Chapter 3 Question

True or False: is it the researcher's responsibility to make it clear if a research project is confidential or anonymous to the respondent?

Answer: TRUE. Also, researchers should never use the term anonymous to mean confidential (Babbie 65)

Chapter 3 Question

What are the 4 main constraints on research projects for social research?

answer: scientific, administrative, ethical, and political.

Chapter 3

The Exxon Valdez case that Babbie talked about in Chapter 3 conflicted with ethical issues because:
a. The Exxon employees were forced to participate in an experiment which would help the company find a way to increase profit
b. Participants of a household survey were going to be cross-examined in regards to what they answered on the confidential survey
c. University students were forced to participate in a mock prison experiment in which participants were harmed physically and mentally
d. Interviews of the Valdez family were published despite the fact that they were promised confidentiality











Answer: B. Details about this case are on page 65 under the title of Confidentiality.

Chapter 3

What was controversially unethical about Humphreys' research?
A) Invasion of privacy in the name of science
B) Disclosing their tearoom activities
C) Pretending to be a voyeur-participant
D) Both A and B
E) Both A and C


















ANSWER: E
A) Correct but C is also correct.
B) Incorrect. This did not happen, he was being careful as to not harm his subjects.
C) Correct but A is also correct. This was considered unethical because of the deceit involved.
D) Incorrect. See above.
E) Correct. See above.

Babbie, Ch. 3 Question

Which of these is NOT an ethical issue in social research, according to Babbie?


a) The issue of harm towards participants

b) The issue of whether ethics and politics hinge on an ideological view

c) The issue of analysis and reporting

d) The issue of anonymity and confidentiality



















Answer: b)

Babbie writes that both ethics and politics necessarily hinge on ideological points of view — that what is considered acceptable from one view will be considered acceptable from another point of view. (pg. 74)

Chapter 3:The Ethics and Politics of Social Research

What is the purpose of debriefing?

A) to interrogate the subjects in a study
B) to find out something personal about the subjects in the study
C) to interview the subject to learn about the participants experience in the study
D) to learn about what the liked or disliked
E) none of the above












The correct answer is C.

It is the correct answer because in a debriefing we want to know what their experience was and what it could have caused, like if the participant could have suffered damage due to the study they were exposed to. This helps the experimenter learn about what is not working and what needs to be changed. The experimenter doesn't need to learn about anything personal in regards to the participant nor what the subject likes or dislikes and they don't want to interrogate the subject. The purpose of a study and the use of participants is to make them feel safe and interrogating them is not going to help them cooperate. It cannot e none of the above because C is the correct answer.

Ethics and Stanley Milgram

Stanley Milgram's 1962 social psychological study on obedience and conformity were ethically questionable because
a) subjects were physically harmed in the study by the administered electro-shocks.
b) the results of the respondents' surveys were not kept anonymous or confidential.
c) subjects were deceived into thinking they were causing extreme physical harm to another.
d) participation in the study by the subjects was involuntary.












Answer:
a) Incorrect - in the study, no subjects were physically harmed. However, participants were deceived into thinking they were physically harming someone.
b) Incorrect - this study was an experiement and did not involve surveys.
c) Correct -The study involved a situation where the subjects were "teachers" who were to punish a "student" whenever he answered a question incorrectly by administering electro-shocks. Really, the "student" only feigned the pain and the electro-shocks were not real, but the subjects believed they were truly harming the individual.
d) Incorrect - Milgram's subjects were all voluntary and consisted of 40 men within ages 20 to 40 from the New Haven, CT area.

sources: Milgram Experiment video (http://www.myspace.com/video/vid/5512184), Babbie Ch 3 pg 73-74

Quiz question for chapter 3

IRB were established to address which one of the following ethical principles?

A. voluntary participation

B. anonymity

C. confidentiality

D. no harm to participants

D. No harm to participants.

Chapter 11: ways to avoid misclassifying errors

What are some ways of avoiding misclassifying errors when doing analytic induction?










1)Select random cases from each category if possible.
2)Give three examples for each claim you make
3)Have others review your analytic interpretations
4) Report inconsistencies. Few social patterns are completely consistent.

