Test Bank For Making Sense of the Social World: Methods of Investigation, 6th Edition

Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 Chapter 2: The Process and Problems of Social Research Test Bank Multiple Choice 1. A researcher is interested interviewing children in a metropolitan area about their exposure to illegal drugs. Which of the following is a potential problem with the proposed study? A. The study is not socially important. B. The study does not have scientific relevance. C. The study does not have an independent variable. D. The study is nearly impossible to conduct ethically. Ans: D KEY: Learning Objective: 2-1: Name the three characteristics of a good research question. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: What Is the Question? Difficulty Level: Easy 2. When creating a research question what should a researcher do first? A. pick a theory B. review literature C. chose a dependent variable D. chose an independent variable Ans: B KEY: Learning Objective: 2-1: Name the three characteristics of a good research question. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: What Is the Question? Difficulty Level: Easy 3. Which of the following criteria makes research scientifically relevant? A. finishing the project in a timely manner B. improving the lives of a vulnerable population C. resolving contradictory research findings from other studies D. securing resources necessary to carry out the project Ans: C KEY: Learning Objective: 2-1: Name the three characteristics of a good research question. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: What Is the Question? Difficulty Level: Medium Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 4. Which theory distinguishes between primary deviance and secondary deviance? A. symbolic interactionism B. deterrence theory C. labeling theory D. conflict theory Ans: C KEY: Learning Objective: 2-2: Define theory. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: What Is the Theory? Difficulty Level: Easy 5. What is primary deviance? A. acts that lead to public sanction B. acts that occur in response to public sanction C. deviance that is the result of nature D. deviance that is the result of nurture Ans: A KEY: Learning Objective: 2-2: Define theory. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: What Is the Theory? Difficulty Level: Easy 6. What is secondary deviance? A. acts that lead to public sanction B. acts that occur in response to public sanction C. deviance that is the result of nature D. deviance that is the result of nurture Ans: B KEY: Learning Objective: 2-2: Define theory. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: What Is the Theory? Difficulty Level: Easy 7. When people refrain from deviant acts to avoid further punishment for such acts they are practicing ______ deterrence. A. symbolic B. labeling C. conflict D. specific Ans: D KEY: Learning Objective: 2-2: Define theory. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: What Is the Theory? Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 Difficulty Level: Easy 8. A ______ is a logically interrelated set of propositions about empirical reality. A. theory B. hypothesis C. dependent variable D. independent variable Ans: A Learning Objectives: 2-2: Define theory REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: What Is the Theory? Difficulty Level: Easy 9. Deductive research begins with ______. A. social theory B. hypothesis testing C. descriptive research D. empirical generalization Ans: A KEY: Learning Objective: 2-3: Contrast the process of research reflecting deductive reasoning with that reflecting inductive reasoning. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: Deductive Research Difficulty Level: Easy 10. Kai Erikson went to Buffalo Creek, WV, in 1972 after a highly destructive flood. After interviewing residents and spending considerable time in Buffalo Creek, Erikson theorized that the damage to the social ties in the community caused by the flood were just as destructive as the physical damage to the community. Erikson’s study is an example of ______ research. A. inductive B. deductive C. descriptive D. exploratory Ans: A KEY: Learning Objective: 2-3: Contrast the process of research reflecting deductive reasoning with that reflecting inductive reasoning. REF: Cognitive Domain: Application Answer Location: Inductive Research Difficulty Level: Hard Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 11. After data have been collected, researchers sometimes find patterns that are unexpected, but nonetheless surprising and exciting. What are these types of patterns known as? A. empirical B. inductive C. descriptive D. serendipitous Ans: D KEY: Learning Objective: 2-3: Contrast the process of research reflecting deductive reasoning with that reflecting inductive reasoning. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Inductive Research Difficulty Level: Easy 12. Which of the following is an example of a hypothesis with positive direction of association? A. As an individual’s level of education increases, the likelihood of going to prison decreases. B. As household income decreases, percent of income devoted to housing increases. C. The more the sexual partners, the more likely a person is to be exposed to sexually transmitted infections. D. As computer literacy increases, people are less likely to engage in face-to-face social interaction. Ans: C KEY: Learning Objective: 2-3: Contrast the process of research reflecting deductive reasoning with that reflecting inductive reasoning. REF: Cognitive Domain: Application Answer Location: Deductive Research Difficulty Level: Hard 13. Which of the following is an example of a hypothesis with negative direction of association? A. Extracurricular activities are positively correlated with success in school. B. As an individual’s income decreases, so does likelihood that he or she will vote. C. As number of hours of television watched per week increases, the number of hours spent reading per week decreases. D. The higher an individual’s score on a depression index, the more likely that he or she will attempt suicide. Ans: C KEY: Learning Objective: 2-3: Contrast the process of research reflecting deductive reasoning with that reflecting inductive reasoning. REF: Cognitive Domain: Application Answer Location: Deductive Research Difficulty Level: Hard Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 14. Which aspect of a study is monitored for influence from other variables? A. control group B. dependent variable C. independent variable D. dichotomous variable Ans: B KEY: Learning Objective: 2-4: Understand why an explanation formulated after the fact is necessarily less certain than an explanation presented before the collection of data. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: Deductive Research Difficulty Level: Easy 15. Which aspect of a study is monitored for its influence or effect on the subject being tested? A. control group B. dependent variable C. independent variable D. dichotomous variable Ans: C KEY: Learning Objective: 2-4: Understand why an explanation formulated after the fact is necessarily less certain than an explanation presented before the collection of data. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: Deductive Research Difficulty Level: Easy 16. Taylor tested whether an individual’s attitudes about homosexuality varied by how frequently the individual attended religious services. What is the dependent variable? A. individual B. positive C. attitudes about homosexuality D. frequency of attendance at religious services Ans: C KEY: Learning Objective: 2-4: Understand why an explanation formulated after the fact is necessarily less certain than an explanation presented before the collection of data. REF: Cognitive Domain: Application Answer Location: Deductive Research Difficulty Level: Hard 17. The intake of fatty foods contributes to a rise in cholesterol levels. This is an example of a(n) ______. A. control group B. neutral association C. positive association D. negative association Ans: C Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 KEY: Learning Objective: 2-4: Understand why an explanation formulated after the fact is necessarily less certain than an explanation presented before the collection of data. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Deductive Research Difficulty Level: Easy 18. Researchers expect to see change in the ______ variable. A. independent B. dependent C. anomalous D. serendipitous Ans: B KEY: Learning Objective: 2-3: Contrast the process of research reflecting deductive reasoning with that reflecting inductive reasoning. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: Deductive Research Difficulty Level: Easy 19. A recent study showed that the more soda people drink the less likely they are to exercise. This is an example of ______. A. positive association B. negative association C. neutral association D. increased association Ans: B KEY: Learning Objective: 2-3: Contrast the process of research reflecting deductive reasoning with that reflecting inductive reasoning. REF: Cognitive Domain: Application Answer Location: Deductive Research Difficulty Level: Medium 20. Which variable is the treatment or intervention in a study? A. independent B. dependent C. anomalous D. serendipitous Ans: A KEY: Learning Objective: 2-3: Contrast the process of research reflecting deductive reasoning with that reflecting inductive reasoning. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: Deductive Research Difficulty Level: Easy Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 21. The school board examined bullying among high school students. Researchers compared rates of reported bullying across three high schools in the area. What are the units of analysis? A. bullies B. high school students C. the three high schools D. students who are bullied Ans: C KEY: Learning Objective: 2-6: Distinguish research designs using individuals and groups, and explain their relation to the ecological and individualist fallacies. REF: Cognitive Domain: Application Answer Location: Units and Levels of Analysis Difficulty Level: Hard 22. Economic research found that City A had a significantly higher median income than City B. Is it correct to assume that an individual selected for a survey of City A will have a higher income than an individual selected from City B? A. yes, due to sample generalizability B. no, due to cross-population generalizability C. yes, due to reductionism D. no, due to an ecological fallacy Ans: D KEY: Learning Objective: 2-6: Distinguish research designs using individuals and groups, and explain their relation to the ecological and individualist fallacies. REF: Cognitive Domain: Application Answer Location: Units and Levels of Analysis Difficulty Level: Hard 23. A sociologist examined the median income and median value of homes in different cities to compare economic inequality. What is the unit of analysis in this study? A. city B. median income C. median home value D. the sociologist Ans: A KEY: Learning Objective: 2-6: Distinguish research designs using individuals and groups, and explain their relation to the ecological and individualist fallacies. REF: Cognitive Domain: Application Answer Location: Units and Levels of Analysis Difficulty Level: Medium Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 24. The General Social Survey selects 1,500 individuals from the population of the United States. The unit of analysis of the GSS is ______. A. individuals B. population C. survey D. United States Ans: A KEY: Learning Objective: 2-6: Distinguish research designs using individuals and groups, and explain their relation to the ecological and individualist fallacies. