Question 1

Empirical evidence is what people in a society agree is true.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

If you were to conduct sociological research that closely follows the logic of science, which research method would you most likely use?

Accepted Answer

A) interviews 
B) the experiment 
C) questionnaires 
D) participant observation 
A) interviews 
B) the experiment 
C) questionnaires 
D) participant observation

Question 3

None of the major methods of sociological research-experiment, survey, participant observation, and secondary research-is better than any other in an absolute sense, but each is suitable for addressing a certain type of question or situation.Explain why this is true and develop brief illustrations of the type of questions that would lead a researcher to select one method over the others.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true because each meth

Question 4

Replication is one way to assess the accuracy of existing research.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Lois Benjamin's research shows that interviews

Accepted Answer

A) take a lot of time to complete. 
B) must always be conducted in a laboratory. 
C) do not allow the researcher to ask follow-up questions. 
D) do not require face-to-face contact with subjects. 
A) take a lot of time to complete. 
B) must always be conducted in a laboratory. 
C) do not allow the researcher to ask follow-up questions. 
D) do not require face-to-face contact with subjects.

Question 6

To identify cause-and-effect relationships, it is usually necessary to exercise experimental control of variables.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

"A statement of a possible relationship between two or more variables" is the definition of which concept?

Accepted Answer

A) theory 
B) correlation 
C) spurious correlation 
D) hypothesis 
A) theory 
B) correlation 
C) spurious correlation 
D) hypothesis

Question 8

The sociologist recognizes that there are various kinds of "truth."

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Sociologists cannot precisely predict any person's behavior because

Accepted Answer

A) human behavior is highly complex and has many causes. 
B) social patterns that are found in one time and place may not be found in others. 
C) humans may respond to the presence of an observer in unexpected ways. 
D) All of these are correct. 
A) human behavior is highly complex and has many causes. 
B) social patterns that are found in one time and place may not be found in others. 
C) humans may respond to the presence of an observer in unexpected ways. 
D) All of these are correct.

Question 10

What is the term for the value that occurs most often in a series of numbers?

Accepted Answer

A) the mean 
B) the mode 
C) the median 
D) the standard deviation 
A) the mean 
B) the mode 
C) the median 
D) the standard deviation

Question 11

Natural scientists often have an easier time than social scientists in identifying cause-and-effect relationships.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Which of the following statements about critical sociology is true?

Accepted Answer

A) Critical sociology focuses on the meaning people attach to behavior. 
B) Critical sociology seeks to bring about desirable social change. 
C) Critical sociology endorses the principle of being value-free. 
D) Critical sociology is based on Weber's principle of verstehen. 
A) Critical sociology focuses on the meaning people attach to behavior. 
B) Critical sociology seeks to bring about desirable social change. 
C) Critical sociology endorses the principle of being value-free. 
D) Critical sociology is based on Weber's principle of verstehen.

Question 13

If you were trying to measure the "social class" of various people, you would have to keep in mind that

Accepted Answer

A) it is necessary to specify exactly what you are measuring. 
B) you must measure "social class" in every way possible. 
C) there is no way to measure "social class." 
D) everyone agrees on what "social class" means. 
A) it is necessary to specify exactly what you are measuring. 
B) you must measure "social class" in every way possible. 
C) there is no way to measure "social class." 
D) everyone agrees on what "social class" means.

Question 14

Sociological research can never be harmful to subjects.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Max Weber urged sociologists to strive toward the goal of being value-free.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

If you have been criticized for "androcentricity" in your research, you are being criticized for

Accepted Answer

A) overgeneralizing your results. 
B) ignoring gender entirely. 
C) doing the research from a male perspective. 
D) using double standards in your research. 
A) overgeneralizing your results. 
B) ignoring gender entirely. 
C) doing the research from a male perspective. 
D) using double standards in your research.

Question 17

Which sociological research method is most likely to produce quantitative data that will identify cause-and-effect relationships?

Accepted Answer

A) the experiment 
B) the survey 
C) participant observation 
D) secondary analysis 
A) the experiment 
B) the survey 
C) participant observation 
D) secondary analysis

Question 18

How do positivist sociology, interpretive sociology, and critical sociology deal with the issue of subjectivity in a different way?

Accepted Answer

Positivist sociology, interpretive socio

Question 19

"Statistical evidence" may or may not be the same as truth.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

A positivist approach assumes that an objective reality exists "out there."

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 2: Sociological Investigation

Empirical evidence is what people in a society agree is true.

If you were to conduct sociological research that closely follows the logic of science, which research method would you most likely use?

Replication is one way to assess the accuracy of existing research.

Lois Benjamin's research shows that interviews

To identify cause-and-effect relationships, it is usually necessary to exercise experimental control of variables.

"A statement of a possible relationship between two or more variables" is the definition of which concept?

The sociologist recognizes that there are various kinds of "truth."

Sociologists cannot precisely predict any person's behavior because

What is the term for the value that occurs most often in a series of numbers?

Natural scientists often have an easier time than social scientists in identifying cause-and-effect relationships.

Which of the following statements about critical sociology is true?

If you were trying to measure the "social class" of various people, you would have to keep in mind that

Sociological research can never be harmful to subjects.

Max Weber urged sociologists to strive toward the goal of being value-free.

If you have been criticized for "androcentricity" in your research, you are being criticized for

Which sociological research method is most likely to produce quantitative data that will identify cause-and-effect relationships?

How do positivist sociology, interpretive sociology, and critical sociology deal with the issue of subjectivity in a different way?

"Statistical evidence" may or may not be the same as truth.

A positivist approach assumes that an objective reality exists "out there."

The Sociological Perspective

Culture

Society

Socialization

Social Interaction in Everyday Life

Groups and Organizations

Sexuality and Society

Deviance

Social Stratification

Social Class in the United States

Global Stratification

Gender Stratification

Race and Ethnicity

Aging and the Elderly

The Economy and Work

Politics and Government

Families

Religion

Education

Health and Medicine

Population, Urbanization, and Environment

Collective Behavior and Social Movements

Social Change: Traditional

Filters