Question 1

Two observers standing on a street corner saw an automobile accident.While both observers witnessed the same event, they disagreed over which driver was responsible for the accident.What does this situation illustrate?

Accepted Answer

This situation illustrates casual observation, where individuals observe events in a non-systematic, informal manner, leading to subjective interpretations and potential disagreements over what was witnessed.

Question 2

Andreas wishes to study international students' association at his university.He now needs to decide if he will introduce himself as a researcher or pretend to be just another member.Which research consideration will most likely influence his decision?

Accepted Answer

Reactivity refers to the phenomenon where the presence of the researcher or their actions can influence the behavior of the participants being studied. If Andreas introduces himself as a researcher, it might change how the international students behave or interact within the association, potentially affecting the authenticity of the data collected.

Question 3

A group of sociologists is interested in studying Canadian university students' attitudes toward the federal government.They only have funding for a survey of 1,500 respondents.In order to generate a set of meaningful responses, what type of the sample should they design?

Accepted Answer

A probability sample would be the best choice for this study as it would ensure that every university student in Canada had an equal chance of being selected to participate in the survey. This would increase the likelihood of obtaining a representative sample and reduce the potential for bias. A full sample would be ideal, but it is often not feasible due to time and resource constraints. A voluntary response sample would not be representative as it only includes individuals who choose to participate, while a convenience sample may not be representative as it only includes individuals who are easily accessible.

Question 4

Answer questions based on the following table.
-Which conclusion does the evidence in the table support?

Accepted Answer

The table shows that males have a lower percentage of individuals reporting feeling happy compared to females, thus suggesting that males are less likely to be happy than females.

Question 5

If the association between two variables is accidental and not causal, what do we call the relationship between the two variables?

Accepted Answer

A spurious relationship is where there appears to be a relationship between two variables, but this relationship is due to chance or some third variable, rather than a causal relationship between the two variables.

Question 6

Which of the following terms refers to a sample into which respondents are chosen at random?

Accepted Answer

A probability sample refers to a sample where respondents are chosen at random, giving every individual in the population an equal chance of being selected.

Question 7

A sports commentator insists that football teams from Florida cannot win in cold weather, because these teams have lost 55 percent of their past games when played in cold weather.Which form of knowledge does this statement represent?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A sports commentator insists that football teams...

Question 8

When Professor Lee states that a hypothesis is an "educated guess," what does she mean by "educated"?

Accepted Answer

The answer of When Professor Lee states that a hypothesis...

Question 9

Which of the following terms refers to unverified but testable statements about the phenomena that researchers are interested in?

Accepted Answer

Hypotheses are statements about the phenomena that researchers are interested in, but they are not yet verified. However, they can be tested through research methods to determine their accuracy. Concepts refer to broad and abstract ideas while variables are specific and measurable factors that can affect research outcomes. Theories are explanations that have been supported by multiple studies and are widely accepted in the field.

Question 10

What are the basic units of the abstract level of experience?

Accepted Answer

Concepts are the basic units of the abstract level of experience. They represent general ideas or categories and are derived from our experiences with specific objects, events, or situations. Percepts refer to our sensory experiences of the world, patterns refer to the recognition of regularities in our experiences, and propositions refer to statements or sentences that convey meaning. However, these are not considered the basic units of the abstract level of experience.

Question 11

What must an individual do in order to form a proposition?

Accepted Answer

A proposition is a statement that expresses a relationship between concepts or ideas. This means that in order to form a proposition, an individual must find a relationship between concepts.

Question 12

Tamar has read that women often take over the role of family communicator.She formulates the following hypothesis: "Women who have recently immigrated to Canada will learn English or French sooner than men from the same families." Her hypothesis is a product of which process?

Accepted Answer

Tamar's hypothesis is based on deductive reasoning, which starts with a general premise (women often take over the role of family communicator) and draws a specific conclusion (women will learn English or French sooner than men from the same families who have recently immigrated to Canada). Inductive reasoning involves starting with specific observations and drawing a general conclusion, while generalization involves taking a specific observation and applying it to a larger population. Specification involves narrowing down a broad statement or hypothesis to a more specific one.

Question 13

In the 1970s, a sociologist observed sexual encounters in public washrooms without revealing his identity to participants.He did not debrief the participants.Which characteristic of ethical research would debriefing have improved?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the 1970s, a sociologist observed sexual...

Question 14

If you used random-digit dialling of listed and unlisted residential numbers in your research, what part of the Canadian population would your sampling frame exclude?

Accepted Answer

Random-digit dialing of residential numbers, both listed and unlisted, would not reach individuals without a fixed residence, such as the homeless, as it relies on the existence of a landline or registered mobile phone number associated with a residential address.

Question 15

A sociologist believes that high levels of education create the opportunity for higher-paying work after graduation.What type of variable is "level of education"?

Accepted Answer

"Level of education" is considered an independent variable because it is presumed to influence or predict the outcome, which in this case is the opportunity for higher-paying work.

Question 16

Which of the following terms applies to a relationship between two variables that is not influenced by a third variable?

Accepted Answer

An authentic relationship between two variables is one that is not influenced by a third variable. A spurious relationship is one that appears to exist between two variables, but is actually due to a third variable. Validity refers to whether or not a measure is measuring what it is intended to measure, and reliability refers to the consistency of results obtained from a measure.

Question 17

Zachary is taking a survey about television sets.The question about preferred screen size allows four options: 12" screen, 19" screen, 21" screen, and 25" screen.What kind of question is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

This is a closed-ended question because it provides specific answer choices for respondents to choose from.

Question 18

How is the effect of an independent variable determined in an experiment?

Accepted Answer

The effect of an independent variable is determined by comparing the initial and final state of the experimental group. This is done by measuring the dependent variable at the beginning and end of the experiment and comparing the results. The control group is used to establish a baseline for comparison, but the effect of the independent variable is determined by looking at the change within the experimental group.

Question 19

Rather than asking a few questions about family life from a large number of respondents, qualitative researchers observe and describe a few families in detail.What process do they use to formulate general, abstract insights from their observations?

Accepted Answer

Qualitative researchers use induction to formulate general, abstract insights from their observations. Induction involves using specific examples and observations to develop broader generalizations and theories.

Question 20

In an experiment, how do the experimental and control groups differ?

Accepted Answer

The experimental group experiences the independent variable, which is the variable being manipulated by the researcher. The control group does not experience the independent variable and serves as a baseline for comparison with the experimental group. The dependent variable is measured in both groups to assess the effect of the independent variable in the experimental group. Therefore, options A, B, and D are incorrect.

Quiz 2: How Sociologists Do Research