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Sample Midterm Exam For Soc281

This document summarizes a sample midterm exam for a social research methods course. The exam covers key concepts in social research including the definition of social research, the objectives of applied versus exploratory research, research designs that incorporate the passage of time, categorizing theories, criteria for determining causation, components of informed consent statements, characteristics of causal hypotheses, improving reliability of measures, and the definition of a true random sample. The exam tests students' understanding of fundamental methodological concepts and techniques in social science research.

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148 views

Sample Midterm Exam For Soc281

This document summarizes a sample midterm exam for a social research methods course. The exam covers key concepts in social research including the definition of social research, the objectives of applied versus exploratory research, research designs that incorporate the passage of time, categorizing theories, criteria for determining causation, components of informed consent statements, characteristics of causal hypotheses, improving reliability of measures, and the definition of a true random sample. The exam tests students' understanding of fundamental methodological concepts and techniques in social science research.

Uploaded by

satenawu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Sample Midterm Exam for Soc281, Methods of Social Research

1. Social research is:


a. a friendly, social way of doing research
b. a type of research conducted by social scientists to seek answers to questions about the
social world
c. a set of techniques that is identical to the techniques used by physical scientists
d. determined by positivists

2. The objective of applied social research is to use data so that decisions can be made.
a. True
b. False

3. Which of the following is NOT a goal of exploratory research?


a. to become familiar with the basic facts, setting and concerns of a research issue/question
b. to formulate and focus questions for future research
c. to locate new data that contradict past data
d. to generate new ideas, conjectures, or hypotheses

4. Panel studies, trend studies, and cohort studies all:


a. take place at one point in time
b. incorporate the passage of time in the research design
c. could possibly be distorted by the effects of mortality
d. both b and c are correct

5. We can categorize a theory by all of the following EXCEPT:


a. the direction of reasoning
b. the level of social reality that it explains
c. whether it is formal or substantive
d. units of analysis
e. the forms of explanation it employs

6. The following are the criteria necessary to determine cause and effect:
a. isolation, temporal priority, and units of analysis
b. isolation, temporal priority, and association
c. isolation, association, and categorization
d. isolation, association, and levels of measurement

7. Informed consent statements can contain which of the following:


a. a brief description of the purpose and procedure of the research, including the expected
duration of the study
b. a statement of any risks or discomfort associated with participation
c. a guarantee of anonymity and the confidentiality of records
d. all of the above

8. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a causal hypothesis?


a. it must have at least two variables
b. it expresses a cause and effect relationship between the variables
c. it is expressed in terms of abstract concepts
d. It is falsifiable; that is , it is capable of being tested against empirical evidence and shown to
be true or false
9. Clearly conceptualizing constructs, using a precise level of measurement, using multiple indicators,
and using pilot studies, are all ways researchers:
a. Improve the reliability of measures
b. decrease the reliability of measures
c. implement ethical and moral research
d. decrease the validity of measures

10. In a true random sample, each subject (i.e. element) has an equal probability of being selected.
a. True
b. False

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