Soc 275 Social Research Methods, Section 001

Soc 275 Social Research Methods, Section 001 Jeremiah Coldsmith Spring, 09: Test 2 Name: ______

Part I: The following are ten matching questions. There is a definition or description to the left and a series of terms to the right. Match the correct term to its definition or description by writing the letter of the term in the blank by the number of the definition or description. Note that a term can only be used once, but you will not need to use all the terms. Each question is worth one point. A. Exhaustive ____ 1. In research development, what is the thing (the what or whom) being B. Mutually Exclusive studied called? This is also the container that holds the attributes that make up the variables of interest. C. Units of Analysis D. Population ____ 2. When we base our conclusion about higher level units on observations E. Sample made at a lower level, we have committed what error in reasoning? F. Concept G. Ecological Fallacy ____ 3. When each of the observations of a variable fit into only one of the H. Reductionism attribute categories created for that variable, the variable can be said to be what? I. Cross-Sectional Data J. Longitudinal Data ____ 4. Which step in variable construction is concerned with how well the generated measures are measuring the underlying concepts? K. Conceptualization L. Operationalization ____ 5. Which type of validity refers to the extent to which a measure covers the M. Measurement range of meanings included within a concept? N. Indicator O. Dimension ____ 6. What level of measurement consists of rankable categories that are not P. Precision spaced equally or whose spacing is not known? Q. Accurate R. Reliable ____ 7. What level of measurement consists of rankable categories that are S. Face Validity evenly spaced and have a true zero point? T. Criterion Validity ____ 8. Data collected at a single point in time is what type of data? U. Construct Validity V. Content Validity ____ 9. The fineness or broadness of the distinctions made between the attributes W. Nominal Measure composing a variable is called what? X. Ordinal Measure Y. Interval Measure ____ 10. A thing that exists and can be pointed to as a reflection of a variable is Z. Ratio Measure called what? 2

Part II: The following are ten multiple choice problems. Choose the best answer for each question by writing the letter of the answer in the blank next to the number of the question. Each question is worth one point. If it is unclear which answer you have chosen, you will not get credit for the answer.

_____1) A researcher interested in how race relations differ in Western Democracies with large minority populations conducts a study comparing race relations in the US, France, Germany, and UK. In each country he measures the difference in median incomes between the majority group and the largest minority group as well as the number of racially motivated crimes per year per capita. He finds that countries with smaller differences in median income between the majority group and the largest minority group have more racially motivated crimes per year per capita than the countries with bigger differences. From this finding he concludes that difference in median income is negatively related to racial violence at a country level.

What error in reasoning has this researcher committed?

A) Ecological Fallacy B) Reductionism C) None, his reasoning is proper.

_____2) What is the Population in the study described in question 1?

A) Individuals/People B) Crimes C) Racial Groups D) Countries E) Western Democracies with large minority populations

_____3) What is the Unit of Analysis in the study described in question 1?

A) Individuals/People B) Crimes C) Racial Groups D) Countries E) Western Democracies with large minority populations 3

_____4) The researcher in question number 1 generates the “racially motivated crimes per year per capita” variable by taking the total number of racially motivated crimes for the year in each country and dividing that by the total number of people in the country. In formula form it would look like this:

Number of Racially Motivated Crimes/Total Population

At what level of measurement is this variable constructed?

A) Nominal B) Ordinal C) Interval/Ratio

_____5) Consider the following construction of the variable “Age” for a study on American voters: “Please indicate your age by placing a check in the box next to the range which contains your age.

Less than 18 [] 18 – 24 [] 25 – 34 [] 35 – 44 [] 45 – 54 [] 55 – 70 [] 70 and over [] “

This construction of monthly income is ______. (Make sure you write your answer on the line next to the number and not here.)

A) Mutually Exclusive AND Exhaustive B) Mutually Exclusive BUT NOT Exhaustive C) Exhaustive BUT NOT Mutually Exclusive D) NEITHER Exhaustive NOR Mutually Exclusive

_____6) At what level of measurement is the variable in question 5 constructed?

A) Nominal 4

B) Ordinal C) Interval/Ratio

_____7) A researcher interested in voting sees the variable construction of “age” in question number 5 and claims that some very important changes occur in voters between age 55 and age 70. Most importantly a large number of them will have retired within this age grouping. She says that a more appropriate construction of “age” would split that category into two categories: 1) 55 – 64 and 2) 65 – 75. Then she would make the last category “75 and over.”

What measurement concern does this researcher have regarding the construction of “age” in question 5?

A) Precision B) Accuracy C) Reliability D) Validity

_____8) Erik Olin Wright is a sociologist interested in the relationship between class and political ideology. In one study he generates six measures of political ideology. After collecting the data he divides the political ideology measures into two groups of three and tests to see if they are correlated. In fact they are. The correlation is .84. This means that the six measures all seem to be measuring the same thing.

What measurement concern is Dr. Wright attempting to address by doing this procedure?

Bonus Question (1 point): What is the exact procedure Dr. Wright used called? ______5

_____9) Another researcher interested in class analysis claims that Dr. Wright’s measures of political ideology only measure economic political ideology and ignores all the other components or ideas that make up the concept “political ideology.”

What measurement concern is this researcher bringing up?

_____10) If I say, “I expect that education level determines income,” “income” is the ______.

A) Independent Variable B) Dependent Variable 6

Part III: The following are seven short answer questions. You only need to answer five of them. This means you must not answer two of them. If you answer more than five, I’ll only grade the first five that you answered. So, answer the five that you know the best. Answer as fully and concisely as possible. Please answer in complete sentences. Each question is worth one point.

1) Explain why it is important to know what the Unit of Analysis of a study is prior to constructing variables for that study.

2) Explain why knowing the Units of Analysis of a study is important for evaluating the findings and conclusions of that study. 7

3) Explain why it is important to think about the appropriate level of measurement prior to constructing variables for a study.

4) People often confuse a reliable measure for an accurate measure. Explain why this is.

5) Increasing the precision of a measure has the potential to decrease its reliability. Explain why this potential exists. 8

6) What is a longitudinal study, and what types of questions require longitudinal data?

7) Why must variables be exhaustive and mutually exclusive?