Question 1

A sociologist who is interested in examining racism in sports might determine what percentage of team owners, general managers, coaches, and managers are members of each racial group. This would be an example of developing a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  research design. 
B)  operational definition. 
C)  hypothesis. 
D)  theory.

Question 2

A variable is

Accepted Answer

A)  a measurable trait or characteristic that is subject to change under different conditions. 
B)  the extent to which a measure provides consistent results. 
C)  the unintended influence that observers or experiments can have on their subjects. 
D)  a speculative statement about the relationship between two traits.

Question 3

A research measure that provides consistent results is considered

Accepted Answer

A)  valid. 
B)  reliable. 
C)  an index. 
D)  a scale.

Question 4

All research designs have positives and negatives associated with them.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Sociologists consider secondary analysis to be

Accepted Answer

A)  more valid than other forms of research. 
B)  more reliable than other forms of research. 
C)  a nonreactive form of research. 
D)  an outdated mode of research.

Question 6

What conclusion did the National Bureau of Economic Research reach about gays and lesbians as subjects of sociological research?

Accepted Answer

A)  Most research treats its gay and lesbian subjects with contempt. 
B)  Most research ignores the possibility that its subjects might be gay or lesbian. 
C)  Most research underreports the number of gays and lesbians in a population. 
D)  Most research begins from a position that sexuality is fluid and that gays and lesbians are in a state of transition.

Question 7

Discuss the issue of ethics and social research. Give examples of how research could be harmful to human life.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the issue of ethics and social...

Question 8

Sociological studies have indicated that people who are married are less likely to commit suicide than people who are divorced. In this example, marital status is a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  hypothesis. 
B)  independent variable. 
C)  dependent variable. 
D)  index.

Question 9

A speculative statement about the relationship between two or more variables is known as a

Accepted Answer

A)  correlation. 
B)  hypothesis. 
C)  sample. 
D)  research design.

Question 10

Researchers found which of the following to be true of cell phone users compared to landline users?

Accepted Answer

A)  more likely to screen incoming calls 
B)  more likely to break off a call mid-survey 
C)  a higher proportion of non-adults on cell phones 
D)  All of these answers are correct.

Question 11

A sociologist decides to study the interaction among students in the college's computer center. When the students realize they are under observation, they become shy and reserved in their interactions. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  replication. 
B)  secondary analysis. 
C)  the Hawthorne effect. 
D)  value neutrality.

Question 12

Which of the following is true regarding actions by the Exxon Corporation after the 1989 Valdez disaster?

Accepted Answer

A)  Exxon solicited sociologists to do research on jury deliberations. 
B)  Exxon offered research money for sociologists doing research on jury deliberations. 
C)  Some of the research funded by Exxon was published in peer-reviewed journals. 
D)  All of these answers are correct.

Question 13

A sociologist sets up an experiment on television violence and children. She shows one set of children (group A) violent cartoons and then observes their play. She shows a second set of children (group B) nonviolent cartoons and then observes their play. Which of these groups would be considered the experimental group?

Accepted Answer

A)  group A 
B)  group B 
C)  neither group 
D)  both groups

Question 14

People may behave differently in artificial situations than they would in the "real world." This poses a particular problem for researchers using

Accepted Answer

A)  questionnaires. 
B)  content analysis. 
C)  replication. 
D)  laboratory experiments.

Question 15

The statement "Eating fewer fats and carbohydrates will lead to weight loss" is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  causal logic. 
B)  a dependent variable. 
C)  an independent variable. 
D)  a cross tabulation.

Question 16

"Data indicate that people who prefer to watch televised news programs are less knowledgeable than those who read newspapers and newsmagazines." This statement is an example of a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  causality. 
B)  correlation. 
C)  independent variable. 
D)  law.

Question 17

Explain how "veiled reporting" may result in underreporting of gay and lesbian subjects in survey research.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain how "veiled reporting" may result in...

Question 18

An inherent problem in using secondary sources of data is that

Accepted Answer

A)  the researcher may not find the exact data needed for his or her own research. 
B)  the data are plagued with statistical errors. 
C)  the researcher may be more careless when using someone else's data. 
D)  all of the analysis has been completed by an initial research team.

Question 19

We have little reliable data on human sexuality because

Accepted Answer

A)  it is difficult for researchers to obtain accurate information about this sensitive subject. 
B)  until the AIDS crisis, there was little scientific demand for data on sexual behavior. 
C)  government funding for studies of sexual behavior is controversial. 
D)  All of these answers are correct.

Question 20

What sociological perspective would most likely suggest that educational inequalities are purposeful and set up to reinforce the position of those in power?

Accepted Answer

A)  functionalist perspective 
B)  conflict perspective 
C)  interactionist perspective 
D)  feminist perspective

Exam 2: Sociological Research