Exam 2: How Sociologists Do Research

Variable is to a concept as hypothesis is to an observation.

The goal of participant observation is to understand a setting from the viewpoint of its members.

Where is the abstract level of experience located?

Which concept is referred to in the following question: "Would another researcher interpret or measure the phenomenon in the same way"?

Which of the following terms refers to the process whereby individuals are assigned to research groups by chance?

Which of the following terms best describes the thought process of grouping all chairs-wooden, metal, upholstered, and hard-into a single category?

What are the main features and limitations of the experimental method?

In a probability sample, the units are selected randomly.

Knowledge based on established authority or tradition can be considered scientific because it has been effective for a long time and respected people endorse it.

When people artificially pose for a photograph, what type of bias is occurring?

A survey question asks "What do you think about current Canadian foreign policy?" and provides several lines for respondents to write their answers. Which of the following terms refers to this type of question?

The textbook discusses 10 types of unscientific thinking. Which of the following is one of them?

What is the difference between validity and reliability? Provide examples.

Which of the following terms refers to the list of all the people in a population of interest?

Sooraj is planning a study of political opinions of francophone Canadians. He wishes to obtain statistically significant results, but fears that his research budget is too small. What is most likely to make statistically significant results doubtful in this situation?

What is used to select the members of an experimental group and a control group in an experiment?

Which of the following terms refers to a carefully controlled artificial situation that allows researchers to isolate hypothesized causes and measure their effects precisely?

Which outcome results from the process of randomization?

Describe the conditions that must be met in demonstrating causality.

Akiko is studying the Toronto chapter of the Liberal Party of Canada. Who would be her best key informant?