Chapter 2: Examining The Social World: How Do We Know What We Know?

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. Prior to the 19th century, approaches to understanding society ______.

a. had a strong moral tone

b. involved systematic data collection

c. involved objective analysis

d. applied the scientific method

Learning Objective: 2.1: Outline the development of sociology.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Development of Sociology

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. ______ was the first person on record to suggest a systematic approach to explain the social world.

a. Plato

b. Auguste Comte

c. Ibn Khaldun

d. C. Wright Mills

Learning Objective: 2.1: Outline the development of sociology.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Development of Sociology

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. The Industrial Revolution led, in part, to the rise of sociology because ______.

a. Europeans sought to understand the rapid changes occurring in society

b. the advent of mechanized labor made people distrustful of religion and philosophy

c. Karl Marx’s critique of the bourgeoisie inspired the proletariat to embrace this new school of thought

d. those who had been farmers pursued the social sciences when they found themselves unemployed

Learning Objective: 2.1: Outline the development of sociology.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Rise of Modern Sociology

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. When Auguste Comte coined the term sociology in 1838, what two basic questions did he ask?

a. What holds society together and gives rise to a stable order? Why and how do societies change?

b. How do humans define or make sense of situations? How do we learn our social roles in society?

c. How do societies achieve social consensus? How do people internalize shared beliefs and rules?

d. How does inequality create injustice? How does conflict function in society?

Learning Objective: 2.1: Outline the development of sociology.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Rise of Modern Sociology

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Auguste Comte saw society as divided into which of the following parts?

a. social statics and social institutions

b. social institutions and social processes

c. social units and social institutions

d. social statics and social dynamics

Learning Objective: 2.1: Outline the development of sociology.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Rise of Modern Sociology

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. A ______ is a basic view of society that guides sociologists’ research and analysis.

a. theoretical perspective

b. scientific method

c. ethical analysis

d. hypothetical approach

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Sociology’s Major Theoretical Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. Statements or explanations regarding how and why two or more facts are related to each other and the connections between these facts are known as ______.

a. theories

b. concepts

c. values

d. perspectives

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Sociology’s Major Theoretical Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. A good theory allows social scientists to make ______ about the social world.

a. theoretical perspectives

b. predictions

c. value judgements

d. rules

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Sociology’s Major Theoretical Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Which statement accurately describes an underlying assumption of symbolic interaction theory?

a. People create shared meanings and interact based on those meanings.

b. People are self-interested, making decisions based on weighing potential costs and rewards.

c. All parts of the social structure interact to make a society run smoothly.

d. Interaction breeds conflict, and conflict underlies all social relations.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Symbolic Interaction Theory

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. More than any other theory in the social sciences, symbolic interaction theory stresses the role of ______.

a. social statics

b. social dynamics

c. human agency

d. anomie

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Symbolic Interaction Theory

Difficulty Level: Hard

11. Which of the following sociologists placed special emphasis on human interpretations of gestures and symbols and the meaning we attach to our actions?

a. August Comte

b. Karl Marx

c. George Herbert Mead

d. Émile Durkheim

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Symbolic Interaction Theory

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. One critique of symbolic interaction theory is that it ______.

a. neglects the micro-level structures of society that affect human behavior

b. neglects the macro-level structures of society that affect human behavior

c. does not explain social changes in society, such as conflict and revolution

d. overemphasizes social stress, power dynamics, and disharmony

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Symbolic Interaction Theory

Difficulty Level: Hard

13.______ theory states that humans are fundamentally concerned with self-interests, making rational decisions based on weighing costs and rewards of the projected outcome of an action.

a. Symbolic interaction

b. Rational choice

c. Structural-functional

d. Conflict

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Rational Choice (Exchange) Theory

Difficulty Level: Easy

14. According to rational choice theory, people stay in relationships because ______.

a. they derive meaning from the interaction

b. they get something from the exchange

c. partnerships make society run more harmoniously

d. they fear conflict and change

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Rational Choice (Exchange) Theory

Difficulty Level: Medium

15. One critique of rational choice theory is that it ______.

a. gives little attention to micro-level internal mental processes, such as self-reflection

b. does not explain social changes in society, such as conflict and revolution

c. gives too much attention to macro-level structures of society that affect human behavior

d. assumes a stable world

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Rational Choice (Exchange) Theory

Difficulty Level: Hard

16. The structural-functional perspective states that ______.

a. all parts of the social structure work together to make society run smoothly

b. a person’s choices determine the individual’s place within the social structure

c. those with power exert their will over those without power

d. social status is in the eye of the beholder

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Structural-Functional Theory