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Units and Levels of Analysis Difficulty Level: Easy 25. Most sociological and psychological studies use which unit of analysis? A. institution B. group C. artifact D. individual Ans: D KEY: Learning Objective: 2-6: Distinguish research designs using individuals and groups, and explain their relation to the ecological and individualist fallacies. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Units and Levels of Analysis Difficulty Level: Easy 26. A team of researchers interviewed married couples about strain after the birth of their first child. They discovered that most participants reported that they did not experience any stress on their relationship after their first child. The researchers concluded that strain in marriage is not caused by the birth of children. This conclusion is an example of the ______ fallacy. A. individualistic B. control C. ecological D. reductionist Ans: D KEY: Learning Objective: 2-6: Distinguish research designs using individuals and groups, and explain their relation to the ecological and individualist fallacies. REF: Cognitive Domain: Application Answer Location: Units and Levels of Analysis Difficulty Level: Hard Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 27. A sociologist used the 2016 General Social Survey to determine the effect of educational attainment on one’s self-reported happiness. This is an example of a ______ design. A. cross-sectional B. repeated cross-sectional C. trend D. panel Ans: A KEY: Learning Objective: 2-7: Understand the differences between cross-sectional research designs and the three types of longitudinal research design. REF: Cognitive Domain: Application Answer Location: Cross-Sectional Designs Difficulty Level: Hard 28. A cohort has which of the following characteristics? A. lack of informed consent B. common starting point C. common values or beliefs D. selection from a demographic subgroup Ans: B KEY: Learning Objective: 2-7: Understand the differences between cross-sectional research designs and the three types of longitudinal research design. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Cohort Designs Difficulty Level: Easy 29. A social psychologist wants to know if personality traits change with age. People of various ages are selected for the study. The same subjects will be surveyed every 10 years to determine constants or changes in their general personality traits. Which type of research design is featured in this example? A. panel B. cohort C. trend D. cross-sectional Ans: A KEY: Learning Objective: 2-7: Understand the differences between cross-sectional research designs and the three types of longitudinal research design. REF: Cognitive Domain: Application Answer Location: Panel Designs Difficulty Level: Hard Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 30. The General Social Survey draws a sample of about 1,500 people every 2 years. This is an example of a ______ research design. A. panel B. cohort C. trend D. cross-sectional Ans: C KEY: Learning Objective: 2-7: Understand the differences between cross-sectional research designs and the three types of longitudinal research design. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Trend Designs Difficulty Level: Medium 31. Panel designs are difficult to complete due to subject fatigue, attrition, and ______. A. cross-sectional design B. external validity C. repetition D. expense Ans: D KEY: Learning Objective: 2-7: Understand the differences between cross-sectional research designs and the three types of longitudinal research design. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Panel Designs Difficulty Level: Medium 32. A researcher is studying the experience of first-year college students at a university. A sample of individuals from the freshman class is taken. After a year passes, some participants leave the study. The researcher gathers data a second time from the same subjects remaining in the study. This is an example of a ______ study. A. longitudinal study B. panel design C. cohort study D. repeated cross-sectional design Ans: B KEY: Learning Objective: 2-7: Understand the differences between cross-sectional research designs and the three types of longitudinal research design. REF: Cognitive Domain: Application Answer Location: Panel Designs Difficulty Level: Hard Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 True/False 1. A legitimate social research question is feasible and scientifically relevant. Ans: T KEY: Learning Objective: 2-1: Name the three characteristics of a good research question. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: What Is the Question? Difficulty Level: Easy 2. A theory is a tentative statement about empirical reality including a relationship between two or more variables. Ans: T KEY: Learning Objective: 2-2: Define theory. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: What Is the Theory? Difficulty Level: Easy 3. Deductive research begins the research process with theory, from which a hypothesis is derived. Ans: T KEY: Learning Objective: 2-3: Contrast the process of research reflecting deductive reasoning with that reflecting inductive reasoning. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: Deductive Research Difficulty Level: Easy 4. An anomalous pattern in the data is present when the data do not seem to fit the theory from which a research hypothesis was derived. Ans: T KEY: Learning Objective: 2-3: Contrast the process of research reflecting deductive reasoning with that reflecting inductive reasoning. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Inductive Research Difficulty Level: Medium 5. Serendipitous patterns stimulate new ideas and theoretical approaches for continuing lines of research. Ans: T KEY: Learning Objective: 2-3: Contrast the process of research reflecting deductive reasoning with that reflecting inductive reasoning. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Inductive Research Difficulty Level: Medium Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 6. In inductive research designs, researchers form a hypothesis based on an existing theory and comprehensive literature review. Ans: F KEY: Learning Objective: 2-3: Contrast the process of research reflecting deductive reasoning with that reflecting inductive reasoning. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Inductive Research Difficulty Level: Medium 7. A hypothesis suggests that the change in the independent variable creates change in the dependent variable. Ans: T KEY: Learning Objective: 2-4: Understand why an explanation formulated after the fact is necessarily less certain than an explanation presented before the collection of data. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: Deductive Research Difficulty Level: Easy 8. When the independent variable decreases, the dependent variable increases. This pattern is known as a positive direction of association. Ans: F KEY: Learning Objective: 2-4: Understand why an explanation formulated after the fact is necessarily less certain than an explanation presented before the collection of data. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Deductive Research Difficulty Level: Medium 9. Descriptive research starts with data and proceeds only to the stage of making empirical generalizations; it does not generate entire theories. Ans: T KEY: Learning Objective: 2-5: Diagram the research circle, and explain the role of replication in relation to that circle. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Descriptive Research: A Necessary Step Difficulty Level: Medium 10. The ecological fallacy suggests that change in the dependent variable is caused by something other than the independent variable. Ans: F KEY: Learning Objective: 2-6: Distinguish research designs using individuals and groups, and explain their relation to the ecological and individualist fallacies. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: Units and Levels of Analysis Difficulty Level: Easy Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 11. Countries are not acceptable units of analysis because it is not feasible to gather data from every individual. Ans: F KEY: Learning Objective: 2-6: Distinguish research designs using individuals and groups, and explain their relation to the ecological and individualist fallacies. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Units and Levels of Analysis Difficulty Level: Medium 12. In a panel design, data are collected from the same individuals at multiple points in time. Ans: T KEY: Learning Objective: 2-7: Understand the differences between cross-sectional research designs and the three types of longitudinal research design. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Panel Designs Difficulty Level: Medium 13. An example of a cohort study would be to conduct a survey of people born in the 1950s at one point in time. Ans: F KEY: Learning Objective: 2-7: Understand the differences between cross-sectional research designs and the three types of longitudinal research design. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Cohort Designs Difficulty Level: Medium 14. Longitudinal research collects data at more than one point in time. Ans: T KEY: Learning Objective: 2-7: Understand the differences between cross-sectional research designs and the three types of longitudinal research design. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Longitudinal Designs Difficulty Level: Medium 15. In longitudinal research designs, researchers collect data on participants for a single point in time. Ans: F KEY: Learning Objective: 2-7: Understand the differences between cross-sectional research designs and the three types of longitudinal research design. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: Longitudinal Designs Difficulty Level: Medium Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 Matching Use the following directions to answer Questions 1–3: In each set, match a concept from Group A to a definition or example from Group B. 1. Research Strategies Note: Answers from Group B will only be used once. Group A 1. Begins with theory 2. Begins with theory but stops with empirical generalizations 3. Builds from data to theory 4. Determines if change in the independent variable actually precedes change in the dependent variable Group B A. Deductive research B. Descriptive research C. Inductive research D. Longitudinal research Ans: 1–A; 2–B; 3—C; 4–D KEY: Learning Objective: 2-2: Define theory. REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension Answer Location: What Is the Strategy? Difficulty Level: Hard 2. The Research Circle Group A Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 1. Theory 2. Hypothesis 3. Variable 4. Empirical generalization Group B A. A characteristic or property that can take on different values or attributes B. A pattern in data that does not seem to fit the theory being proposed C. A logically interrelated set of propositions about empirical reality D. A tentative statement about empirical reality, involving a relationship between two or more variables E. A pattern empirically observed in data Ans: 1–C; 2–D; 3–A; 4–E KEY: Learning Objective: 2-5: Diagram the research circle, and explain the role of replication in relation to that circle. