Methods of Social Research, SOC 300, Exam 1
ANSWERS Summer 2003,
Price
Matching (2 points each)
Terms Letter of Matching
Definition
1. Sociology B
2. Experiments H
3. Content Analysis I
4. Field Research A
5. Grounded Theory C
6. Research Design E
7. Interactionism or
Interpretive G
8. Conflict or Critical
Theory D
9. Functionalism J
10. SOC 300 F
Definitions
a.
Research in which a researcher directly observes people interacting in a
natural setting.
b.
The study of social interaction and social organization.
c. A way of developing explanations about the social world that starts with empirical observations of the world and builds abstract patterns from them.
d.
The theoretical perspective which views social issues
and problems in terms of dominant groups exerting power over others to ensure
that the dominant group’s interests are served.
e.
A plan for
systematically gathering and analyzing information to answer a research
question.
f.
A
course with content that many students find boring.
g.
The theoretical perspective that focuses on how people
understand the everyday social settings in which they interact with others.
h.
Research in which one
intervenes or does something to one group of people but not to another, then
compares results of the two groups.
i.
Research that examines patterns of symbolic meaning within written text,
audio, visual or other communication medium.
j.
The theoretical perspective that explains social
patterns as existing because they serve a purpose in society.
Multiple Choice: Choose the Best Response (3 points
each)
11. Dalessha
developed a pure model of the "street walker" prostitute to help her
study a large city ghetto. She is using a(n):
a. Parsimony
b. Ideal Type **
c.
Metaphor
d.
Jargon
12. Dr.
Smith said that social science cannot be value neutral, and a good study
requires putting results into action to help people change society. Dr. Smith
uses which approach to social science?
a.
Positivism
b.
Interpretative Social Science
c.
Critical Social Science **
d.
None of the above
13. Henry
Hogson conducted an experiment in which he tested the theory that the intensity
of social interaction among people increases if they are anxious. What type of
study is this most likely to be?
a.
Cost Benefit Analysis
b.
Explanatory Research **
c.
Content Analysis
d.
Exploratory Research
14. For
the positivist approach to research, a theory looks like:
a. A series of positive statements about the
world.
b. A logical system of laws, axioms, and
propositions. **
c. A critique which claims that people are being
mislead.
d. A political program of action and social
change.
15. In exploratory
research one does all of the following, EXCEPT:
a.
Become familiar with the basic facts, people and concerns involved.
b.
Generate many ideas and develop tentative hypotheses.
c.
Determine the feasibility of doing additional research.
d.
Test a theory or explanation. **
16. Professor
Tun-jen Cheng wanted to study the cause for thousands of people from Hong Kong
moving to Vancouver, British Columbia. In order to establish temporal order
in his causal argument he must show which of the following:
a. There is a correlation between events in Hong
Kong and a decision to move.
b. Events occurred in Hong Kong before people
moved to Vancouver.
c. A fear for the future of Hong Kong and no
other reason caused the move to Vancouver.
d. All of the above. **
**THREW #16 OUT:
Only 4 students got the right answer.
17. Social
research methods include all of the following, except:
a.
Surveys
b.
Therapy **
c.
Experiments
d.
Interviews
18. A
local human service organization contacted Mr. Tanaka. The organization asked
him to conduct a study to identify the difficulties and problems of the elderly
in the local community so that the organization could develop social programs
to help them. What type of study would this be?
a.
Needs assessment *
b.
Cost-benefit analysis
c.
Planning, Programming and Budgeting System
d.
Summative Evaluation Research
19. Which
best summarizes the main goal of descriptive research?
a.
Advance knowledge about an underlying process or complete a theory.
b.
Develop a detailed picture of a situation or issue. **
c.
Extend a theory or principle into new areas or issues.
d.
Provide evidence to support or refute an explanation.
20. A research method in which subjects respond to a series of items in a questionnaire:
a.
random sample.
b.
target group.
c.
experiment.
d.
Survey. **
21. Elizabeth Bethouse conducted a study of gambling establishments operated by American Indian groups. She examined two establishments operated by different tribes. During the study she spent many hours at each establishment and gained a detailed knowledge of the tribal leaders, gambling employees and gambling customers. She also investigated how the establishments were organized, their impact on economic development in the area and how tribal members saw them. She conducted:
a.
a case study **
b.
a summative evaluation study
c.
a cohort study
d.
action research
22. What
is the purpose of basic social research or basic sociology?
a.
Solve social problems and find which policies are best.
b.
Improve social programs so they become more effective.
c.
Invent new taxonomies and jargon.
d.
Create fundamental knowledge about how the social world works. **
23. Which
approach says that the purpose of research is to study the creation of social
meaning?
a. Positivism
b. Interpretative Social Science **
c.
Critical Social Science
d.
None of the above
24. Social research methods are:
a.
Ways to gather information to answer a question about the social world.
**
b.
Ways to convince people to participate in a study.
c.
Ways to manipulate people.
d.
Ways to increase the number of friends you have.
25. Which
of the following is not an example of a qualitative research method:
a. Ethnography
b. Time series**
c. Covert Observation
d. Informal or Personal Interviews
26. A
friend makes the following comment: “Persons who grew up with a much older
sibling tend to treat the older sibling as a parent figure.” She is making a:
a. Verstehen
b. Theory
c. Relativism
d. Generalization **
27. Joe
Foss studied gender differences in attitudes toward mathematics and science
among 45 first grade students. Over the next twelve years he studied the same
45 children when they were in the fifth, eighth and twelfth grades. This is
what type of research?
a. Case study research
b. Cross-sectional research (a study on a
cross-sectional sample)
c. Panel study research (a study on a panel sample) **
d. Action-oriented research
28. A research method in which a researcher asks study participants
several conversational style questions and does not provide a set of responses
to choose from:
a.
case study
b.
interview **
c.
comparative method
d. quantitative study
29. All of
the following characterize applied sociological research except which
one?
a. Doing research is usually part of a job
assignment and sponsors/supervisors who are not professional researchers will
judge/use the results.
b. Success is based on whether
sponsors/supervisors use the results in decision-making.
c. The primary concern is with the internal
logic and rigor of the research design, so a researcher attempts to reach the
absolute norms of scientific rigor and scholarship. **
d. Research projects are limited by the demands
and interests of employers or sponsors.
