralization.

Question 6

Georgette observed a few preschool children at play and saw what she thought was a pattern in all preschool children's play behavior.She committed which error?
A)inaccurate observation
B)overgeneralization
C)selective observation
D)illogical reasoning
E)immature observation

Accepted Answer

Georgette committed the error of overgeneralization by assuming that all preschool children exhibit the same pattern of play behavior without sufficient evidence.

Question 7

Van wants to use social science to help him decide if Protestantism is a better religion than Catholicism.As a methodologist,your best response would be:
A)depends on what you mean by "Protestantism"
B)sorry, science cannot settle debates about values
C)depends on what you mean by "better"
D)the best thing to do would be to interview a Protestant and a Catholic
E)complete a survey

Accepted Answer

Science cannot prove or disprove the value of a religion, as values are subjective and cannot be measured empirically.

Question 8

Scientific ________ deals with the logical aspect of science,whereas _________ deals with the observational aspect.
A)data collection; theory
B)research; intuition
C)theory; intuition
D)theory; practicality
E)theory; data collection

Accepted Answer

Scientific theory deals with the logical aspect of science, providing explanations and predictions, whereas data collection deals with the observational aspect, gathering empirical evidence to support or refute theories.

Question 9

Causal reasoning suggests that
A)we use a premodern view.
B)present circumstances cause future circumstances.
C)future circumstances cause present circumstances.
D)probabilistic reasoning is not involved.
E)general reasoning is involved

Accepted Answer

Causal reasoning is based on the idea that present circumstances cause future circumstances. This is reflected in option B, which is the correct answer. Option C suggests the opposite and is therefore incorrect. Options A, D, and E are also incorrect as they do not accurately reflect the nature of causal reasoning.

Question 10

Juanita decided to study the differences among students who choose different majors.Everyone in her study,however,has chosen sociology as a major.Which one of the following can be said about her concept of choice of major?
A)She needs to study more people.
B)She can go ahead and do her study relating the two variables.
C)She really has only one concept.
D)One of her variables isn't really a variable because it has only one attribute.
E)It is not a major.

Accepted Answer

One of her variables isn't really a variable because it has only one attribute, as all participants have chosen sociology as their major.

Question 11

Vanesha wishes to use church attendance as a factor in her study,with the categories "none," "some," and "a lot." Church attendance and the categories are known,respectively,as:
A)a variable and attributes
B)attributes and a variable
C)theory and method
D)method and theory
E)variables

Accepted Answer

In this scenario, church attendance is the variable being measured, and the categories "none," "some," and "a lot" represent the attributes of that variable. Therefore, choice A is the correct answer.

Question 12

Van says that his 48-year-old Catholic uncle will marry his 23-year-old atheist girlfriend next year in order to prove that the social regularity that people tend to marry people like themselves is not accurate.What is your best response as a methodologist?
A)The objection that social regularities could be upset through the conscious will of the actors is not a serious challenge to social science
B)Van's uncle is simply an exception to the rule
C)This regularity is too trivial to be meaningful
D)We need to develop a measure for "marry people like themselves"
E)It's a mistake that Van's uncle may regret in the future

Accepted Answer

Van's uncle's behavior may be an interesting anecdote, but it does not invalidate the strong social regularities found in the social sciences. Social regularities are not absolute laws, and they can be challenged by individual actions. However, social science research is based on the observation of patterns in large groups of people over time, and Van's uncle's upcoming marriage does not change these patterns.

Question 13

Which one of the following represents an aggregate of people?
A)a few people in each of a few churches
B)individual students
C)one church,
D)a collection of 18-year-old students asked about their voting patterns
E)a kindergartener

Accepted Answer

Option D specifically mentions a collection or aggregate of 18-year-old students, representing a group of people. The other options refer to individuals or smaller groups, rather than an aggregate.

Question 14

Ralph conducts an experiment in which he measures aggression in school children at different levels of temperature during recess.The independent and dependent variables are ________________.
A)the experiment; the levels of temperature
B)the school children; the levels of temperature
C)the levels of temperature; the level of aggression
D)the level of aggression; the time of recess.
E)the time of recess; the level of aggression

Accepted Answer

The independent variable in the experiment is the levels of temperature, as they are being manipulated by Ralph. The dependent variable is the level of aggression in the school children, as it is being measured based on the different levels of temperature.

Question 15

The study of social science is interested in ______ patterns,and not ______ ones.
A)individual; social
B)social; individual
C)aggregate: social
D)social: aggregate
E)individual; aggregate

Accepted Answer

The study of social science is focused on societal patterns, such as those related to culture, economics, and politics, rather than individual patterns. While individual behavior and experiences are certainly relevant to social science, the field as a whole is concerned with understanding and analyzing larger social phenomena. Therefore, option B, "social; individual," is the best choice.

