Question 1

Professor Perlman was interested in comparing two textbooks to determine whether one used more sexist language than the other.Perlman counted the number of times a gender reference (ex: "he," "she," "chairman," etc.)appeared in each book.Perlman was doing
A)latent content coding.
B)manifest content coding.
C)quota sampling.
D)the ecological fallacy.
E)base counting.

Accepted Answer

Professor Perlman was using manifest content coding, which involves directly analyzing visible and obvious content in a systematic way. Perlman was counting the explicit gender references that were present in each textbook, making it an example of manifest content coding.

Question 2

In which of the following analyses is content analysis LEAST likely to be useful?
A)themes in newspaper editorials
B)the wording of this exam
C)topics covered in class lectures
D)the theme of love as discussed in song
E)dating patterns among high school seniors

Accepted Answer

Content analysis may not be as useful in studying dating patterns among high school seniors because it may require more in-depth and personal information that may not be easily accessible through content analysis alone. Other research methods, such as surveys or interviews, may be more appropriate for studying this topic.

Question 3

Which of the following statements is FALSE regarding negative case testing?
A)It can be used as a technique for qualitative hypothesis testing.
B)It begins with an examination of the data to find a general hypothesis.
C)It requires you to search your data to find all the cases that contradict your initial hypothesis.
D)It requires you to reexamine all the cases that led you to form the initial hypothesis.
E)All of these choices are TRUE.

Accepted Answer

D

Question 4

The categories used in content analysis codes should be
A)mutually exclusive.
B)exhaustive.
C)nominal.
D)mutually exclusive and exhaustive.
E)mutually exclusive, exhaustive, and nominal.

Accepted Answer

The categories in content analysis should be mutually exclusive and exhaustive to ensure that each piece of content fits into one category without overlap and that all possible content is accounted for.

Question 5

In comparison to coding the manifest content of communication,coding the latent content
A)has a disadvantage in terms of validity.
B)has an advantage in terms of reliability.
C)is better designed for tapping the underlying meaning of communication.
D)has an advantage in terms of specificity.
E)All of these choices are true statements.

Accepted Answer

Coding the latent content is better designed for tapping the underlying meaning of communication. While coding the manifest content has advantages in terms of validity and specificity, it is limited to surface-level observations and does not capture the deeper meaning or motivations behind communication. Coding the latent content involves analyzing the context, tone, and subtext of communication to uncover the underlying emotions and attitudes being expressed. This approach can provide more insightful and comprehensive data for interpretation and analysis.

Question 6

Sources of comparative and historical data can include
A) letters.
B) public records.
C) newspaper articles.
D) diaries.
E) all of these choices are correct.

Accepted Answer

All of these sources - letters, public records, newspaper articles, and diaries - can provide comparative and historical data. Letters and diaries, in particular, can offer personal perspectives and insights into historical events and trends, while public records and newspaper articles can provide more objective or official accounts. Using a variety of sources can help researchers build a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the past.

Question 7

Unobtrusive measures can reduce the problem(s)of
A)the researcher's impact on the phenomenon being studied.
B)invalid operationalization of concepts.
C)unreliable measurements.
D)corroboration.
E)the ecological fallacy.

Accepted Answer

Unobtrusive measures can reduce the researcher's impact on the phenomenon being studied by observing behavior or artifacts without directly interfering with them. This can help to reduce biases and increase the accuracy of the research findings. B, C, D, and E are also common problems in research but are not directly addressed by unobtrusive measures.

Question 8

A friend of yours is doing a term paper to compare the infant mortality rates in the United States,Japan,Bolivia,and Pakistan.You tell your friend that a good source to check is
A)Common Cause.
B)the Demographic Yearbook.
C)the Statistical Abstract of the United States.
D)the Gallup poll.
E)the Almanac.

Accepted Answer

The Demographic Yearbook is a reliable source for international statistics on infant mortality rates. It is published by the United Nations and includes data from countries around the world, including the United States, Japan, Bolivia, and Pakistan. The other options listed may not provide specific data on infant mortality rates or may not include data for all four countries of interest.

Question 9

Which of the following levels of measurement(s)may be employed in content analysis?
A)nominal
B)ratio
C)interval
D)ordinal
E)Any level of measurement may be employed in doing content analysis."?

Accepted Answer

Content analysis can utilize any level of measurement, including nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio, depending on the nature of the data being analyzed.

