Question 1

In an examination of violent crime among the most populous nations in the world,the United States ranks very high along with England,France and Australia.The chance of being raped is higher in France than in the United States.What units of analysis are being used?

Accepted Answer

The units of analysis are groups, as the comparison is made between countries, which are groups of people.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

A cross-sectional study does not assess changes that take place in a specific sample over time, but rather provides information at a specific point in time. Choice A, D are characteristics of a cross-sectional study, while choice B is a limitation of this type of study design.

Question 3

Which type of research study project is designed to permit observations over an extended period of time?

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal studies are designed to observe subjects over a prolonged period of time, often for years or even decades. This type of research project is useful for tracking changes over time and examining the effects of long-term exposure to certain factors.

Question 4

Observations of shoplifters in Pueblo,Colorado characterized as "72 percent men and 28 percent women,with an average age of 15.4 years" constitutes which type of analysis?

Accepted Answer

Descriptive analysis involves summarizing and describing a set of data, which is exactly what is happening in this example. The observation of shoplifters in Pueblo, Colorado is being characterized and summarized by their gender, age, and other factors. Variegated analysis, trend analysis, and cohort analysis all involve more complex analytical techniques and are not applicable in this situation.

Question 5

Which of the following are social artifacts?

Accepted Answer

Social artifacts are objects or products of social behavior, such as police crime reports, which are created by social processes and interactions.

Question 6

Which of the following is not a type of validity?

Accepted Answer

Internal, external, and statistical conclusion are all types of validity that refer to different aspects of how well a study measures what it is supposed to measure, while concept validity is not a type of validity but rather refers to the degree to which a research concept or construct is accurately defined and measured.

Question 7

Which term best describes-an overly strict limitation on the kinds of concepts and variables to be considered as causes in explaining the broad range of human behavior represented by crime and criminal justice policy?

Accepted Answer

Reductionism refers to the approach of oversimplifying complex phenomena by reducing them to a limited number of variables or concepts. In the context of crime and criminal justice policy, reductionism can lead to an overly strict limitation on the kinds of causes and variables that are considered, which can hinder a fuller understanding of human behavior and lead to ineffective policy interventions. The other options, A (individualistic fallacy) and B (ecological fallacy), refer to different kinds of errors in reasoning and analysis, while D (pluralism) refers to the recognition and acceptance of diverse perspectives and approaches.

Question 8

Which of the following is not true concerning a cohort study?

Accepted Answer

Cohort studies typically focus on the group as a whole to determine the outcome of interest and do not necessarily study members as individuals. The emphasis is on the collective characteristics and outcomes of the cohort.

Question 9

Which of the following is correct?

Accepted Answer

A sufficient cause guarantees the effect; if X is present, Y always occurs, making X a sufficient cause of Y.

Question 10

Rather than try to exclude or otherwise control possible outside influences,scientific realism studies how such influences are involved in

Accepted Answer

The answer of Rather than try to exclude or otherwise...

Question 11

A survey distributed on a college campus discovered that males support the death penalty in greater numbers than do females.The units of analysis in this case would be

Accepted Answer

The units of analysis refer to the objects or individuals studied in a research project. In this case, the survey aimed to understand the attitudes towards the death penalty among college students. The individuals who responded to the survey are the units of analysis since they provided the data to answer the research question. Therefore, the best choice is D, individuals. A, social artifacts, B, groups, and C, organizations, are not appropriate choices for this scenario.

Question 12

In criminal justice research,there is a great deal of variation in what or who is studied-which are technically known as

Accepted Answer

Units of analysis refer to the specific subjects or phenomena that are being studied. In criminal justice research, this can vary from individuals, to neighborhoods, to entire communities or even entire countries. Understanding the appropriate unit of analysis is critical for producing accurate and reliable research results.

Question 13

Dr.Stone is interested in comparing the attitudes about teenage pregnancy between the United States and the Netherlands.He selects samples in both countries of 10 year old males and females and plans to survey a portion of them every other year for the next ten years.Stone is using what technique?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Stone is selecting a group of individuals (10-year-olds) and plans to survey them repeatedly over time (every other year for 10 years), making it a panel study. The purpose is to compare attitudes about teenage pregnancy in two different countries, suggesting a cross-cultural comparison. However, the study design is longitudinal, focusing on a particular group (cohort) of individuals, making it a panel study, which is different from a trend or cross-sectional study.

Question 14

In the following research conclusion,what units of analysis are being used? "An enormous variation of deviant activities was represented in a sample of 1,485 news items.We categorized these deviant activities into five general types of analysis: violence,economic,political,ideological/cultural and diversionary."

Accepted Answer

The units of analysis being used are social artifacts, specifically news items, which were categorized into general types of deviant activities.

Question 15

Which of the following would allow a researcher to measure change in a general population over time?

Accepted Answer

A trend study measures changes in a general population over time by collecting data from different samples at different points in time.

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of a panel study?

Accepted Answer

A panel study is a type of longitudinal study in which a sample of individuals is selected and re-interviewed or observed over time. The National Crime Victimization Survey is a panel study that collects data on individuals' experiences with crime and victimization. The other options listed are not panel studies. The National Incident-based Reporting System and Uniform Crime Reports both collect data on crimes reported to law enforcement agencies, while the U.S. Census collects demographic data on the population.

Question 17

According to the text book,because time order is a requirement for causal inferences,the time dimension of research requires

Accepted Answer

Time order, or the sequence of events, is important in establishing causal relationships in research. To ensure that the time order is accurate, careful planning is necessary to determine the appropriate timing of measurements and interventions. Controlled environmental design and multiple researchers may also be helpful, but they are not specifically required for establishing time order.

Question 18

Professor Hardy has spent the last decade conducting a study of the effects of early childhood "Wellness" programs on subsequent delinquency.Every year,researchers visit participating families and collect a variety of data.Over the course of 10 years,many families have moved away and the research staff has been unable to locate them.What problem has Professor Hardy encountered?

Accepted Answer

Panel attrition refers to the loss of participants over time in a longitudinal study. In this case, the families that have moved away and cannot be located represent panel attrition. Cross-sectional distortion refers to the effects of age on study results, cohort distortion refers to the differences between groups of participants based on their birth year, and experimental mortality refers to the loss of participants due to factors related to the study intervention. None of these options accurately describe the problem encountered by Professor Hardy.

Question 19

Which of the following -refers to the danger of making assertions about individuals as the unit of analysis based on the examination of groups or other aggregations?

Accepted Answer

The ecological fallacy occurs when assumptions are made about individual behavior based solely on aggregate data such as group or community averages. This fallacy leads to an oversimplification and a misrepresentation of individual-level outcomes.

Question 20

A study of the commentary made about the Patriot Act in 50 major newspapers' editorials found that newspapers in the northeast gave more attention to the subject than did papers in any other part of the country.What is the unit of analysis being used?

Accepted Answer

The unit of analysis being used is newspaper editorials, as the study is examining the commentary made about the Patriot Act in those editorials.

Quiz 4: General Issues In Research Design