Question 16

Joe wished to explain every possible reason why his sister chose to attend State University,including personal,family,school,peer,and other types of influences.What Joe is doing is called
A)pure research.
B)applied research.
C)an idiographic explanation.
D)a nomothetic explanation.
E)evaluation research

Accepted Answer

Joe is providing an idiographic explanation, which seeks to understand a particular individual's unique circumstances and experiences that may have led them to a certain decision or behavior.

Question 17

Samantha has concluded that living in a coed residence hall makes residents more androgynous.As she continues her research,she tends to focus on events and situations that fit this pattern.Which error in inquiry is reflected?
A)inaccurate observation
B)illogical reasoning
C)overgeneralization
D)selective observation
E)immature observation

Accepted Answer

The error in inquiry reflected is selective observation, which occurs when a researcher only focuses on evidence that confirms their preconceived ideas or hypotheses, while ignoring evidence that contradicts them. In this case, Samantha is selectively observing events and situations that support her conclusion that living in a coed residence hall makes residents more androgynous, while disregarding evidence that suggests otherwise.

Question 18

When you notice two freshmen women in your form dressing up excessively to attend classes,and assume that ALL freshmen women dress up excessively,AND you therefore choose only to observe those freshmen women who dress up,and disregard those who do not dress up,you have committed the error known as
A)overgeneralization.
B)undergeneralization.
C)abstract reasoning.
D)ego involvement.
E)selective observation.

Accepted Answer

This is a case of selective observation, where the observer only focuses on a specific group of freshmen women who dress up excessively and disregards the others who do not dress up. This leads to a narrow and biased view of the situation and can result in inaccurate conclusions.

Question 19

Makita studied the literature on binge drinking and discovered a pattern between gender and binge drinking that might be logically and theoretically expected.She then did her study of college students and drinking.Which approach is reflected?
A)deductive
B)transductive
C)applied
D)inductive
E)reductive

Accepted Answer

Makita's approach is deductive because she started with a general pattern or theory from existing literature and then conducted her study to see if this pattern held true in a specific context (college students and drinking).

Question 20

The distinction between quantitative and qualitative data in social research is essentially the distinction between
A)philosophy and religion.
B)good data and less good data.
C)useful data and less useful data.
D)numerical and nonnumerical data.
E)philosophy and numbers

Accepted Answer

The distinction between quantitative and qualitative data in social research is based on whether the data is numerical or nonnumerical. Quantitative data refers to numerical data that can be measured, counted, or expressed in statistical terms, while qualitative data refers to nonnumerical data that is observed and measured through non-numeric characteristics like behavior, opinions, and attitudes. This distinction is important because different research questions require different types of data and analytical methods.

Quiz 1: Human Inquiry and Science

The attributes of the variable college class level include:

In any given study,sex is a(n) ,whereas being male or female is a(n) .

Nora observed people in her Sunday School for several months and then determined if there was a pattern in the different responses of men and women.Which one of the following approaches is reflected?

If you notice two freshmen women in your dorm dressing up excessively to go to class,and assume that ALL freshmen women dress up excessively,you have engaged in

Georgette observed a few preschool children at play and saw what she thought was a pattern in all preschool children's play behavior.She committed which error?

Van wants to use social science to help him decide if Protestantism is a better religion than Catholicism.As a methodologist,your best response would be:

Scientific deals with the logical aspect of science,whereas _ deals with the observational aspect.

Causal reasoning suggests that

Juanita decided to study the differences among students who choose different majors.Everyone in her study,however,has chosen sociology as a major.Which one of the following can be said about her concept of choice of major?

Vanesha wishes to use church attendance as a factor in her study,with the categories "none," "some," and "a lot." Church attendance and the categories are known,respectively,as:

Van says that his 48-year-old Catholic uncle will marry his 23-year-old atheist girlfriend next year in order to prove that the social regularity that people tend to marry people like themselves is not accurate.What is your best response as a methodologist?

Which one of the following represents an aggregate of people?

Ralph conducts an experiment in which he measures aggression in school children at different levels of temperature during recess.The independent and dependent variables are ________________.

The study of social science is interested in patterns,and not ones.

Joe wished to explain every possible reason why his sister chose to attend State University,including personal,family,school,peer,and other types of influences.What Joe is doing is called

Samantha has concluded that living in a coed residence hall makes residents more androgynous.As she continues her research,she tends to focus on events and situations that fit this pattern.Which error in inquiry is reflected?

When you notice two freshmen women in your form dressing up excessively to attend classes,and assume that ALL freshmen women dress up excessively,AND you therefore choose only to observe those freshmen women who dress up,and disregard those who do not dress up,you have committed the error known as

Makita studied the literature on binge drinking and discovered a pattern between gender and binge drinking that might be logically and theoretically expected.She then did her study of college students and drinking.Which approach is reflected?

The distinction between quantitative and qualitative data in social research is essentially the distinction between