Research Methods in Sociology Review
Questions
Course Introduction
Research Methods in Sociology provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and techniques used to investigate social phenomena. Through a focus on both qualitative and quantitative research designs, students learn how to formulate research questions, collect and analyze data, and interpret findings within a sociological framework. The course covers key topics such as survey methods, interviews, ethnography, statistical analysis, ethical considerations, and the evaluation of research studies. Emphasis is placed on developing critical thinking and practical research skills essential for academic inquiry and professional applications in the field of sociology.
Recommended Textbook
The Essentials of Statistics A Tool for Social Research 2nd Edition by Joseph F. Healey
Available Study Resources on Quizplus
15 Chapters
716 Verified Questions
716 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/2986
2
Chapter 1: Introduction
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
46 Verified Questions
46 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/59341
Sample Questions
Q1) In addition to saying that one case is different from another,the ordinal level of measurement allows us to
A)order categories from high to low.
B)measure the distance between high and low.
C)say that one case is more or less than another.
D)both order categories from high to low and say that one case is more or less than another.
Answer: D
Q2) Addition and subtraction are completely justified only when variables are
A)dependent.
B)nominal.
C)ordinal.
D)interval-ratio.
Answer: D
Q3) Which of the following is NOT a nominal level variable?
A)level of education
B)zip code
C)occupation
D)make of auto
Answer: A
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 3
Chapter 2: Basic Descriptive Statistics: Percentages Ratios
and Rates Frequency Distributions
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
44 Verified Questions
44 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/59334
Sample Questions
Q1) \(\begin{array}{|l|l|l|}
\hline \text {TABLE 2.1 POLITICAL PARTY } \\
\text {MEMBERSHIP IN TWO } \\
\text { COMMUNITIES } \\
\hline \text { PARTY: } & \text { COMMUNITYA } & \text { COMMUUNITY B } \\
\hline \text { Republican } & 103 & 17 \\
\hline \text { Democrat } & 135 & 21 \\
\hline \text { Independent } & 17 & 15 \\
\hline \text { Socialist } & 9 & 11 \\
\hline \text { TOTALS: } & 264 & 154 \\
\hline
\end{array}\)
In Table 2.1,which is the correct fraction for determining the proportion of Independents in community B?
A)15/17
B)15/264
C)64/15
D)15/64
Answer: D
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 4
Chapter 3: Charts and Graphs
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
29 Verified Questions
29 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/59333
Sample Questions
Q1) Population pyramids display which set of characteristics of a population?
A)age,sex,race
B)sex only
C)age and sex
D)growth rate and levels of education
Answer: C
Q2) A researcher wants to display information about the racial and ethnic composition of the student body at the local university.An appropriate graph for this task would be a
A)bar chart.
B)line chart.
C)histogram.
D)frequency distribution.
Answer: A
Q3) Histograms and line charts or frequency polygons are used with data measured at A)the nominal level.
B)the ordinal level.
C)the interval-ratio level.
D)any level.
Answer: C
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 5
Chapter 4: Measures of Central Tendency
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
46 Verified Questions
46 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/59332
Sample Questions
Q1) In a positively skewed distribution the mean is
A)equal in value to the median.
B)greater in value than the median.
C)less in value than the median.
D)either equal or greater in value than the median,depending on the value of the mode.
Q2) What is the median of the following set of eleven grades?
\(\begin{array}{llll}
55 & 60 &62&67&70&72&74&76&77&85&90&95 \end{array}\)
A)Since these are interval-ratio scores,the median cannot be found.
B)70
C)71
D)72
Q3) The symbol X<sub>10</sub> identifies
A)the first score.
B)the tenth score.
C)the mode.
D)any score which has a value one tenth of the mean.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
6
Chapter 5: Measures of Dispersion
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
39 Verified Questions
39 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/59331
Sample Questions
Q1) Measures of dispersion provide information about the A)typical or most common score.
B)variety within the distribution of scores.
C)size of the sample.
D)adequacy of the selection criteria for the sample.
Q2) The sum of the squared deviations around the mean for a distribution of 10 scores is 1000.The standard deviation
A)is 10.
B)is 100.
C)is 1.
D)can't be determined from this information.