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: Domestic Violence and the Research Circle Difficulty Level: Medium 3. Temporal Considerations in Social Research Group A 1. cross-sectional research 2. panel study 3. repeated cross-sectional research 4. cohort study Group B A. collects data from different samples of the same population at multiple points in time B. collects data at a single point in time C. collects data from people who share a common starting point at multiple points in time D. collects data from the same individuals at multiple points in time Ans: 1–B; 2–D; 3–A; 4–C KEY: Learning Objective: 2-7: Understand the differences between cross-sectional research designs and the three types of longitudinal research design. REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge Answer Location: What Is the Design? Difficulty Level: Medium Essay 1. What are the three characteristics of a good research question? Give an example of each. Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 Ans: Feasibility refers to the ability to finish a project given the time and resources allotted. Social Importance refers to whether or not your research will make a difference in the social world and whether or not people see the problem as important. Scientific relevance refers to if the research question will help resolve some contradictory research findings or help answer a puzzling issue in social theory. KEY: Learning Objective: 2-1: Name the three characteristics of a good research question. REF: Cognitive Domain: Application Answer Location: What Is the Question? Difficulty Level: Hard 2. What is the difference between labeling and deterrence theory in terms of crime? Ans: Labeling theory distinguishes between primary deviance, the acts of individuals that lead to public sanction, and secondary deviance, the deviance that occurs in response to public sanction. Once the offender is labeled, others will treat the offender as a deviant, and the offender is then more likely to act in a way that is consistent with the deviant label. Deterrence theory states that persons who are punished serve as examples of what awaits those who engage in proscribed acts. Specific deterrence occurs when persons who are punished decide not to commit another offense, so they can avoid further punishment. KEY: Learning Objective: 2-2: Define theory. REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis Answer Location: What Is the Theory? Difficulty Level: Hard 3. Discuss the research of Sherman and Berk (1984) about the effect of arrest on domestic abuse. What was their research hypothesis? What were their independent and dependent variables? Describe how their hypothesis was designed to test deterrence theory and labeling theory. Which theory did their hypothesis support? Ans: The Sherman and Berk (1984) study of domestic violence was designed to test a hypothesis based on deterrence theory. Independent variable–arrest or release. Dependent variable–variation in the risk of repeat offenses. They tested their hypothesis by setting up an experiment in which the police responded to complaints of spouse abuse in one of three ways, one of which was to arrest the offender. They found that of those arrested for assaulting their spouse, only 13% repeated the offense, compared to a 26% recidivism rate for those who were separated from their spouse by the police but were not arrested. This pattern in the data was consistent with the hypothesis that the researchers deduced from deterrence theory. The theory thus received support from the experiment. KEY: Learning Objective: 2-3: Contrast the process of research reflecting deductive reasoning with that reflecting inductive reasoning. REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis Answer Location: Domestic Violence and the Research Circle Difficulty Level: Hard Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 4. How does descriptive research differ from inductive and deductive research? Provide an example or situation in which descriptive research is favorable. Ans: Both deductive and inductive research move halfway around the research circle, connecting theory with data. Descriptive research does not go that far. It starts with data and proceeds only to the stage of making empirical generalizations. It does not generate entire theories. KEY: Learning Objective: 2-3: Contrast the process of research reflecting deductive reasoning with that reflecting inductive reasoning. REF: Cognitive Domain: Application Answer Location: Descriptive Research: A Necessary Step Difficulty Level: Hard 5. Describe the research circle that connects social theory to data collection. What are the principle components of this research circle? Using an example of your own choosing, describe two research designs based on this circle: one using inductive logic and one using deductive logic. