Exam 2: How Sociologists Do Research

If a group of sociologists is interested in studying college students' attitudes toward the U.S.Congress,they will need to gather responses to a survey.However,it is not possible for the research group to ask all college students what they think.In order to generate a set of meaningful responses,the research group will have to design a survey that is based on a:

A subset of a population is called a:

If you wanted to understand the rationalizations and motives that criminals use to understand the meaning and consequences of their actions,which method would you use?

If respondents for a survey are chosen at random,then the sample is a:

Survey researchers make sure that the response options to every question in their survey reflect the full range of options available to both women and men.They are attempting to counter which traditional research problem?

In an experiment,the experimental group is the group exposed to the independent variable while the control group is the group that is not exposed to the independent variable.

A sociologist believes that high levels of education create the opportunity for better-paid work after graduation.Levels of education would be the ____ variable in this hypothesis.

If a researcher is interested in the effect of television viewing on behavior,and randomly selects research subjects who are male and female to determine the consequences of television viewing,gender is the:

A survey where the researcher is able to directly question a subject is called a:

Define reliability.

A sociological study of dog trainers which is based on the examination of actual dog trainers,their activities,and their social lives without any predetermined conceptions of these matters is an example of which of the following?

What kind of analysis is usually aimed at understanding patterns of social relationships in small-scale social settings and the meanings people attach to those relationships?

To be included in a representative sample,respondents must:

If a researcher who is studying social class is able to use variables that are meaningful to the participants,the standards are said to meet ____ criteria for validity in that setting.

Someone who would ignore contradictory evidence because they challenge cherished beliefs is creating their ideas from what kind of observation?

Explain all of the stages of research involved in investigating a social problem that interests you.

A researcher who spends time with subjects in the places where they naturally congregate is engaged in which type of research?

Sociological research attempts to overcome nonscientific thinking by following a rigorous six-step model.Usually,the first step in this process is:

Define participant observation.

Two observers standing on a street corner saw an automobile accident.While both observers witnessed the same event,they disagreed over which driver was responsible for the accident.This is an example of knowledge based on: