final review

What is the core purpose of random assignment in experiments?
a. To ensure a large sample size
b. To make the sample representative
c. To increase response rates
d. To eliminate systematic differences between groups

d

A counterfactual refers to:
a. What would have happened under different conditions
b. A statistical model predicting outcomes
c. A false hypothesis
d. A comparison across different populations

a

Which of the following best distinguishes a field experiment from a laboratory experiment?
a. Field experiments do not involve random assignment
b. Field experiments occur in real-world settings
c. Laboratory experiments use surveys
d. Field experiments only study groups

b

In Devah Pager’s audit study, what serves as the outcome?
a. Job application forms
b. Race and criminal record signals
c. Employer responses
d. Getting a job

c

Which of the following is a major strength of experiments?
a. High internal validity
b. High external validity
c. Representative samples
d. Low cost

a

Which is a major limitation of experiments?
a. They cannot measure outcomes
b. They lack independent variables
c. They cannot test hypotheses
d. Ethical and practical constraints

d

A double-barreled question is problematic because it:
a. Is too long
b. Asks about two things at once
c. Uses technical language
d. Is open-ended

b

Which of the following is an example of a leading question?
a. “How often do you exercise?”
b. “Is the federal spending on space exploration too high, too low, or about right?”
c. “Do you agree that social media harms society?”
d. “What is your age?”

c

What is a key feature of surveys?
a. Open-ended observation
b. Random assignment
c. Small sample size
d. Standardized questions

d

A panel study involves:
a. The same people over time
b. Different people at one time
c. Observing behavior in public
d. Using administrative data

a

Surveys are best suited for answering which kind of questions?
a. Causal (explanatory) questions
b. Process (exploratory) questions
c. Descriptive questions
d. Interpretive (exploratory) questions

c

Which of the following is an emerging challenge of survey research in recent years?
a. Declining response rates
b. Inability to identify causal effects
c. Social desirability bias
d. Lack of open-ended data collection

a

Which of the following best explains why field research methods are useful?
a. They allow for large, representative samples
b. They identify causal effects through comparison
c. They eliminate measurement error
d. They provide insight into meaning and lived experience

d

Participant observation involves:
a. Observing without interacting
b. Actively engaging in the setting being studied
c. Using surveys in the field
d. Random sampling

b

Which of the following best describes reflexivity?
a. Process by which researchers examine how their characteristics and presence shape research
b. Change in behavior that occurs when participants know they are being studied
c. Researchers devising new theories in light of unexpected data
d. Process by which field researchers ask respondents to reflect on their experiences

a

Which of the following is a key feature of field research?
a. Probability sampling
b. Structured questionnaires
c. Large sample size
d. Interpretive analysis

d

Which sampling strategy is commonly used in field research?
a. Purposive sampling
b. Simple random sampling
c. Stratified sampling
d. Cluster sampling

a

Which of the following is a key characteristic of “big data” in social research, according to Salganik?
a. It is always representative
b. It is typically collected through random sampling
c. It is often nonreactive
d. It is always complete

c

According to Salganik, which is a major limitation of “big data” social science?
a. Too small
b. Always representative
c. Algorithmically confounded
d. Too expensive

c

Which of the following is NOT one of the four major steps in the research process?
a. Formulate a research question
b. Prepare a research design
c. Collect data
d. Publish findings in a peer-reviewed journal

d

Which approach to social science research is best suited to establishing strong causal claims?
a. Survey research
b. Field research
c. Experiment
d. Secondary data analysis

c

Inductive logic involves:
a. Testing hypotheses derived from theory
b. Moving from specific observations to broader generalizations
c. Random assignment
d. Controlling extraneous variables

b

Which of the following best defines a hypothesis?
a. An expected but unconfirmed relationship among two or more phenomena
b. An interconnected set of propositions that shows how or why something occurs
c. An observed relationship between two concepts
d. A broader conclusion implied by data

a

According to Duncan Watts, common sense is problematic because:
a. It is always wrong
b. It is not based on mathematics
c. It makes judgments based on local or personal experience
d. It is too abstract

c

Which of the following best defines a unit of analysis?
a. The number of respondents
b. The type of thing being compared
c. The method of data collection
d. The research hypothesis

b

Which of the following best describes a spurious relationship?
a. Two variables are strongly correlated because one causes the other
b. Two variables are correlated because both are influenced by a third variable
c. A variable mediates the relationship between two other variables
d. A variable is measured at the wrong level of analysis

b

Operationalization refers to:
a. Forming hypotheses
b. Moving from concept to measurable indicators
c. Conducting interviews
d. Running statistical tests

b

Which of the following is a ratio-level measure?
a. Religious affiliation
b. Class rank
c. Temperature in Fahrenheit
d. Income in dollars

d

If a measure produces consistent results across repeated tests, it is:

A. Valid

B. Reliable

C. Exhaustive

D. Mutually exclusive

b

Test-retest reliability assesses:

A. Whether two measures correlate

B. Whether different raters agree

C. Whether the same measure is stable over time

D. Whether the measure predicts outcomes

c

Which ethical principle emphasizes minimizing harm?

A. Justice

B. Respect for persons

C. Beneficence

D. Confidentiality

c

How should human subjects researchers handle deception?

A. It is never allowed

B. It is always allowed

C. Researchers may deceive subjects if they disclose ahead of time that deception will take place

D. Researchers may deceive subjects if they disclose afterward why deception was necessary

d

Which of the following is a form of probability sampling?

A. Snowball sampling

B. Convenience sampling

C. Simple random sampling

D. Purposive sampling

c

Coverage error occurs when:

A. Survey questions are incomplete measures of concepts

B. Some members of the target population are not included in the sampling frame

C. The sample size is too small

D. The survey questions are leading

b

The larger the sample size, the:

A. Larger the sampling error

B. Smaller the standard error

C. Greater the bias

D. More spurious relationship

b

Which is a nonprobability sampling method?

A. Stratified sampling

B. Cluster sampling

C. Snowball sampling

D. Simple random sampling

c

A serendipity pattern refers to:

A. Planned hypothesis testing

B. Surprising findings that generate new theory

C. Random sampling

D. Measurement error

b

The Hawthorne effect refers to:

A. Random assignment

B. Observer bias

C. People changing behavior because they are being studied

D. Internal validity

c

Replication strengthens science because it:

A. Proves a theory true

B. Increases sample size

C. Allows researchers to verify findings

D. Reduces measurement error automatically

c

three core features of experiments

comparison, manipulation, random assignment

three core features of surveys

standardized questions, quantitative analysis, systematic samples

three core features of field researchers

strategic sampling, open-ended data collection, interpretive analysis

three core features of secondary data analysis

data found not designed, apply existing logic, extending to new populations

ratio level measurement

The highest level of measurement, which has the features of the other levels plus an absolute (nonarbitrary) zero point.

ordinal measurement

A level of measurement in which different numbers indicate rank order of cases on a variable.

nominal measurement

A level of measurement in which numbers serve only to label categories of a variable

interval measurement

A level of measurement that has the qualities of the ordinal level plus equal distances (intervals) between assigned numbers.