Exam 2: Studying Social Life: Sociology Research Methods

The research method MOST closely related to the scientific method is

If conducting research, what steps must you take to follow the scientific method? Identify them in the correct order in which you should do them.

In the 1980s, many politicians argued that listening to heavy metal music led teenagers to die by suicide. This is a(n) ________, although you might find this belief silly.

Explain the importance of confidentiality in social research.

Imagine that you are trying to rewrite a survey. You find a multiple-choice question that asks, "What is your favorite recreational activity?" and gives three response options: watching television, shopping, or sports. You add a fourth response option, "other," and invite respondents to write an activity of their choice. What kind of question have you just created?

A researcher studying sororities pretends to be a college student and attempts to join a sorority. The researcher is operating with a high level of

A study found a strong correlation between parental bonding and adolescent drug use. Children with stronger bonds to their parents were far less likely to try drugs or alcohol. After examining their data more closely, the researchers discovered that parental bonding was really a predictor for teen religiosity. Consequently, high levels of religiosity, rather than parental bonding, actually prevent drug use. This means that religiosity was a(n)

What can an institutional review board do if it has reservations about the safety or ethics of a research project?

What is a simple random sample?

A famous social scientist tells you that the most important task in her research was entering the social world of the people she was studying. What can you say about this researcher?

Which of the following research techniques focuses on gaining an insider's perspective of the everyday lives of participants under investigation, which often dispels stereotypes about the group being investigated?

Every discipline that does research on humans needs a code of ethics in order to protect its research participants. The risks associated with sociological research may seem subtler than the harm that medical research could cause people if not carried out ethically. Describe the risks of sociological research.

Laud Humphreys wrote his dissertation on anonymous homosexual encounters in the men's rooms of public parks. To gather data, he acted as a lookout for his participants, but he also secretly noted license-plate numbers as the men left so he could get their names and addresses. He picked about fifty of the men the next year and, claiming to be performing a health survey, interviewed them in their homes. His descriptions of the interviews made it possible for many of the men (and their families) to recognize themselves when the dissertation was published. Why do many sociologists consider this research method to be unethical?

A sociologist wants to examine how black men have been portrayed in television shows in the past year. Which type of study is most appropriate to examine this research topic and compare the portrayal of black men across different television shows?

In recent years, sociologists who study deviance have learned that they can measure the quantities of narcotics consumed by a community by testing its sewage before treatment. What part of the research process would the sociologists be carrying out when they visit the sewage treatment plant to test its sewage?

In using the scientific method for sociological research, what step should be taken after formulating a general research question?

What difficulties does experimental research present for researchers?

Researchers usually transcribe responses after they conduct a series of interviews. The transcription process is fairly time-consuming, but it is valuable, in part, because it allows researchers to

The scientific method provides a general plan for conducting research in a systematic way. Describe the series of steps in the scientific method.

Alex is assigned a research project in which she is to attend a celebratory family meal and analyze her experiences as she participates in the meal. She is asked to make a detailed account of the meal that includes her thoughts and feelings about the event. What type of research is Frances assigned?