Question 1

In his study, titled Tearoom Trade, Laud Humphreys found that men who engaged in fleeting sexual encounters with other men in public restrooms:

Accepted Answer

A) had a higher-than-average rate of unemployment 
B) had few characteristics that distinguished them from men who did not engage in this behavior 
C) often lived alone 
D) were more likely to self-identify as bisexual than as straight or gay 
E) usually defined themselves as gay

Question 2

Why are internal validity and external validity important? Evaluate the relative strengths of surveys and experiments, focusing on the internal validity and the external validity of the results they generate.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why are internal validity and external validity...

Question 3

Which method of data collection in sociological social psychology do you think is the most ethically problematic? Why do you believe this to be the case? Should contemporary researchers be allowed to use this method of data collection? Support your position.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which method of data collection in sociological...

Question 4

Suppose that you conducted a survey and found a positive correlation between drinking wine, versus drinking beer, and health. Given the results of your study, can you conclude that drinking wine instead of beer makes people healthy? Explain why this conclusion is or is not appropriate.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Suppose that you conducted a survey and...

Question 5

In comparison to the results of surveys, the results of experiments tend to be high in external validity.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

List and describe the two kinds of qualitative research discussed in Chapter 2 of your textbook. When are these methods of data collection likely to be used?

Accepted Answer

The answer of List and describe the two kinds of...

Question 7

What is internal validity? What would you say if someone asked you to evaluate the internal validity of a participant observational study of college students' friendships? (Note. This question may be combined with question 12 for a more comprehensive assessment of students' understanding of the nature and purpose of participant observational research.)

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is internal validity? What would you...

Question 8

Qualitative research tends to be higher in validity than quantitative research.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

A survey researcher can eliminate potential problems with time order by using:

Accepted Answer

A) cross-sectional data 
B) in-depth interviews 
C) longitudinal data 
D) sophisticated statistical procedures 
E) triangulation

Question 10

The construction of grounded theory involves inductive reasoning.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Kahneman and Deaton's (2010) study, discussed in Chapter 2, suggests that increasing people's income will increase their levels of emotional well-being until they reach an annual income of ___________. After this point, further increases on income have little effect on emotional well-being.

Accepted Answer

A) 25000 
B) 50000 
C) 75000 
D) 100000 
E) 150000

Question 12

Describe how you would conduct an experiment on the effects of a status characteristic, such as gender or education, on susceptibility of social influence. Who would you use as subjects? Why is the random assignment of subjects to different groups important within this context? Evaluate the internal and external validity of your hypothetical study's results.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe how you would conduct an experiment...

Question 13

What makes Moore's (1968) study of the effects of education on social influence, used to illustrate research within the group processes and structures orientation, a true experiment?

Accepted Answer

A) Subjects' levels of education were manipulated by the researcher. 
B) Subjects were not told the true purpose of the experiment until after the study was finished. 
C) Subjects were randomly assigned to the different experimental conditions (groups) 
D) The study was conducted in a laboratory. 
E) The researcher manipulated subjects' levels of social influence.

Question 14

Which of the following statements about qualitative research methods is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A) Qualitative methods are often used by researchers working in the symbolic interactionist face of social psychology. 
B) Qualitative methods include participant observation and in-depth interviewing. 
C) Qualitative methods yield findings that are more reliable than those obtained using laboratory experiments or surveys. 
D) Qualitative research is considered to yield results that are more valid than those obtained through quantitative research. 
E) Qualitative research serves a different purpose than quantitative research.