Difficulty Level: Easy

17. Adam wants to study why men choose to go into nursing careers. He theorizes that men are heavily recruited into nursing because their physical strength and presence in hospitals benefits both patients and other hospital staff. Which theoretical perspective is Adam using?

a. symbolic interaction theory

b. rational choice theory

c. structural functionalism

d. conflict theory

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Structural-Functional Theory

Difficulty Level: Hard

18. A manifest function of war is ______.

a. boosting manufacturing

b. encouraging technological innovation

c. defending territory

d. inspiring patriotism

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Structural-Functional Theory

Difficulty Level: Hard

19. A latent function of war is ______.

a. defending territory

b. obtaining resources

c. protecting citizens and residents

d. inspiring patriotism

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Structural-Functional Theory

Difficulty Level: Hard

20. Functional actions contribute to the stability of society whereas ______ are those actions that undermine the stability of society.

a. manifest functions

b. latent functions

c. dysfunctions

d. surjection functions

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Structural-Functional Theory

Difficulty Level: Easy

21. The conflict perspective states that ______.

a. conflict is dysfunctional

b. conflict is inevitable and that inequality and injustice are the source of conflicts

c. people keep a mental ledger in their heads about whether they owe or are owed something

d. groups of people look out for each other and try to obtain resources and make sure they are distributed equally

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Conflict Theory

Difficulty Level: Easy

22. Karl Marx primarily viewed conflict in ______ terms.

a. gendered

b. economic

c. religious

d. racial

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Conflict Theory

Difficulty Level: Easy

23. Harriet Martineau argued that societies should be judged by how well they treat the most oppressed members of society. Which of the following sociologists shared her concern for advancing a more just society, asserting that the ultimate goal of sociological work should be social improvement?

a. George Herbert Mead

b. Henri Saint-Simon

c. W. E. B. Du Bois

d. Émile Durkheim

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Conflict Theory

Difficulty Level: Medium

24. How did Ralf Dahrendorf explain why Karl Marx’s predictions never came TRUE?

a. Marx placed too much emphasis on the role of interest groups in society.

b. Marx incorrectly assumed that conflict is based on authority.

c. Marx underemphasized the divisive nature of conflict

d. Marx did not foresee that an improvement in working conditions would lead to the rise of the middle class.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Conflict Theory

Difficulty Level: Hard

25. Though structural-functional theory and conflict theory take very different approaches, they are both critiqued for ______.

a. being difficult to test

b. for focusing on micro-level interactions

c. for overemphasizing the role of social cohesion and cooperation

d. for overemphasizing social inequality

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Conflict Theory

Difficulty Level: Hard

26. Which of the following sociologists focused much of his writings on the nature of bureaucracies?

a. Karl Marx

b. W. E. B. Du Bois

c. Max Weber

d. Ralf Dahrendorf

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Multilevel Analysis

Difficulty Level: Easy

27. Which of the following theories employs multilevel analysis?

a. conflict theory

b. feminist theory

c. structural-functional theory

d. exchange theory

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Feminist Theory

Difficulty Level: Hard

28. Patricia Hill Collins coined the term ______ in reference to the confluence of identities (e.g. related to race, class, and gender) that impact people’s lives and opportunities.

a. cultural relativity

b. intersectionality

c. double consciousness

d. ethnocentricity

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Multilevel Analysis

Difficulty Level: Medium

29. Facts and observations that can be objectively observed and carefully measured using the five senses are known as ______.

a. evidence

b. key concepts

c. variables

d. spurious factors

Learning Objective: 2.3: Explain the scientific approach.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Ideas Underlying Science

Difficulty Level: Easy

30. Science is rooted in ______; that is, one must take steps to ensure that one’s personal opinions or values do not bias or contaminate data collection and analysis.

a. subjectivity

b. morality

c. objectivity

d. philosophical inquiry

Learning Objective: 2.3: Explain the scientific approach.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Ideas Underlying Science

Difficulty Level: Medium

31. An educated guess or prediction about the research being conducted is referred to as a ______.

a. hypothesis

b. variable

c. thesis

d. theory

Learning Objective: 2.3: Explain the scientific approach.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Ideas Underlying Science

Difficulty Level: Easy

32. Concepts or ideas that vary in frequency or occurrence across people, times, or places are known as ______.

a. spurious factors

b. samples

c. correlatives

d. variables

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How Sociologists Study the World

