Question 1

Which of the following best illustrates knowledge based on tradition?

Accepted Answer

A good spanking always worked for my children.

Question 2

Why is sociological research important in everyday life?

Accepted Answer

It helps explain why people behave as they do and affects social policies.

Question 3

Which of the following is the correct sequence of steps in the scientific method as used in sociological research?

Accepted Answer

Ask a question, research existing sources, formulate a hypothesis, design and conduct a study, draw conclusions, report results.

Question 4

A researcher wants to study the effect of parental income on children's educational achievement. In this study, which is the independent variable?

Accepted Answer

Parental income

Question 5

Which equation best represents the relationship between an independent variable ($X$) and a dependent variable ($Y$) in a simple sociological study?

Accepted Answer

$Y = a + bX$

Question 6

Which of the following best describes a probability sample?

Accepted Answer

A sample where each person has an equal chance of being selected due to random selection.

Question 7

A sociologist calculates the divorce rate in a state ten times and gets the same result each time. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Reliability

Question 8

Which of the following is a key principle of ethical sociological research?

Accepted Answer

Obtain all subjects’ consent to participate in the research.

Question 9

A researcher observes people in their natural surroundings without participating in their activities. This method is known as:

Accepted Answer

Nonparticipant field research

Question 10

Which of the following statements about causation and correlation is correct?

Accepted Answer

Causation is a relationship in which one variable is the direct consequence of another.

Question 11

In a sociological experiment, what is the main purpose of the control group?

Accepted Answer

To remain constant and unchanged for comparison.

Question 12

Which of the following best describes inductive reasoning in sociological research?

Accepted Answer

It begins with specific observations and leads to theory construction.

Question 13

A researcher uses historical materials and official statistics collected by others to analyze social trends. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Secondary analysis

Question 14

Which of the following is a limitation of field research?

Accepted Answer

It is expensive and time-consuming.

Question 15

A sociologist wants to measure the accuracy of a survey about relationship breakup. Which concept is most relevant?

Accepted Answer

Validity

Question 16

Which of the following is a strength of using surveys in sociological research?

Accepted Answer

They allow for random sampling and generalization to larger populations.

Question 17

A sociologist codes and analyzes newspaper articles to study media representation of minorities. This method is called:

Accepted Answer

Content analysis

Question 18

Which of the following equations best represents the concept of reliability in repeated measurements?

Accepted Answer

$R = \frac{	ext{Number of consistent results}}{	ext{Total number of trials}}$

Question 19

Evaluation research is primarily used to:

Accepted Answer

Determine whether a social intervention has produced the intended result.

Question 20

Which of the following best illustrates the use of a nonprobability sample?

Accepted Answer

Choosing participants based on convenience to explore a new topic.

Sociological Research and the Scientific Method: Study Notes

Study Guide - Practice Questions