Exam 2: How Sociologists Do Research

According to the textbook, what are sociological researchers interested in doing with abstract propositions?

A researcher studying a new religious movement is concerned whether he really understands why new members join the movement. What issue is the researcher concerned about?

A spurious relationship is one in which the control variable causes both the independent and dependent variables to change.

What does the operationalization process do?

What issues does a researcher confront in participant observation? Briefly describe a participant observation study on a topic that interests you and explain how you would deal with each of these issues.

The textbook makes a point that concrete level of experience is, by itself, which of the following?

What is the main advantage of an outsider's viewpoint for acquiring knowledge of an organization?

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?

According to the textbook, what is the aim of sociological research?

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

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

Every year, before farmers plant their crops, a community holds a parade. While the parade does not influence the harvest in any demonstrable way, some community members believe that a good parade increases the crop yield. What does this example illustrate?

Compare the concrete and abstract levels of experience, and their roles in sociological research.

Which research method places the most emphasis on understanding the members of a group from their own point of view?

Research has found that many television viewers watch only news broadcasts on channels that support their political views and never tune in to those that advocate opposing political views. This increases the likelihood of which type of unscientific thinking?

Lily, a researcher, joins a religious cult to better understand how members are recruited. What method is she using?

In research, the control variable determines the context of the hypothesized relationship.

Life is meaningful for humans because of which level of experience?

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?

How does the inclusion of a control variable improve a researcher's interpretation of the relationship between the independent and the dependent variables?