Unobtrusive Research (Chapter 11)

Of the four options below, which are three examples of unobtrusive research?

a) Investigating written documents
b) Looking at statistical numbers available on webpages
c) Going to field to observe kids play soccer
d) Studying historical records (e.g., patterns that occur in different epochs)









Answer: a, b, and d, for there's direct interference in letter c.

Ch. 11 Reading Question

What is the difference between manifest content and latent content?

Answer: Manifest content is the visible, surface, concrete content. It is easily coded. For example, one might determine how erotic a novel is by counting the number of times the word "love" is featured in the novel. Latent content is the underlying meaning of the communications. Latent content is difficult to code and less reliable-- what may seem erotic to you may be prudish to others.

Babbie, Ch. 11 Question

According to Babbie, the advantages of content analysis include all of the following EXCEPT:

a) It is an inexpensive method of research

b) It allows for the study of processes occurring over a long period of time

c) Errors found in the study are easily fixed

d) Problems of validity are unlikely


















Answer: d

Problems of validity are in fact likely to occur in content analysis.

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2011 Spring Internship -- Consumer Financial Protection w/ the gov

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Implementation Team

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Domestic Finance is currently working to execute the
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act by implementing plans to “stand up” the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB Implementation Team is now seeking
several undergraduate and graduate volunteer interns for the Spring 2011 semester.

Description:
This is an exciting and unique opportunity to participate in the ground-up construction of a brand
new federal regulatory agency. Candidates should be comfortable managing multiple complex
tasks in a fast-paced environment. Past intern projects have included: summarizing, researching,
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researching pressing issues in the field of consumer finance, such as mortgage and credit card
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Qualifications:
Prior knowledge of consumer financial issues and/or law is helpful, but not mandatory.
Candidates must be enrolled in a degree-granting academic program, have excellent analytical
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Candidates able to make a full-time commitment are preferred.

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to
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The U.S. Treasury Department is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

Quiz Question (Cracks in the Pavement)

Which of the following is NOT an aspect of one's position in the status hierarchy of a mom/pop store?

a) time spent in the store

b) degree of closeness to the store owner

c) personal resources

d) generosity in aiding others

e) physical proximity to the store

e) physical proximity to the store

Though physical proximity to a store influences how often you may frequent it, it does not play a role in your position in the status hierarchy. The other four aspects are listed and explained on page 139 of the chapter, or page 260 of the reader.

Quiz Question: Inter-/Intra-group(ethnic) Relations in "Cracks in the Pavement"

Which of the following are true?
a) Mom and pop stores increased conflict within groups (ethnicities).
b) Mom and pop stores decreased conflict within groups.
c) Mom and pop stores increased conflict between groups.
d) Mom and pop stores decreased conflict between groups.
e) Mom and pop stores increased integration between groups.

Mom and Pop Store Legitimacy Sanchez-Jankowski

From what two sources does Sanchez-Jankowski argue that mom and pop stores attain legitimacy in their neighborhoods? What are four important types of constituent groups that used these stores?














(1) Supplying provisions and owner's willingness to allow space for social interaction Sanchez-Jankowski argues that the substance, strength, and quantity of these interactions were very important to the resident's everyday lives.

(2) Those of ethnicity, economic status, gender and age, none of which can be understood in isolation.

Quiz Question: Uses of Gossip from Cracks in the pavement

All of the following EXCEPT one are uses of gossip by women at local mom-and-pop shops, according to Martin Sanchez-Janowski.

A) Power enhancement

B) Exaggeration of information

C) Symbol of friendship

D) Establishment of social norms

Correct Answer: D: the actual fourth use of gossip among women in mom and pop stores was called pseudosecretive, this means that the women indicated that the information they were about to digress was not meant for the public, but they were going to tell it any way, this could be indicated with word or by common hand gestures indicating secrecy. The discussion of social norms was one of the common topics of gossip among the women, and it was used to discuss when other members of the community violated social norms in an unacceptable way, the example Sanchez-Janowski gave of this sort of gossip was a group of women talking about the burning of a child that indicated possible abuse.

Cracks in the Pavement - True/False Question

Which of the following is FALSE?

-


a) The number of establishments in a neighborhood is a good indicator of a neighborhood's health.
b) In an enterprise establishment, the store owner scolds people for loitering and tells people to leave the establishment if they are not going to buy anything. 
c) When mom and pop stores close, this does not necessarily lead to social disorganization.
d) All of the above are true.
e) All of the above are false.