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of these designs? Ans: The research circle includes elements of the research process: theories, hypotheses, data collection, and data analysis. Deductive research starts with a social theory and tests implications with data. Inductive research begins with specific data, which are then used to develop a theory to account for the data. Inductive reasoning enters into deductive research when researchers find unexpected patterns in the data collected for testing a hypothesis. Anomalous patterns–unexpected patterns in data that do not seem to fit the theory being proposed. Serendipitous–unexpected patterns in data, which stimulate new ideas or theoretical approaches. KEY: Learning Objective: 2-5: Diagram the research circle, and explain the role of replication in relation to that circle. REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis Answer Location: What Is the Strategy? Difficulty Level: Hard 6. Explain the statement, “The adequacy of an explanation formulated after the fact is necessarily less certain than an explanation presented prior to the collection of data,” in relation to social research. Based on this statement, provide advice for students who will be conducting research of their own. Ans: Inductive reasoning may produce anomalous or serendipitous patterns in the data; every phenomenon can always be explained in some way. Inductive explanations then are made more trustworthy if it is followed by deductive research; great insights and ideas can come from inductive studies, but verifiable proof comes from deductive research KEY: Learning Objective: Understand why an explanation formulated after the fact is necessarily less certain than an explanation presented before the collection of data. REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis Answer Location: Inductive Research Difficulty Level: Hard Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 7. What is the difference between the ecological fallacy and the reductionist fallacy? Provide an example of each. Ans: Ecological fallacy is an error in reasoning in which conclusions about individuallevel processes are drawn from group-level data. Reductionist fallacy or reductionism is an error in reasoning that occurs when incorrect conclusions about group-level processes are based on individual-level data KEY: Learning Objective: 2-6: Distinguish research designs using individuals and groups, and explain their relation to the ecological and individualist fallacies. REF: Cognitive Domain: Application Answer Location: Units and Levels of Analysis Difficulty Level: Hard 8. What is a social theory? Describe a specific social theory to provide an example. Ans: Social theories help us make connections to general social processes and large bodies of research. Building and evaluating theory is one of the most important objectives of social science. A social theory is a logically interrelated set of propositions about empirical reality (i.e., the social world as it actually exists). Conflict theory proposes that (1) people are basically self-interested, (2) power differences between people and groups reflect the different resources available to groups, (3) ideas (religion, political ideologies, etc.) reflect the power arrangements in a society, (4) violence is always a potential resource and the one that matters most, and so on. These statements are related to each other, and the sum of conflict theory is a sizable collection of such statements (entire books are devoted to it). KEY: Learning Objective: 2-2: Define theory. REF: Cognitive Domain: Application Answer Location: What Is the Theory? Difficulty Level: Hard 9. Propose four different research designs that study juvenile delinquency using crosssectional designs, panel designs, repeated cross-sectional designs, and cohort designs. Ans: Cross-sectional research design is a study in which data are collected at only one point in time. Repeated cross-sectional design is a longitudinal study in which data are collected at two or more points in time from different samples of the same population. Panel designs are longitudinal studies in which data are collected from the same individuals at two or more points in time. Cohort designs are longitudinal studies in which data are collected at two or more points in time from individuals in a cohort. KEY: Learning Objective: 2-7: Understand the differences between cross-sectional research designs and the three types of longitudinal research design. REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis Answer Location: What Is the Design? Difficulty Level: Hard Chambliss, Making Sense of the Social World, 6e SAGE Publishing, 2020 10. What are the major advantages and disadvantages of using cross-sectional versus longitudinal research designs? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using panel, trend, and cohort longitudinal designs? Ans: In a cross-sectional design, all the data are collected at one point in time. Crosssection designs suffer from a serious weakness because they don’t directly measure the impact of time. Longitudinal designs collect data over time so that the researcher can determine whether change in the independent variable does in fact precede change in the dependent variable. Weaknesses of collecting data more than once are the resources and time required. Trend designs, or repeated cross-sectional studies, allow researchers to determine whether a population has changed over time. Panel designs allow clear identification of changes in the units of analysis over time. Serious weaknesses of panel designs are expense, attrition, and subject fatigue. Cohort designs draw different samples from the same population over time. KEY: Learning Objective: 2-7: Understand the differences between cross-sectional research designs and the three types of longitudinal research design. REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis Answer Location: What Is the Design? Difficulty Level: Hard