Review Materials

Navigation » List of Schools » California State University, Northridge » Sociology » Soc 497 – Research Methods » Spring 2019 » Review Materials

Need help with your exam preparation?

Existing Quiz Clients Login here

Below are the questions for the exam with the choices of answers:

Try The Exam

Question #1

A positivist social science principle that social research should be conducted in an objective manner based on empirical evidence alone and without interference from moral-political values

A Social theory

B Value-free science

C Reification

D Ideal type

Question #2

A principle used in interpretive social science that no single point of view or value position is better than others, and all are equally valid for those who hold them

A Social theory

B Relativism

C Empirical generalization

D Praxis

Question #3

An informal model or scheme people use in everyday life to categorize and organize the flow of the events and situation that they can experience; often part of common knowledge or common sense, it simplifies and helps to organize the complexity and flow of life

A Typification

B Units of analysis

C Macro-level theory

D Dialectic

Question #4

An orientation toward social reality that assumes the beliefs and meaning that people create and use fundamentally shape what reality is for them

A Parsimony

B Causal laws

C Micro-level theory

D Constructionist orientation

Question #5

A word from German that means empathetic understanding and that is a primary goal for social research according to interpretative social science

A Descriptive research

B Negative relationship

C Verstehen

D Causal explanation

Question #6

A general organizing framework for theory and research that includes basic assumptions, key issues, models of quality research, and methods for seeking answers

A Positive relationship

B Cross-sectional research

C Hypothesis

D Paradigm

Question #7

An idea used in critical social science referring to when people become detached from and lose sight of their connection to their own creations and treat them as being alien, external force

A Content analysis

B Reification

C Grounded theory

D Proposition

Question #8

A way to evaluate explanations in critical social science by putting theoretical explanations into real-life practice and the subsequent outcome is used to refine explanation

A Cohort study

B Typology

C Association

D Praxis

Question #9

A change process emphasized in critical social science in which social relationships contain irresolvable inner contradictions; over time they will trigger a dramatic upset and a total restructuring of the relationship

A Dialectic

B Assumptions

C Ideology

D Case-study Research

Question #10

General cause-effect rules used in causal explanations of social theory and whose discovery is a primary objective of positivist social science

A Basic Research

B Causal laws

C Value-free science

D Units of analysis

Question #11

An area of philosophy concerned with the creation of knowledge; focuses on how we know what we know or what are the most valid ways to reach truth

A Applied Research

B Level of abstraction

C Epistemology

D Relativism

Question #12

An area of philosophy that deals with the nature of being, or what exists; the area of philosophy that asks what really is and what the fundamental categories of reality are

A Ontology

B Action Research

C Typification

D Deductive direction

Question #13

Social theory focusing on the relations, processes and structures at a midlevel of social life

A Meso-level theory

B Constructionist orientation

C Inductive direction

D Selective observation

Question #14

Social theory focusing on the macro level of social life

A Scholarly journal article

B Macro-level theory

C Verstehen

D Empirical generalization

Question #15

Social theory focusing on the micro level of social life that occurs over short durations

A Ideal type

B Paradigm

C Social theory

D Micro-level theory

Question #16

An association between two concepts or measures so that as on increases, the other decreases, or when one is present, the other is absent

A Negative relationship

B Reification

C Social theory

D Empirical generalization

Question #17

An association between two concepts or measures so that as one increased, the other also increases, to when is present, the other is also present

A Scientific community

B Positive relationship

C Praxis

D Ideal type

Question #18

A type of inductive social theory often used in qualitative research that builds toward abstract theory, often by making comparisons of empirical observations

A Grounded theory

B Parsimony

C Dialectic

D Overgeneralization

Question #19

A theorized classification or quasi-theory that is created by cross-classifying or combining two or more simple concepts tot form a set of interrelated subtypes

A Premature closure

B Causal explanation

C Causal laws

D Typology

Question #20

A nonscientific quasi-theory, often based on political values or faith with assumptions, concepts, relationships among concepts, and explanations. It is a closed system that resists change, cannot be directly falsified with empirical data and makes normative claims

A Pseudoscience

B Ideology

C Hypothesis

D Epistemology

Question #21

The units, cases or parts of social life that are under consideration. They are key to developing concepts, empirically measuring or observing concepts, and using data analysis

A Junk science

B Ontology

C Proposition

D Units of analysis

Question #22

A characteristics of a concept that ranges of empirical and concrete, often easily observable in daily experience, to very abstract, unseen mental creations

A Association

B Level of abstraction

C Halo effect

D Meso-level theory

Question #23

An approach to developing or confirming a theory that begins with abstract concepts and theoretical relationships and works toward more concrete empirical evidence

A Deductive direction

B Cost-benefit analysis

C Assumptions

D False Consensus

Question #24

An approach to developing or confirming a theory that begins with concrete empirical evidence and works toward more abstract concepts and theoretical relationships