Question 15

Zimbardo's Standford prison experiment was a true experiment because subjects were randomly assigned to the role of prison or guard. The experimental design of this study enabled Zimbardo to determine with a high degree of certainty:

Accepted Answer

A) how the location of a prisoner's cell influences his patterns of interaction within the prison 
B) how random people join together to resist authority through collective action 
C) how prior experiences shape people's reactions to the guard role 
D) whether gender affects prison guards' behaviors 
E) whether it is personality or the prison environment that makes prison guards act in a sadistic manner

Question 16

Study results are reliable when they:

Accepted Answer

A) are accurate 
B) are consistent across different groups of individuals (e.g., males and females) within a study sample 
C) can be replicated 
D) generalize beyond the study sample 
E) lead to new research questions

Question 17

Debriefing is the term used to refer to the process during which:

Accepted Answer

A) covert participant observers reveal their identity, their institutional affiliation, and the purpose of their research to the study participants 
B) experimenters explain the true purpose of the study to their subjects and address any concerns they might have about having participated in the research 
C) research assistants, who are typically graduate students, voice their concerns about the research process to their faculty advisors 
D) subjects are asked to submit an anonymous statement to the IRB of the school sponsoring the study they participated in for quality control purposes 
E) survey researchers tell study participants about the study purpose and ask them to sign an informed consent statement

Question 18

It difficult to assess causality using survey data because:

Accepted Answer

A) cross-sectional (vs. longitudinal) data are rarely available 
B) it is difficult to determine if there is a correlation between the independent and dependent variable 
C) people tend to lie on surveys 
D) random assignment is not used in survey research 
E) using the appropriate sampling techniques is too costly for most survey researchers

Question 19

Moore's (1968) experiment on the effects of education on social influence, given as an example of research in the group processes and structures face of sociological social psychology, shows that:

Accepted Answer

A) education has less of an effect than race/ethnicity on women's task-related behaviors 
B) females are less likely than males to define themselves in terms of their level of educational attainment when completing the Contrast Sensitivity task in mixed-sex groups 
C) how social influence is measured determines the size of the gender gap in in recorded task performance 
D) susceptibility to influence associated with education operates differently than other status characteristics 
E) susceptibility to influence can be reduced by leading subjects to believe that they are more well educated than their task partner

Question 20

If drinking alcohol reduces college students' grades, then alcohol use is a(n):

Accepted Answer

A) dependent variable 
B) independent variable 
C) nonrandom variable 
D) operational variable 
E) spurious variable

Exam 2: Research Methods in Sociological Social Psychology

In his study, titled Tearoom Trade, Laud Humphreys found that men who engaged in fleeting sexual encounters with other men in public restrooms:

Why are internal validity and external validity important? Evaluate the relative strengths of surveys and experiments, focusing on the internal validity and the external validity of the results they generate.

Which method of data collection in sociological social psychology do you think is the most ethically problematic? Why do you believe this to be the case? Should contemporary researchers be allowed to use this method of data collection? Support your position.

Suppose that you conducted a survey and found a positive correlation between drinking wine, versus drinking beer, and health. Given the results of your study, can you conclude that drinking wine instead of beer makes people healthy? Explain why this conclusion is or is not appropriate.

In comparison to the results of surveys, the results of experiments tend to be high in external validity.

List and describe the two kinds of qualitative research discussed in Chapter 2 of your textbook. When are these methods of data collection likely to be used?

Qualitative research tends to be higher in validity than quantitative research.

A survey researcher can eliminate potential problems with time order by using:

The construction of grounded theory involves inductive reasoning.

Kahneman and Deaton's (2010) study, discussed in Chapter 2, suggests that increasing people's income will increase their levels of emotional well-being until they reach an annual income of ___________. After this point, further increases on income have little effect on emotional well-being.

What makes Moore's (1968) study of the effects of education on social influence, used to illustrate research within the group processes and structures orientation, a true experiment?

Which of the following statements about qualitative research methods is FALSE?

Zimbardo's Standford prison experiment was a true experiment because subjects were randomly assigned to the role of prison or guard. The experimental design of this study enabled Zimbardo to determine with a high degree of certainty:

Study results are reliable when they:

Debriefing is the term used to refer to the process during which:

It difficult to assess causality using survey data because:

Moore's (1968) experiment on the effects of education on social influence, given as an example of research in the group processes and structures face of sociological social psychology, shows that:

If drinking alcohol reduces college students' grades, then alcohol use is a(n) :