Q3) The age of a sample has been measured in years.Which of the following would be the preferred measure the dispersion for this variable?
A)the mean
B)the average deviation
C)the quartile deviation
D)the standard deviation
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 7
Chapter 6: The Normal Curve
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
42 Verified Questions
42 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/59330
Sample Questions
Q1) As the standard deviation of a normal distribution increases,the percentage of the area between\(\pm\)1 standard deviation will
A)increase.
B)stay the same.
C)decrease.
D)become non-symmetrical.
Q2) What is the probability that a randomly selected case from a normally distributed distribution will have a score between -1.00 and the mean?
A)0.34
B)0.16
C)0.50
D)0.86
Q3) If a case is randomly selected from a normal distribution,the score of the case will most likely be
A)equal to the mean in value.
B)close to the mean in value.
C)at least 1 standard deviation above the mean.
D)at least 1 standard deviation below the mean.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
8
Chapter 7: Introduction in Inferential Statistics, the
Sampling Distribution, and Estimation
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
85 Verified Questions
85 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/59329
Sample Questions
Q1) The average weight of a sample of women who attend aerobics classes at the YWCA is 130 pounds.We construct a confidence interval (using an alpha of 0.05)of \(\pm\)3.45.The upper and lower limits of our estimate are
A)130.00 and 133.45.
B)126.55 and 130.45.
C)126.55 and 133.45.
D)unknown;these values will depend on the number of women who are truly serious about exercising.
Q2) An estimator is unbiased if the mean of its sampling distribution is equal to
A)the midpoint of the distribution.
B)the sample mean.
C)the population value.
D)the population median.
Q3) In estimation procedures,the alpha level is
A)the same as the confidence level.
B)the parameter we are trying to estimate.
C)always greater than the standard error.
D)equal to the efficiency ratio minus the bias coefficient.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 9
Chapter 8: Hypothesis Testing I: the One-Sample Case
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
55 Verified Questions
55 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/59328
Sample Questions
Q1) In order to reject the null hypothesis when using the t distribution and small samples,we will
A)need a smaller test statistic as compared to larger samples.
B)need a larger test statistic as compared to larger samples.
C)always use one-tailed tests.
D)set alpha very low.
Q2) Under what conditions would you use the t distribution to test the significance of a single sample proportion?
A)none,use the Z distribution as long as sample size is large
B)only when the population standard deviation is known
C)only when sample size is less than or equal to 120
D)only when the population is normally distributed
Q3) Which assumption must be true in order to justify the use of hypothesis testing?
A)random sampling
B)interval-ratio level of measurement
C)very large samples
D)samples have been stratified
Q4) Cite an example of a research situation in which a one-tailed test of significance would be appropriate.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 10
Chapter 9: Hypothesis Testing II: the Two-Sample Case
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
47 Verified Questions
47 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/59327
Sample Questions
Q1) For tests of significance involving two sample proportions,the value of the population proportion is estimated from
A)the value of the sample means.
B)the value of Z (obtained).
C)the sample proportions.
D)the sample standard deviations.
Q2) When testing for the significance of the difference between two sample means,which parameters must be estimated with sample values?
A)the population standard deviations
B)the population means
C)the standard deviation of the sampling distribution
D)the alpha value
Q3) When testing for the significance of the difference between two sample means,the null hypothesis is that
A)the sample standard deviations are different.
B)the sample means are different.
C)the populations from which the sample were drawn are different.
D)the populations from which the sample were drawn are the same.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 10: Hypothesis Testing III: the Analysis of Variance
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
48 Verified Questions
48 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/59340
Sample Questions
Q1) The quantity SSW measures the amount of variation
A)after subtracting the total variation (SST).
B)within the categories.
C)in the population.
D)assuming the null hypothesis is true.
Q2) A researcher is comparing random samples of white,black,and Hispanic Americans for differences in income,family size,and years of education.Which of the following tests of significance would be useful for all three dependent variables?
A)t test for small samples
B)t test for difference in means
C)ANOVA
D)the test for the significance of the difference between sample proportions
Q3) If we reject the null hypothesis in a test using analysis of variance,we are concluding that
A)the populations from which our samples come are different.
B)the variables are independent.
C)the population variances are the same.