A Descriptive research

B Inductive direction

C Substantive theory

D Empirical

Question #25

A narrow, quasi-theoretical statement that expresses empirical patterns or describes empirical regularities using concepts that are not very abstract

A Data

B Empirical generalization

C Formal theory

D Cross-sectional research

Question #26

A type of concept classification that presents a pure, abstract model of an event, process or idea. It is used in building social theory and in the analysis of data

A Ideal type

B Blind Review

C historical comparative research

D Content analysis

Question #27

The idea that simple is better; everything else being equal, a social theory that explains more with less complexity is better

A Cohort study

B Parsimony

C Proposition

D Experimental research

Question #28

A type of theoretical explanation about why events occur and how things work expressed in terms of causes and effects or as one factor producing certain results

A Association

B Panel study

C Case-study Research

D Causal explanation

Question #29

An empirically testable version of a theoretical proposition that has not yet been tested or verified with empirical evidence. It is most used in deductive theorizing and can be restated as a prediction

A Hypothesis

B Time-series research

C Assumptions

D Basic Research

Question #30

A theoretical statement about the relationship between two or more concepts

A Applied Research

B Longitudinal research

C Substantive theory

D Proposition

Question #31

The co-occurence of two events, characteristics, or factors so that when one happens or is present, the other one is likely to happen or be present as well

A Action Research

B Association

C Formal theory

D Explanatory research

Question #32

An untested starting point or belief in a theory that is necessary in order to build a theoretical explanation

A historical comparative research

B Exploratory research

C Selective observation

D Assumptions

Question #33

A type of theory that is specifically tailored to a particular topic area

A Commissioned research

B Scholarly journal article

C Substantive theory

D Field research

Question #34

A type of theory that is general and applies across many specific topic areas

A Existing statistics research

B Formal theory

C Reflexive knowledge

D Cost-benefit analysis

Question #35

Qualitative research in which the researcher examines data on events and conditions in the historical past and/or in different societies

A Nonreactive research

B Descriptive research

C Instrumental knowledge

D historical comparative research

Question #36

Qualitative research in which the researcher directly observes and records notes on people in a natural setting for an extended period of time

A Field research

B Needs assessment

C Survey research

D Cross-sectional research

Question #37

Research in which one reexamines and statistically analyzes quantitative data that have been gathered by government agencies or other organizations

A Existing statistics research

B Social impact assessment

C Value-free science

D Content analysis

Question #38

Research methods in which people are not aware of being studied

A Nonreactive research

B Macro-level theory

C Cohort study

D Relativism

Question #39

Quantitative research in which the researcher systematically asks a large number of people the same questions and then records their answers

A Case-study Research

B Typification

C Micro-level theory

D Survey research

Question #40

Research in which the researcher manipulates conditions for some research participants but not others and then compares group responses to see whether doing so made a difference

A Experimental research

B Negative relationship

C Constructionist orientation

D Basic Research

Question #41

Longitudinal research in which information is about the identical cases or people in each of several times

A Verstehen

B Positive relationship

C Applied Research

D Panel study

Question #42

Longitudinal research in which information can be about different cases or people in each of several time periods

A Time-series research

B Action Research

C Grounded theory

D Paradigm

Question #43

Any research that examines information from many units or cases across more than one point in time

A Selective observation

B Longitudinal research

C Typology

D Reification

Question #44

Research whose primary purpose is to explain why events occur and to build elaborate, extend or test theory

A Explanatory research

B Scholarly journal article

C Ideology

D Praxis

Question #45

Research whose primary purpose is to examine a little understood issue or phenomenon and to develop preliminary ideas about it and move toward refined research questions

A Social theory

B Units of analysis

C Dialectic

D Exploratory research

Question #46

Research funded and conducted at the behest of someone other than the researcher; the person conducting the study often has limited control over the research question, methods of a study, and presentation of results

A Level of abstraction

B Scientific community

C Commissioned research

D Causal laws

Question #47

Knowledge used to broadly examine the assumptions, context, and moral-value positions of basic or applied social research, including the research process itself and the implications of what is learned

A Deductive direction

B Reflexive knowledge

C Epistemology

D Overgeneralization

Question #48

Knowledge narrowly focused to answer a basic or applied research question, issue or concern with an outcome or task-oriented orientation

A Instrumental knowledge

B Ontology

C Inductive direction

D Premature closure

Question #49

An applied research tool that gathers descriptive information about a need, issue or concern, including its magnitude, scope and severity

A Pseudoscience

B Meso-level theory

C Empirical generalization

D Needs assessment

Question #50

Applied research that documents the likely consequences for various areas of social life if a major new change is introduced into a community