ANSWERS

a) FALSE. "Whether or not a neighborhood is structured and healthy depends on the functional quality, not quantity, of its establishment's institutional contents" (265).
b) True. "In building an enterprise type of establishment, the owner's first strategy was to limit, and ultimately remove, goup relations and social exchanges in the store" (264).
c) True. "The disappearance of mom and pop stores does not produce social disorganization; it merely initiates a reconfiguration of the social structure and order" (265),
d) There is a false answer.
e) There are two true answers.

In "Cracks in the Pavement," a mom-and-pop store is not automatically a neighborhood institution. There are certain aspects that the acheivement of neighborhood institutional status is based on in order for it to become fully integrated into the subculture of the neighborhood. Which of the following, according to the author is not characteristic of a neighborhood institution?

a. The store should sell food products that integrate into the social taste of the neighborhood

b. The store should hinder individual identity

c. The store should create social interactions that establish a status system

d. The store has to reinforce ethnic and class groups'

Asnwer: B.

The achievement of neighborhood institutional status is based on the history of the store ownership, the reinforcement of ethnic and social groups' social taste in food products, and social interactions that nurture individual identity and establish a status system.

"Cracks in the Pavement" Memo

How does a mom-pop shop achieve neighborhood institutional status and why does it play a pivotal role in the neighborhoods in the study?

According to the article a mom-pop shop achieves institutional status and integrates itself into the subculture of the neighborhood by meeting certain criteria. There are three things that must be present, the history of the store ownership, the reinforcement of ethnic groups’ taste in food products, and social interaction that facilitate the creation of a status system. The mom-pop shops are pivotal to the community because they support ethnic cultures and facilitate networking for the lower class social class of these ethnic groups.

"Cracks in the Pavement" question & memo

In "Cracks in the Pavement" increases in prices at neighborhood institutions (mom & pop grocery stores) were do to _________________.

a. thefts
b. government taxes
c. store merchants wanting more profit
d. continuous bankruptcies











Answer: a) page 269 in the reader, a graph is provided to demonstrate the increase in average prices that follow after robberies at the stores studied in an average 12-month period.

memo:

Related to the increase in prices, customer credit was eliminated because of increased robberies, higher insurance payments, diminished business due to customer apprehension. (page 269)

The article studied the changes in the mom-and-pop stores in 5 different neighborhoods and their implications in the structure of their neighborhoods. They provided social and material support for their community. Provided meeting areas, helped incorporate new people into the existing social structure, order and helped reinforce the divisions of the neighborhoods. Loss of these institutions for various reasons created a strain on the neigborhoods. Sanchez-Jankowski argued it was a short-term strain, not somethin that promoted an ultimate decay.

Martin Sanchez-Jankowski: Quiz Question

What name was given to the type of mom-and-pop store acquired by someone who saw an emerging business opportunity from the neighborhood's changing population dynamics?

A. imperialist
B. holdout
C. trailblazer
D. indigenous
E. colonial












ANSWER: C. trailblazer

An "imperialist" establishment was one where "the store's owner, who is neither a resident nor an ethnic compatriot and has no socioeconomic connection to the neighborhood, views it as a means to make a decent living and accumulate capital and equity for socioeconomic mobility."

A "holdout" type was one where "the owner had bought and run the store back when ethnic groups that now no longer live in the neighborhood were the residents."

A "trailblazer" is the one mentioned above. It is the type of mom-and-pop store acquired by someone who saw an emerging business opportunity from the neighborhood's changing population dynamics.

An "indigenous" was one where "the store owner currently lived in the neighborhood or had lived there in the past and was a member of one of the dominant ethnic groups.

"Colonial" was made up and is not a type of mom-and-pop store.

When forming a question/survey

When forming a question or survey you should...

Make sure the question is short and precise. This allows the reader to understand the question and answer quickly.
Avoid negative items such as the words "impossible", "not" or "didn't"
Avoid charged terms like "welfare" 

Don't survey with threatening questions
Make sure the survey is spread out and uncluttered
Don't put more than one question on a line

Chapter 9 Survey Research

What's one efficient way of making surveys immediately appealing to respondents?

a) starting with quick-to respond questions
b) fucusing on the subject matter as soon as possible
c) starting with quick-to respond questions and being polite
d) offering some type of reward at the end of the survery
e) both b and d










Answer c) is the more appropriate one, for first impression always matters.

