Midterm Examination

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Question #1

Bonus: Which theorist offers a strategy which has no unit of analysis?

A Donald Black

B Max Weber

C Karl Marx

D Emile Durkheim

Question #2

Which is correct?

A medians are most appropriate for interval variables

B any of these can be used with an interval variable

C means are most apppropriate for ordinal variables

D standard deviation is most appropriate for nominal variables

Question #3

If a researcher examines newspaper editiorials from major US cities that dealt with the topic of grade inflation, the unit of observation would be:

A editorials

B major cities

C grade inflation

D newspapers

Question #4

What of the following is correct abut strata and clusters?

A This is not the answer.

B There is no difference between strata and clusters

C Clusters are chosen for convenience; strata are based on understandings of the population

D Strata are heterogenous and clusters are homogenous

Question #5

For which situation is cluster sampling most appropriate and efficient?

A a large population centered in one area

B a large population scattered across a wide geogrpahic area

C a small population centered in one area

D a small population scattered across a wide geographic area

Question #6

Random selection of elements in a sample can be accomplished by use of:

A a table of random events

B a table of random numbers

C a table of random incidents

D a random number of tables

Question #7

Non-probability sampling…

A excludes the use of statistical theory to estimate the probability of correct inferences

B should never be used under any circumstance

C always produces samples that possess distorted characteristics relative to the population

D requires the use of a complete sampling frame

Question #8

The statistical computations involved in the most commonly used test statistics assume:

A systematic random sampling

B simple random sampling

C cluster sampling

D startified sampling

Question #9

If the registrar reports that 10% of the student body is transfer students, and I instruct you to conduct 8 interviews with transfer students and 72 interviews with students who are not transfer students, what sampling method have I required of you and your project?

A quota sampling

B simple random sampling

C cluster sampling

D stratified sampling

Question #10

To study a fairly rare characteristic or behavior, which kind of sample are you more likely to use?

A Non-probability, because that’s always the best

B non-probability, because there is no sampling frame

C Probability, because there is no sampling frame

D Probability, because that’s always the best

Question #11

If you used the camppus telephone directory to sample students, those listed in it would be…

A the sampling error

B the main cluster

C the sample

D the sampling frame

Question #12

Which of these use judges or evaluators in their construction?

A Thurstone scales

B Likert scales

C Guttman scales

D none of the above

Question #13

Consider a questionnaire item which asks, “How do you feel about your instructor’s leadership style on the following two items” and respondents to choose between “valuable” and “worthless”, as well as between “easy” and “demanding”. Which kind of scale would involve that item?

A Thurstone scale

B Likert scale

C Guttman scale

D semantic differential scale

Question #14

Which of the following do indices and scales have in common?

A Neither is useful in social research

B They are both nominal measures

C They rank order cases by a combination of variables

D Their attributes form an intensity structure

Question #15

To consider an index undimensional, its component items indicate only one underlying factor.

A FALSE

B TRUE

Question #16

When a researcher is selecting items for an index, which of the following should be kept in mind?

A There should be concern about the amount of variance provided by the items.

B each item should have face validity

C a composite measure should be undimensional

D all of the above are correct

Question #17

What of the following is not an advantage of using indices?

A They are more efficient in terms of analysis than using many separate variables

B They’re arguably more valid measurements if the underlying factor is difficult to grasp

C They provide stronger explanations of dependent variation because p values are higher

D They’re more descriptive than components, because they encompass more variation

Question #18

It is acceptable to use shorthands, idioms, slang, even cliches as part of conceptualization.

A TRUE

B FALSE

Question #19

Conceptualization is the process of specifying how we observe something whose abstract meaning we’ve already identified.

A TRUE

B FALSE

Question #20

Which of these internal threats to validity does not result from interaction between researcher and subjects?

A sleeper effects

B sensitization

C personal attribute effect

D hawthorne effect

Question #21

Which of the following is not true about coding of data?

A coding schemes should be appropriate to the theoretical concepts examined

B you could use established codes or generate your own

C codes should capture as much detail as possible, at least initially

D codebooks should be firm, and not allowed to evolve over time

Question #22

What kind of data entry is most likely to be used to analyze responses to questions on this exam?

A direct data entry

B transfer sheets

C timing marks

D edge coding

Question #23

Which type of validity depends on a relationship among variables?

A content

B face

C construct

D criterion

Question #24

Which method of checking reliability requires some kind of longitudinal study?

A Cronbach’s alpha

B split-half method

C using established measures

D test-retest method

Question #25

Which of the following is a weakness of qualitative analysis?

A reliability and replicability problems raise questions about objectivity

B personal and personnel differences introduce problems with reliability

C typically small samples mean that there is a problem with inferences

D all of the above

Question #26

If accuracy has three parts, which of these is not one of them?

A reliability

B precision

C validity

D truth

Question #27

Which of the following is not a longitudinal design?

A cross-sectional study

B panel study

C trend study

D cohort study

Question #28

Codes, memos, and concept mapping are…

A statistical tools used to assess statistical significance

B survey tools used to record observations

C qualitative tools used to sort themes in content

D epistemological tools used to choose from among competing theories

Question #29

Compared to qualitative data, quantitative data are…

A less reliable

B richer in meaning

C less explicit

D easier to aggregate

Question #30

Unlike operations, concepts are…

A variable

B observable

C measurable

D abstract

Question #31

The unit of analysis and the unit of observation need to be the same thing.

A FALSE

B TRUE

Question #32

Which of the following ought (according to the instructor) to occur before operationalization?

A data processing

B sampling procedures

C choice of observation method

D statistical analysis

Question #33

According to the instructor, which of these is not a unique purpose of sociological research?

A evaluation

B exploration

C description

D explanation

Question #34

Idiographic explanations seek to explain things “economically” using as few factors as possible.

A TRUE

B FALSE

Question #35

Which of the following did the instructor present as the most important criteria of “good theory”?

A testability

B originality

C simplicity

D generality

Question #36

The statement “Wealthy countries should give aid to poorer countries” is a…

A hypothesis

B bivariate conceptualization

C value judgement

D theory

Question #37

According to the wheel of science, science is primarily…

A neither inductive nor deductive

B both dedeuctive and inductive

C deductive

D inductive

Question #38

Which of these barriers to knowledge can be overcome somewhat by using samples and replication?

A ecological fallacy

B illogical reasoning

C hawthorne effect

D overgeneralization

Question #39

Which of thes eontological appraoches does the instructor say science employs?

A empiricism

B realism

C post-modernism

D positivism

Question #40

With which of thes eontological approaches are scientists often accuse of being aligned?

A post-modernism

B empiricism

C Positivism

D realism

Question #41

Science offers total protection against the errors non-scientists commit in casual injury.

A FALSE

B TRUE

Question #42

Which of these was not given as an advantage for science as a way of knowing?

A systematic reduction of ties

B audience appeal

C ability to capture absolute truth about reality

D clear criteria for evaluation

Question #43

Which of these “ways of knowing” obstructs knowledge by refusing to be wrong?

A tradition

B mysticism

C intuition

D all of the above

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