Ch 3: Practice Problems

Question 1

(T/F) Most sociologists depend on empirical evidence to understand social life.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

(T/F) Concepts that have two or more degrees are called operational definitions.

Answer 2

False
Rationale: Concepts that have two or more values are called variables

Question 3

(T/F) Identifying a methodology is the process of arriving at a measure of a concept or variable.

Answer 3

False
Rationale: Operationalization is the process of arriving at a measure of a concept or variable.

Question 4

(T/F) Concepts are concrete systems of meaning that enable us to perceive a phenomenon in a particular way.

Answer 4

False
Rationale: Concepts are abstract systems of meaning that enable us to perceive a phenomenon in a particular way.

Question 5

(T/F) Researchers conduct literature reviews to find new ideas to include in their own research.

Answer 5

False
Rationale: Researchers conduct literature reviews to relate their research to past research.

Question 6

(T/F) A theory is a set of interrelated statements or propositions used to answer questions about some social phenomenon.

Answer 6

True

Question 7

(T/F) If a proposition is formulated with two or more variables that can be empirically tested, then the proposition is considered an independent variable.

Answer 7

False
Rationale: If a proposition is formulated with two or more variables that can be empirically tested, then the proposition is considered a hypothesis.

Question 8

(T/F) An independent variable never causes change in the dependent variable.

Answer 8

False
Rationale: An independent variable causes a change or variation in the dependent variable.

Question 9

(T/F) A dependent variable is changed or influenced by another variable.

Answer 9

True

Question 10

(T/F) The statement, “Success in college is positively related to class attendance” is a theory.

Answer 10

False
Rationale: The statement, “Success in college is positively related to class attendance” is a hypothesis.

Question 11

(T/F) In any scientific study, the causal variable is the independent variable.

Answer 11

True

Question 12

(T/F) Qualitative and quantitative research both use research questions.

Answer 12

False
Rationale: Qualitative research uses research questions, and quantitative research uses propositions.

Question 13

(T/F) A direct relationship exists when an increase in one variable is accompanied by a decrease in another.

Answer 13

False
Rationale: A direct relationship exists when an increase in one variable is accompanied by an increase in another or a decrease in one variable is accompanied by a decrease in another.

Question 14

(T/F) An inverse relationship exists when a decrease in one variable is accompanied by a decrease in another.

Answer 14

False
Rationale: An inverse relationship exists when an increase in one variable is accompanied by a decrease in another.

Question 15

(T/F) Research in which the researcher watches what is happening and makes no attempt to control or modify the activity being observed is called observational research.

Answer 15

True

Question 16

(T/F) Ethnographic research focuses on asking people questions about the subject being studied.

Answer 16

False
Rationale: Ethnographic research focuses on the sociology of meaning through close observation of sociocultural phenomena.

Question 17

(T/F) Most participant observation takes the form of reviewing the literature.

Answer 17

False
Rationale: Most participant observation takes the form of a case study.

Question 18

(T/F) The most frequently used method to obtain information about the social world is the survey.

Answer 18

True

Question 19

(T/F) The Hawthorne studies used survey research.

Answer 19

False
Rationale: The Hawthorne studies were experiments.

Question 20

(T/F) The scientific standard of correlation says that research should be done in such a way that it can be duplicated by others.

Answer 20

False
Rationale: The scientific standard of replication says that research should be done in such a way that it can be duplicated by others.

Question 21

(T/F) Validity refers to accuracy.

Answer 21

True

Question 22

(T/F) Consistency of results is the key to reliability.

Answer 22

True

Question 23

(T/F) A sample is the group under study, and the population is part of the sample.

Answer 23

False
Rationale: A population is the group under study, and the sample is part of that population.

Question 24

(T/F) Content analysis refers to the procedure of systematically extracting thematic data only from pictorial communication.

Answer 24

False
Rationale: Content analysis refers to the procedure of systematically extracting thematic data from a wide range of communication.

Question 25

(T/F) The term explanatory research applies to studies that attempt to explain why things do or do not happen.

Answer 25

True