Ch 3: Practice Problems Flashcards
(T/F) Most sociologists depend on empirical evidence to understand social life.
True
(T/F) Concepts that have two or more degrees are called operational definitions.
False
Rationale: Concepts that have two or more values are called variables
(T/F) Identifying a methodology is the process of arriving at a measure of a concept or variable.
False
Rationale: Operationalization is the process of arriving at a measure of a concept or variable.
(T/F) Concepts are concrete systems of meaning that enable us to perceive a phenomenon in a particular way.
False
Rationale: Concepts are abstract systems of meaning that enable us to perceive a phenomenon in a particular way.
(T/F) Researchers conduct literature reviews to find new ideas to include in their own research.
False
Rationale: Researchers conduct literature reviews to relate their research to past research.
(T/F) A theory is a set of interrelated statements or propositions used to answer questions about some social phenomenon.
True
(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.
False
Rationale: If a proposition is formulated with two or more variables that can be empirically tested, then the proposition is considered a hypothesis.
(T/F) An independent variable never causes change in the dependent variable.
False
Rationale: An independent variable causes a change or variation in the dependent variable.
(T/F) A dependent variable is changed or influenced by another variable.
True
(T/F) The statement, “Success in college is positively related to class attendance” is a theory.
False
Rationale: The statement, “Success in college is positively related to class attendance” is a hypothesis.
(T/F) In any scientific study, the causal variable is the independent variable.
True
(T/F) Qualitative and quantitative research both use research questions.
False
Rationale: Qualitative research uses research questions, and quantitative research uses propositions.
(T/F) A direct relationship exists when an increase in one variable is accompanied by a decrease in another.
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.
(T/F) An inverse relationship exists when a decrease in one variable is accompanied by a decrease in another.
False
Rationale: An inverse relationship exists when an increase in one variable is accompanied by a decrease in another.
(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.
True
(T/F) Ethnographic research focuses on asking people questions about the subject being studied.
False
Rationale: Ethnographic research focuses on the sociology of meaning through close observation of sociocultural phenomena.
(T/F) Most participant observation takes the form of reviewing the literature.
False
Rationale: Most participant observation takes the form of a case study.
(T/F) The most frequently used method to obtain information about the social world is the survey.
True
(T/F) The Hawthorne studies used survey research.
False
Rationale: The Hawthorne studies were experiments.
(T/F) The scientific standard of correlation says that research should be done in such a way that it can be duplicated by others.
False
Rationale: The scientific standard of replication says that research should be done in such a way that it can be duplicated by others.
(T/F) Validity refers to accuracy.
True
(T/F) Consistency of results is the key to reliability.
True
(T/F) A sample is the group under study, and the population is part of the sample.
False
Rationale: A population is the group under study, and the sample is part of that population.
(T/F) Content analysis refers to the procedure of systematically extracting thematic data only from pictorial communication.
False
Rationale: Content analysis refers to the procedure of systematically extracting thematic data from a wide range of communication.