A Case-study Research

B Negative relationship

C Social impact assessment

D Social theory

Question #51

Action research in which the research participants actively help design and conduct the research study. It emphasizes democratizing knowledge-creation and engaging in collective actions, and it assumes that political knowledge emerges from participating in research

A Positive relationship

B Participatory action research

C Basic Research

D Scientific community

Question #52

Applied research in which one tried to determine how well a program or policy is working or reaching its goals and objectives

A Grounded theory

B Applied Research

C Evaluation research

D Overgeneralization

Question #53

An applied research tool economists developed in which a monetary value is assigned to the inputs and outcomes of a process and then the researcher examines the balance between them

A Typology

B Action Research

C Premature closure

D Cost-benefit analysis

Question #54

Research in which the primary purpose is to “paint a picture” using words or numbers and to present a profile, a classification of types or an outline of steps to answer questions such as who, when, where, and how

A Pseudoscience

B Descriptive research

C Ideology

D Selective observation

Question #55

Any research that examines information on many cases at one point in time

A Junk science

B Units of analysis

C Scholarly journal article

D Cross-sectional research

Question #56

Research in which the content of a communication medium is systematically recorded and analyzed

A Content analysis

B Level of abstraction

C Halo effect

D Substantive theory

Question #57

Longitudinal research that traces information about a category of cases or people who shared a common experience at one time period across subsequent time periods

A Formal theory

B Cohort study

C False Consensus

D Deductive direction

Question #58

Research that is an in-depth examination of an extensive amount of information about very few units or cases for one period or across multiple periods of time

A Empirical

B Inductive direction

C Case-study Research

D historical comparative research

Question #59

Research designed to advance fundamental knowledge about how the world works and build/test theoretical explanations by focusing on the “why” question. The scientific community is its primary audience.

A Data

B Empirical generalization

C Basic Research

D Field research

Question #60

Research designed to offer practical solutions to a concert problem or address the immediate and specific needs of clinicians or practitioners

A Applied Research

B Ideal type

C Existing statistics research

D Blind Review

Question #61

Applied research in which the primary goal is to facilitate social change or bring about a value-oriented political social goal

A Nonreactive research

B Parsimony

C Commissioned research

D Action Research

Question #62

Process of examination in a way the reinforced preexisting thinking rather than in a neutral and balanced manner

A Causal explanation

B Selective observation

C Reflexive knowledge

D Survey research

Question #63

An article in a specialized publication that has members of the scientific community as its primary audience a means to disseminate new ideas and findings within the scientific community

A Instrumental knowledge

B Hypothesis

C Scholarly journal article

D Experimental research

Question #64

A system of interconnected ideas that condenses and organizes the knowledge about the social world and explains how it works

A Panel study

B Social theory

C Proposition

D Needs assessment

Question #65

A collection of people who share a system of attitudes, beliefs, and rules that sustains the production and advances of scientific knowledge

A Time-series research

B Social impact assessment

C Scientific community

D Association

Question #66

Statement that goes far beyond what can be justified based on the data or emprirical observations that one has

A Participatory action research

B Assumptions

C Overgeneralization

D Longitudinal research

Question #67

Act of making a judgement or reaching a decision and ending an investigation before gathering the amount or depth of evidence required by scientific standards

A Explanatory research

B Evaluation research

C Premature closure

D Cross-sectional research

Question #68

A body of ideas of info clothed in the jargon and outward appearance of science that seeks to win acceptance but not actually created with the systematic rigor/standard of scientific method

A Exploratory research

B Content analysis

C Pseudoscience

D Cost-benefit analysis

Question #69

PR term used to criticize scientific research even if it is conducted properly that produces findings that an advocacy group opposes

A Cohort study

B Descriptive research

C Junk science

D Scholarly journal article

Question #70

using prior reputation of persons, places, or things to color one’s evaluations rather than evaluating all in a neutral, equal manner

A Halo effect

B Junk science

C Case-study Research

D Social theory

Question #71

Tendency to project one’s way of thinking onto other people

A False Consensus

B Basic Research

C Halo effect

D Scientific community

Question #72

Description of what we can observe and experience directly through human senses or indirectly using techniques that extends the senses

A Applied Research

B Empirical

C Overgeneralization

D False Consensus

Question #73

Numerical (QUANTITATIVE) and non numerical (QUALITATIVE) information and evidence that have been carefully gathered according to rules or established procedures

A Data

B Premature closure

C Empirical

D Action Research

Question #74

judging merits of a research report in which the peer researcher doesn’t know the identity of the researcher and vice versa

A Data

B Blind Review

C Pseudoscience

D Selective observation

Try The Exam

Fresh Grad Lands Job as Real Estate Agent With Help from Professional Writers

Need help with your exam preparation?

Below are the questions for the exam with the choices of answers:

Christian S.

Tyra

Linda

Manush

We accept payment