Exam 5: How Sociologists Do Research

While marketing tools such as face-recognition cameras at kiosks that classify people by age and sex in order to post targeted ads to customers can be considered unobtrusive measures for collecting data, they raise ethical issues of invasion of privacy.

Matthew is completing his master's thesis, which addresses the culture of outlaw motorcycle gangs. For the past six months, he has been riding with a gang, observing and describing behaviors in an attempt to present a view of these groups from a gang member's perspective. Like Mario Brajuha, he is determined to keep the identities of his subjects confidential. Which research method is Matthew employing?

Which of the following statements is the best example of a hypothesis?

The individuals that are intended to represent the population to be studied are referred to as the sample.

Interviewer bias may occur because of a researcher's sex, race, or perceived ethnicity.

Using Facebook to study the race-ethnicity of friendships among college students would be an example of which research method?

What are the three qualities on which research ethics is based?

Describe the difference between a "population" and a "sample." What is a "representative sample"? What is the best way to achieve representativeness in a sample?

List the seven research methods used to gather data, and identify the major strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

A correlation simply means that two or more variables are present together.

A multiple-choice exam is an example of a test structure composed of closed-ended questions.

What are unobtrusive measures?

One of the liabilities in using the participant observation as a research method is that findings are difficult to generalize.

Which of the following would not be considered unobtrusive measures?

If a researcher is reading diaries to collect information about the attitudes of rape victims, he or she is using ________ to collect the data.

What are the names of the two groups required for an experiment to take place?

What is the major problem with using participant observation as a research tool?

What is interviewer bias?

Michael is going to survey members of the gay and lesbian student union and gather data on their personal lives, interests, and demographics to develop a profile of their membership. To be most successful and receive the most valid responses, what should Michael do?

When an instrument measures what it is intended to measure, it is considered to possess the quality of reliability.