Chapter 10: Research Tradition

William Foote Whyte’s ethnography of Cornerville, is one of the earliest illustrations of which research tradition?

a) Ethnomethodology

b) Grounded theory

c) Case studies

d) Naturalism

e) Institutional ethnography

Answer: D

Naturalism approaches field research assuming that social realities exist which can be observed and reported accurately. William Foote Whyte decided to become an insider during his study to actually get all the information about the social life on the streets that he wanted and to get the most out of it. His reports on the people were made through the experience of being one of the people in the community not an outsider.

Babbie, Ch 10 Study Question

Which of these, according to Babbie, is NOT a guideline for research using grounded theory

a) Think comparatively

b) Maintain an attitude of skepticism

c) Stick to a singular viewpoint

d) Follow the research procedures

e) Periodically step back

Answer: c)

Babbie suggests that a researcher using grounded theory should not only collect multiple points of view of participants in the study, but that different observational techniques may provide a variety of viewpoints that may be useful to a researcher.

Babbie Ch. 10- Qualitative Field Research Paradigms

which of the following definitions of different qualitative research paradigms is FALSE?

a. naturalism is the approach to field research based on the assumption that an objective social reality exists and can be observed and reported accurately

b. grounded theory is a deductive approach to the study of social life that attempts to use a theory to make comparable observations

c. ethnomethodology is the method of studying social life that involves intentionally breaking agreements that are usually unspoken as a way of revealing their existence

d. participatory action research is the approach to social research where the people being studied are given control over the purpose and procedures of the research

e. all of the above are correct definitions of different field research paradigms












b. CORRECT. the definition provided above is the definition of hypothesis testing; grounded theory is an inductive approach to the study of social life that compares unfolding observations in attempt to generate a theory;

Babbie Chapter Ten Extended Case Method

True or False:

The extended case method is used to strengthen existing theories.


Answer: False

"Extended case method has the purpose of discovering flaws in, and then modifying existing social theories." (Babbie 298)

This is different from grounded theory, where theorists seek to enter the study without preconceived notions and "generate theory from the constant comparing of unfolding observations." (Babbie 296)

Extended case study seeks to "lay out as coherently as possible what we expect to find before entry." (Babbie 298)

Babbie Chp. 10: Strengths and Weaknesses of Qualitative Field Research Quiz Question

Which of the following statements about qualitative field research is false?

A) An advantage of field research is the depth of understanding it can provide.
B) An advantage of field research is its inexpensiveness.
C) An advantage of field research is its flexibility.
D) Field research measurements generally have more validity.
E) Field research measurements generally have more reliability.




















A) True! Other research methods are often seen as "superficial," but field research escapes this fault.
B) True! Other research methods often require costly equipment or expensive personnel, but field research cna be done by one researcher with pen and paper.
C) True! You can modify a field research design at any time. You're also always prepared to engage in field research which does not always occur with surveys or experiments.
D) True! There is more validity with field research because you are actually there at the scene where the subject of the matter is taking place.
E) False! (correct answer) Field research measurements generally have less reliability, because others would not necessarily make the same observations as you.

Internal Validity Resource

Here's a link to an internal validity tutorial:
Nine threats to internal validity are described, followed by an example and a contrasting nonexample as applied to the hypothetical experiment. An explanation is included of why the example represents a threat to internal validity and why the nonexample is not a threat.
Then there's a quiz where you can test yourself.

Who Are the Europeans- Fligstein quiz question

According to Diez Medrano and Gutierrez what are NOT the mechanisms by which individuals are able to hold seemingly contradictory identities

A. In smaller groups, individuals will likely feel more control than in larger groups

B. In smaller groups, smaller groups are more desirable and therefore more common.

C. Larger groups, under the right conditions, will be able to provide positive identities for individuals.

D. Larger group’s identity comes into play under circumstances where it can prove useful

E. All of the above are true

The correct answer is B. This is a made up statement. All the others explain how it is that people can hold up different identities and therefore be used to explain hoe Europeans can handle so may different identities at once. Pg 173 of reader.