Question 10

Which of the following modes of observation does NOT require the researcher to intrude to some degree on whatever he or she is studying?
A)experiments
B)survey
C)complete participant observation
D)complete observer
E)participant action research.

Accepted Answer

Complete observer is the mode of observation that does not require the researcher to intrude on whatever he or she is studying. In a complete observer mode, the researcher is not present physically and instead uses tools such as video or audio recordings to collect data. Experiments, surveys, complete participant observation, and participant action research all involve some degree of intrusion by the researcher.

Question 11

The adage that you must walk a mile in another person's shoes before judging the person is similar to the sociological concept(s)of
A)verstehen.
B)comparative and historical research.
C)ideal types.
D)the ecological fallacy.
E)content analysis.

Accepted Answer

The concept of verstehen, which means "understanding" in German, emphasizes the need for sociologists to understand and empathize with the perspectives and experiences of the people they are studying. This includes avoiding judgment based on one's own beliefs and experiences and instead attempting to see the world from the perspective of those being studied. The adage to walk a mile in another person's shoes before judging is essentially advising people to practice verstehen.

Question 12

After examining the FBI Crime Reports for a 30-year period,Professor Hall claimed that the incidence of rape has increased.After examining the same reports,Professor Shine claimed that the reporting of rape,not the incidence of rape,has increased.This illustrates
A)the problem of reliability in using existing statistics.
B)the problem of validity in using existing statistics.
C)the need to replicate existing statistics.
D)the ecological fallacy.
E)pre-testing.

Accepted Answer

The answer of After examining the FBI Crime Reports for...

Question 13

A friend of yours was interested in determining whether the news media picked up on campus events.Your friend decided to do a content analysis of the local newspaper.Your friend counted each story that mentioned the university's name.At the end of two months,136 events had been counted.Your friend asked for your comments on his research.You told your friend that he
A)did manifest coding.
B)did latent coding.
C)should have recorded the base.
D)did manifest coding and he should have recorded the base.
E)did latent coding and he should have recorded the base.

Accepted Answer

The friend used manifest coding by counting the number of times the university's name was mentioned in the newspaper, but they should have also recorded the total number of articles or stories during the same time period as the base. This would allow for a more accurate comparison of the frequency of campus events being covered by the news media. Therefore, the friend used manifest coding but should have recorded the base as well.

Question 14

An example of unobtrusive data collection is
A)an interview with college freshmen to determine why they selected a particular school.
B)a laboratory experiment designed to determine whether people really prefer Pepsi or Coke.
C)a researcher examining files of students who completed college 25 years ago.
D)a researcher who joins a fraternity to understand its rituals.
E)a mailed survey designed to discern students' attitudes toward a planned change in the school's calendar..

Accepted Answer

Examining files of students who completed college 25 years ago is an example of unobtrusive data collection because the researcher is not directly observing or interacting with the participants. Instead, they are analyzing existing records that were created without the intention of being used for research purposes.

Question 15

When studying newspaper articles to determine how often articles are aimed at increasing the fear of crime amongst the elderly between two newspapers,a researcher counted the word "predator" used 50 times in a month,and the word "elderly" 100 times in one newspaper.In the other,it was "predator" 25 times and "elderly" 50 times.What can be concluded from this?
A) the first newspaper creates twice as much fear as the second.
B) the second newspaper is half as likely to try and create fear.
C) the second newspaper was half as long as the first.
D) the words "predator" and "elderly" both appeared twice as often in the first newspaper.
E) both newspapers were generating fear equally.

Accepted Answer

The words "predator" and "elderly" both appeared twice as often in the first newspaper compared to the second, indicating a higher frequency of potentially fear-inducing language.

Question 16

Professor Jenner was interested in using Census Bureau data to examine the trend in unemployment rates in the United States.However,Jenner's definition of unemployment did not match the one used by the Census Bureau.Jenner was dealing with the issue of
A)reliability.
B)validity.
C)the ecological fallacy.
D)ideal types.
E)verstehen.

Accepted Answer

Jenner's problem is an issue of validity. Validity refers to the extent to which a concept or measurement tool accurately captures the phenomenon being studied. In this case, Jenner's definition of unemployment does not match the Census Bureau's definition, which means that the data he collects may not accurately reflect the trend he is trying to study.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT illustrative of unobtrusive observations?
A)examining the floor tiles at a museum to determine which exhibits are the most popular
B)examining the number of beer cans in the university garbage collections to determine beer consumption patterns
C)examining the wear on the tires of squad cars to determine the extent of police patrols
D)examining the amount of dust on library books to determine the popularity of books
E)observing what food people order in an exclusive restaurant.

