Exam 2: Sociological Research Methods

In __________ sampling,the researcher interviews a few individuals who possess a certain characteristic; these interviewees are then asked to supply the names of others with the same characteristic.This process continues until the sample is an acceptable size and no new information of any significance is being gained.

A trademark of sociology involves the unmasking of fallacies in the everyday and official interpretations of society.This process is called:

Summarize the Hawthorne experiments and explain why this research is important.

Using __________ studies,sociologist Emile Durkheim was able to compare suicide rates over a period of time in France and other European nations.

__________ is the systematic examination of cultural artifacts or various forms of communication to extract thematic data and draw conclusions about social life.

Sociologists obtain their knowledge of human behavior through __________,which result(s) in a body of information that helps us move beyond guesswork and common sense in understanding society.

A researcher would like to compare suicide rates between recent immigrants and more established immigrants using a quantitative research approach.Which research model would be most appropriate?

The American Sociological Association requires that sociologists adhere to all except which of the following?

Discuss the differences between cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.

Lucy has volunteered at the local crisis center.While she is performing as a volunteer,she is given permission to gather data on the number of women who report being abused,and the number of women who later participated in counseling.Lucy is using __________ as a method of gathering data.

Age,sex,race,and ethnicity are often used as __________ variables.

Describe the major methods of field research and indicate when researchers are most likely to utilize each of them.

With __________ research,the goal is scientific objectivity,and the focus is on data that can be measured numerically.

Sociologist Emile Durkheim concluded that single people had proportionately higher suicide rates than married persons because they had a low degree of social integration; he referred to this as anomic suicide.

Qualitative researchers generally use surveys,secondary analyses of existing statistical data,and experimental designs.

A(n) __________ is a data-collection encounter in which an interviewer asks the respondent questions and records the answers.

The unit of analysis is referred to as:

Analyze the six steps of the "Conventional" Research Model.Be sure to include a discussion of the terms hypothesis,variable,sampling,validity,and reliability.

Which approach to the theory-and-research cycle does the following sequence reflect: (1) specific observations suggest generalizations, (2) generalizations produce a tentative theory, (3) the theory is tested through the formation of hypotheses,and (4) hypotheses may provide suggestions for additional observations?

Variables are the observable and/or measurable counterparts of concepts; for example,"suicide" is a concept and the "rate of suicide" is a variable.