Difficulty Level: Easy

33. Alexa and Eduardo want to conduct a sociological study of working mothers in Brazil. Alexa wants to begin with some general theories about working moms in Brazil and then make hypotheses based on those theories. Eduardo prefers to collect data first by interviewing a representative sample of working Brazilian mothers and then formulate a theory to explain their findings. In this example, Alexa prefers to use ______ while Eduardo would rather use ______.

a. inductive research; deductive research

b. deductive research; inductive research

c. micro-level analysis; macro-level analysis

d. macro-level analysis; micro-level analysis

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Planning a Research Study

Difficulty Level: Hard

34. An economist is studying how changes in income affect the frequency of eating in restaurants. In this example, “changes in income” is the ______ variable, and “frequency of eating out” is the ______ variable.

a. spurious; control

b. control; spurious

c. independent; dependent

d. dependent; independent

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: How Sociologists Study the World

Difficulty Level: Hard

35. A spurious relationship occurs between two variables when ______.

a. there is no correlation

b. there is a causal relationship

c. there is no causal relationship, but they vary together, often because of a third variable affecting both of them

d. two or more variables are found to be unrelated

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Planning a Research Study

Difficulty Level: Medium

36. Which of the following is TRUE of secondary data analysis?

a. It tends to be qualitative.

b. It tends to be used when conducting macro- and meso-level studies.

c. It tends to be used with micro-level research.

d. It is generally considered less reliable than primary data analysis.

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Designing the Research Plan

Difficulty Level: Hard

37. A sociologist wants to study political protests in China by traveling to Beijing and joining one of the student protest groups. This is an example of ______.

a. observational study

b. experimentation

c. secondary analysis

d. content analysis

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Designing the Research Plan

Difficulty Level: Medium

38. What is the purpose of a control group?

a. to promote triangulation

b. to enforce ethical research practices

c. to provide a baseline with which the experimental group can be compared

d. to eliminate spurious relationships

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Designing the Research Plan

Difficulty Level: Easy

39. A graduate student wants to study the impact of war on soldiers. She plans to observe therapy groups for soldiers who have posttraumatic stress disorder and to conduct a survey of returning soldiers. This is an example of ______.

a. secondary analysis

b. random sampling

c. content analysis

d. triangulation

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Designing the Research Plan

Difficulty Level: Medium

40. The purpose of human subjects review boards is to review proposed research plans and methods to be sure ______.

a. they will not hurt the subjects

b. they are socially relevant

c. they will reflect well on the discipline

d. they will benefit the researcher’s career

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Ethical Issues in Social Research

Difficulty Level: Medium

True/False

1. Sociology has its modern roots in the ideas of 13th-century social, political, and religious philosophers.

Learning Objective: 2.1: Outline the development of sociology.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Development of Sociology

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Henri Saint-Simon officially coined the term sociology in 1838.

Learning Objective: 2.1: Outline the development of sociology.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Rise of Modern Sociology

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. Theories are statements of how two or more facts relate to each other.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Sociology’s Major Theoretical Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. Symbolic interaction theory is a macro-level theory.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Micro- to Meso-Level Theories

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. According to the principles of symbolic interactionism, people continually create and recreate society by interacting with one another.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension.

Answer Location: Symbolic Interaction Theory

Difficulty Level: Easy

6. A central premise of rational choice theory is that altruism guides human behavior.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Rational Choice (Exchange) Theory

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. According to rational choice theory, we learn our place in society through interacting with each other.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Rational Choice (Exchange) Theory

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. Émile Durkheim's believed that individuals conform to the rules of society because of a collective conscience.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Structural-Functional Theory

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. According to Merton, latent functions are the planned outcomes of social organizations and institutions.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Structural-Functional Theory

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Structural-functional theory assumes that conflict is harmful.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Structural-Functional Theory

Difficulty Level: Medium

11. According to conflict theorists, symbols have a meaning beyond their own existence.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Conflict Theory

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. According to Marx, the proletariat owns the means of production.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Conflict Theory

Difficulty Level: Easy

13. Ralf Dahrendorf’s major contribution to conflict theory was his acknowledgement that conflicts over resources extend beyond the conflict that exists between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Conflict Theory

Difficulty Level: Medium

14. From the conflict perspective, social change is desirable.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Conflict Theory

Difficulty Level: Easy

15. Max Weber argued that in order to understand people’s behavior, you have to see the world as they do.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Max Weber’s Contributions

Difficulty Level: Medium

16. Feminist theory focuses exclusively on micro-level processes.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Feminist Theory