D)the sample means are significantly different.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 11: Hypothesis Testing Iv: Chi Square
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
44 Verified Questions
44 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/59339
Sample Questions
Q1) In a 2x2 table,all cell frequencies are exactly the same.This is consistent with which of the following conditions?
A)the variables are both continuous
B)the sample is a cluster sample
C)the variables are independent
D)the variables are dependent
Q2) A researcher reports a c<sup>2</sup> (obtained)of 75.34 (a =.05,df = 1,c<sup>2</sup> (critical)= 3.84,N = 13,678).The researcher claims that the relationship is extremely significant.What issue should be raised?
A)degrees of freedom are much too small for a sample this large.
B)alpha is too low
C)sample size is very large and the actual relationship between the variables might be trivial
D)the value for c<sup>2</sup> (critical)is much too low
Q3) The popularity of the Chi Square test is largely due to A)easy computations.
B)the fact that it can be computed only for interval-ratio level variables.
C)the need to assume a normal sampling distribution.
D)the relative ease with which the model assumptions can be satisfieD.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 13
Chapter 12: Introduction to Bivariate Association and
Measures of Association for Variables Measured at the
Nominal Level
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
57 Verified Questions
57 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/59338
Sample Questions
Q1) Conventionally,each column of a bivariate table represents
A)the highest scores of each variable.
B)a category of the independent variable (X).
C)a category of the dependent variable (Y).
D)the lowest scores on each variable.
Q2) Proportional reduction in error (PRE)measures of association are based on the logic of A)percentages.
B)inference.
C)prediction.
D)zero errors.
Q3) "As the temperature rises,the crime rate increases."
A)This is a positive relationship.
B)If the temperature falls below zero degrees,there is no crime.
C)If the temperature would remain stable,the crime rate would stay the same.
D)Criminals should be incarcerated in Alaska.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 14
Chapter 13: Association Between Variables Measured at the
Ordinal Level
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
45 Verified Questions
45 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/59337
Sample Questions
Q1) Mathematically,gamma is the ratio of the difference between the number of pairs of cases ranked the same minus the number of pairs of cases ranked differently to A)N.
B)Chi square.
C)the total number of pairs of cases (not counting ties).
D)1.00.
Q2) For ordinal level variables with only a few categories or values,an appropriate measure of association would be
A)Spearman's rho.
B)Gamma.
C)Chi square.
D)Cramer's V.
Q3) The square of Spearman's rho is the proportional reduction in error when predicting A)rank on one variable from rank on the other variable compared to predicting rank while ignoring the other variable.
B)the rank of a case from its score.
C)rank on gamma vs.rank on phi.
D)score on X while ignoring Y.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 15
Chapter 14: Association Between Variables Measured at the
Interval-Ratio Level
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
45 Verified Questions
45 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/59336
Sample Questions
Q1) For interval-ratio level variables,the scattergram is analogous to ____ for nominal and ordinal level variables.
A)chi square
B)percentages
C)row marginals
D)bivariate tables
Q2) When referring to interval-ratio variables,a commonly used synonym for association is
A)probability.
B)predictability.
C)correlation.
D)causation.
Q3) A study of traffic safety show a correlation of 0.57 between average speed of traffic and number of fatal accidents for a particular stretch of highway.This means that A)speed kills.
B)as speed increases,fatalities decrease.
C)fatalities tend to increase as average speed increases.
D)every 1 mile per hour increase in average speed increases the number of traffic fatalities by .57.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 16
Chapter 15: Partial Correlation and Multiple Regression and Correlation
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
44 Verified Questions
44 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/59335
Sample Questions
Q1) A researcher examines the relationship between poverty and crime rates for 100 metropolitan areas and finds a zero-order correlation of 0.37.She controls for the percent of families that are headed by single parents and finds a first order partial correlation of 0.06.Which of the following correctly describes this outcome? This is a(n)____ relationship
A)direct
B)statistically significant
C)spurious
D)interactive
Q2) In regression analysis,the standardized partial slopes are symbolized as A)b*
B)B
C)b<sup>#</sup>
D)r*
Q3) To the extent that the variables do not meet the assumptions of regression analysis,coefficients and slopes become A)greater in value.
B)lower in value.
C)less trustworthy.
D)less representative of the population.
Page 17
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.