Accepted Answer

Observing what food people order in an exclusive restaurant involves direct observation and interaction, which is not indicative of unobtrusive observations. Unobtrusive observations involve observing people without their knowledge or disrupting their behavior in any way. The other options involve indirect observation, which is consistent with unobtrusive observation methods.

Question 18

The possibility that patterns of behavior at a group level do not reflect corresponding patterns on an individual level is known as
A)an ecological fallacy.
B)replication.
C)verstehen.
D)unobtrusive measurement.
E)hermeneutics.

Accepted Answer

The ecological fallacy is the possibility that patterns of behavior or phenomena observed at a group level do not necessarily reflect corresponding patterns on an individual level. This is because individual behavior and experiences can vary within a group, leading to an erroneous assumption that all members of the group behave or experience things the same way.

Question 19

Coding in content analysis DOES NOT involve
A)conceptualization.
B)operationalization.
C)selecting a level of measurement.
D)the interaction of theoretical concerns and empirical observations.
E)coding in content analysis involves all of these choices.

Accepted Answer

All of the choices (A, B, C, and D) are essential components of coding in content analysis. Conceptualization involves defining the key concepts that a researcher is interested in studying, while operationalization involves turning those concepts into measurable variables. Selecting a level of measurement is necessary to ensure that the data collected can be analyzed appropriately. The interaction of theoretical concerns and empirical observations is critical to ensure that the data collected reflects the underlying theories being tested. Therefore, all choices are included in the process of coding in content analysis.

Question 20

If we wanted to determine whether states that pass clean air legislation (no smoking in public areas)are more likely to enact laws requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets than are states that had not passed clean air legislation,the unit of analysis would be
A)the individual states.
B)the individual acts of legislation.
C)the passage or nonpassage of the clean air legislation.
D)laws that influence motorcyclists and auto drivers.
E)any law relating to both clean air legislation AND wearing helmets.

Accepted Answer

The unit of analysis in this scenario would be individual states, as the comparison is being made between states that have passed clean air legislation and states that have not, in regards to enacting laws requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets. The comparison is not related to individual acts of legislation, the passage of clean air legislation itself, or other laws that may affect motorcyclists and auto drivers. Additionally, the comparison is specifically focusing on the two types of legislation mentioned (clean air legislation and helmet laws), so it is not necessary to include any other laws that may be related to both.

Quiz 11: Unobtrusive Research

Professor Perlman was interested in comparing two textbooks to determine whether one used more sexist language than the other.Perlman counted the number of times a gender reference (ex: "he," "she," "chairman," etc.) appeared in each book.Perlman was doing

In which of the following analyses is content analysis LEAST likely to be useful?

Which of the following statements is FALSE regarding negative case testing?

The categories used in content analysis codes should be

In comparison to coding the manifest content of communication,coding the latent content

Sources of comparative and historical data can include

Unobtrusive measures can reduce the problem(s) of

A friend of yours is doing a term paper to compare the infant mortality rates in the United States,Japan,Bolivia,and Pakistan.You tell your friend that a good source to check is

Which of the following levels of measurement(s) may be employed in content analysis?

Which of the following modes of observation does NOT require the researcher to intrude to some degree on whatever he or she is studying?

The adage that you must walk a mile in another person's shoes before judging the person is similar to the sociological concept(s) of

After examining the FBI Crime Reports for a 30-year period,Professor Hall claimed that the incidence of rape has increased.After examining the same reports,Professor Shine claimed that the reporting of rape,not the incidence of rape,has increased.This illustrates

An example of unobtrusive data collection is

Professor Jenner was interested in using Census Bureau data to examine the trend in unemployment rates in the United States.However,Jenner's definition of unemployment did not match the one used by the Census Bureau.Jenner was dealing with the issue of

Which of the following is NOT illustrative of unobtrusive observations?

The possibility that patterns of behavior at a group level do not reflect corresponding patterns on an individual level is known as

Coding in content analysis DOES NOT involve

If we wanted to determine whether states that pass clean air legislation (no smoking in public areas) are more likely to enact laws requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets than are states that had not passed clean air legislation,the unit of analysis would be