Difficulty Level: Easy

17. Much of feminist theory has foundations in the functionalist perspective.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Feminist Theory

Difficulty Level: Medium

18. Empirical knowledge is founded on information gained from intuition.

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Ideas Underlying Science

Difficulty Level: Easy

19. The first step in planning a research study is to define a topic or problem that can be studied scientifically.

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How Sociologists Study the Social World

Difficulty Level: Easy

20. Interviews are convenient for collecting large amounts of data.

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Designing the Research Plan

Difficulty Level: Medium

21. Secondary analysis uses existing data already collected in other studies.

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Designing the Research Plan

Difficulty Level: Medium

22. Content analysis is unobtrusive, meaning the research does not influence the investigated subject by having direct contact.

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Designing the Research Plan

Difficulty Level: Medium

23. The process of triangulation provides a baseline with which the experimental group can be compared.

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Designing the Research Plan

Difficulty Level: Medium

24. Codes of ethics answer all ethical dilemmas that arise during the research process.

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Ethical Issues in Social Research

Difficulty Level: Medium

25. Examples of unethical research include studying people without their knowledge or consent, only including data that support the results you would like to see, and violating the confidentiality of your subjects by revealing their identities.

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Ethical Issues in Social Research

Difficulty Level: Easy

Essay

1. Compare and contrast social statics and social dynamics. Provide one example of each.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Rise of Modern Sociology

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Explain the statement, “Science is rooted in objectivity.” Include the ways sociologists can ensure that they are being as objective as possible.

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Ideas Underlying Science

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Explain how a theory differs from a hypothesis and discuss how the two are related. Provide an example.

Learning Objective: 2.3: Explain the scientific approach.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Ideas Underlying Science

Difficulty Level: Hard

4. Compare and contrast manifest and latent functions. Provide examples of each.

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Structural-Functional Theory

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. According to Max Weber, what is Verstehen?

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Max Weber’s Contributions

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. How did Max Weber explain the emergence of the “spirit of capitalism”?

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Max Weber’s Contributions

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. Describe one of the theoretical perspectives mentioned in the text and pose a question the perspective could address. Further, explain the critiques of that perspective. Do those critiques make the perspective useless? Why, or why not?

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Using Different Theoretical Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Hard

8. Imagine you want to study the U.S. military from a functionalist, symbolic interactionist, and conflict perspective. What research questions will you ask about the military from each perspective, and why is that perspective appropriate for the question posed?

Learning Objective: 2.2: Describe key theoretical perspectives.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Using Different Theoretical Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Hard

9. Why is sociology considered a science? Provide one example of a sociological research question and how it is approached and studied scientifically.

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: How Sociologists Study the Social World

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Explain the statement, “Every research study should be replicable.” Provide an example of what a researcher would do to replicate a study.

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Designing the Research Plan and Method for the Collecting Data

Difficulty Level: Hard

11. Compare and contrast deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning. Provide examples.

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Planning a Research Study

Difficulty Level: Hard

12. In an experiment, what is the difference between the experimental group and the control group? Provide an example.

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Designing the Research Plan

Difficulty Level: Hard

13. You have been asked to conduct a study titled “The Effect of Watching Television on the Academic Performance of First-Year College Students.” What theoretical perspective will you use to guide your study, and why? Explain at least two hypotheses you have about the effect of TV on grades. Describe the method you will use to conduct your study and explain why that method is most appropriate.

Learning Objective: 2.3: Explain the scientific process

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Designing the Research Plan

Difficulty Level: Hard

14. In the late 1960s, Laud Humphries conducted a study called “The Tearoom Trade.” Humphries posed as a “watch queen” (a man who guards the doors of restrooms in public parks so that men can have sex with other men inside). Humphries wrote down the license plate numbers of the men who had sex with other men, then looked up their addresses, disguised his appearance, and went to their homes to interview them a year later. Humphries discovered that, contrary to popular opinion, many of the men were actually married to women and living otherwise quiet, middle-class lives. Today, this study is considered unethical. In light of what you learned about research ethics in Chapter 2 of the text, what ethical principles does this study violate? Do you personally feel the benefits of the study (it destroyed many stereotypes) outweighed the risks?

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Ethical Issues in Social Research

Difficulty Level: Hard

15. Imagine you work as a public sociologist. Explain what your job responsibilities are both inside academia (i.e. a professor) and outside academia (i.e. working in an organization).

Learning Objective: 2.4: Outline the basic steps of the scientific research process.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Putting Sociology to Work: Public Sociology

Difficulty Level: Easy