30. This
test: (No wrong answer)
a.
Fairly reflects the course readings, lectures and discussion thus far
this semester.
b.
Does not fairly reflect the course readings, lectures and discussion
thus far this semester.
Essay (20 points): Write an essay answer on ONE
of the following, approximately 1 page in length.
Briefly describe the steps involved in conducting a
research project. WRITTEN IN ESSAY
FORM. SHOULD GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF EACH
STEP, PERHAPS USING YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION
- Identify a
question/problem/topic.
- Learn what else is
known on this question or problem (Lit Review). Revise question/topic.
- Choose a way to
observe the question or problem to gain new insight (experiment, survey,
interview, observation, etc.).
- Collect data.
- Analyze data.
- Interpret meaning of
analysis findings.
- Disseminate
findings.
Points:
+20 points: Student clearly
identified each step.
+15 points: Student clearly
identified most of the steps.
+10 points: Student clearly
identified half of the steps.
+5 points: Student clearly identified 1-2 steps.
-2 to -5 points for minor mistakes.
-10 IF NOT IN ESSAY FORM
Explain the difference
between qualitative and quantitative research. Use examples.
Quantitative
Assumptions:
There is one reality/truth that exists independent of the research. We can know it before observing reality and
develop a theory to test and standardized questions (variables) to ask
people. We can then measure reality to
test our theory objectively (free from researcher bias, values).
Process of research unfolds as:
theory → research q → method → theory
Any
problem or topic of study can be broken down into all of its parts, and that
the sum of the parts equals the whole problem.
A scientist studies a question/issue by “reducing” it into measurable,
observable parts called variables.
After measuring the parts, the scientist adds them back up again to
describe or understand the original problem.
Examples
of Quantitative Research:
Questions
that ask “what?” or “how many?”.
Includes surveys, experiments, most existing/secondary data
Qualitative
Assumptions: There is no one reality for a theory
to capture. There is no one
understanding. Meanings and reality
change across people, place and time.
Need to let reality, not apriori theory, drive understanding (grounded
theory). Researcher values enhance/shape
the study.
Process
of research unfolds as: research q → method → theory
A
problems or topic of study cannot be broken down into parts. You have to observe the topic/problem in its
natural form.
Examples of Qualitative Research:
Questions that ask “why?” or “ how
does something occur”? Also use if the
topic is too complicated to develop survey type questions about, or you don’t
know enough about the topic to write questions about.
Includes interviews, observation, historical/comparative, content
analysis, case studies.
Points:
|
Quantitative Answer: 10
points total |
Qualitative Answer: 10
points total |
|
+5 points: Student’s
explanation of quantitative research conveys understanding of main tenets of
quantitative research. |
+5 points: Student’s
explanation of qualitative research conveys understanding of main tenets of
qualitative research. |
|
+5 points: Student
identifies examples of quantitative research: surveys, experiments, types of
questions best answered by quantitative methods. |
+5 points: Student
identifies examples of qualitative research: interviews, observation, historical/comparative, types
of questions best answered by qualitative methods. |
-2 to -5 points for minor mistakes.
What is the role of the major
theoretical frameworks in research? Use
examples.
Theory frames how we think about or
see a topic. As such, theory influences
which topics we choose to study.
Theory influences how we interpret
past research findings.
Theory influences choice of research
method: Functionalist and Conflict
approaches to topics tend to use quantitative methods. SI approaches tend to use qualitative.
Inductive/Qualitative
Research: Theory plays a bigger role after data is collected and researcher is
making sense of the data observed/collected.
Process of research unfolds as: research q →
method → theory
Deductive/Quantitative Research:
Theory plays a biggest role at beginning and end of research. Quantitative research begins with a theory
to test, and ends by revising the theory based on the study findings.
Process of
research unfolds as: theory → research q → method → theory
Points:
+5 points: Student provides general
description of how theory influences research topic chosen.
+5 points: Student identifies that
theory influences choice of research method.
+5 points: Student identifies role
of theory in quantitative/deductive research.
+5 points: Student identifies role
of theory in qualitative/inductive research.
-2 to -5 points for minor mistakes.
A local PTA hires you to identify what services and
programs parents would like the PTA to provide. What method would you use to
help answer their question? How would
you use this method?
Based
on what students know thus far in the course, the best methods are probably a
mail or telephone survey. But, you
could also do qualitative/in-depth interviews.
(Focus groups would be good but the students don’t know much about them
yet.) Methods that would not work
include experiments, observation, historical/document analysis, secondary data.
Process
Involved =
a.
Clarifying the PTA’s questions – what they want to know, what they want
to do with data.
b.
Learn what else is known on this question or problem.
c.
How you would collect data using this method.
Points:
Choice
of Reasonable Method = +5 points
Logical
Explanation of Why Chose this Method = +5 points
Description
of How to Use Method = +10 points
- Full 10 points if
student identifies general process involved.
· 5 points if student doesn’t convey a clear understanding of the process involved in using the method identified.
· -2 to -5 points for minor mistakes.