Sociology 16th Edition by Macionis - Test Bank

CHAPTER 2: SOCIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

TRUE/FALSE QUESTIONS

TB_Q2.1.1

Two simple requirements that underlie the process of sociological investigation are (1) looking at the world using the sociological perspective, and (2) becoming curious and asking questions.

Answer: True

Learning Objective: LO 2.1: Explain how scientific evidence often challenges common sense

Topic: Basics of Sociological Investigation

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

TB_Q2.1.2

The sociologist recognizes that there are various kinds of “truth.”

Answer: True

Learning Objective: LO 2.1: Explain how scientific evidence often challenges common sense

Topic: Basics of Sociological Investigation

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

TB_Q2.1.3

Science is a logical system that is based on intuition and insight.

Answer: False

Learning Objective: LO 2.1: Explain how scientific evidence often challenges common sense

Topic: Basics of Sociological Investigation

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

TB_Q2.1.4

“Empirical evidence” refers to what people in a society agree is true.

Answer: False

Learning Objective: LO 2.1: Explain how scientific evidence often challenges common sense

Topic: Basics of Sociological Investigation

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

TB_Q2.1.5.     “Empirical evidence” refers to what we can verify with our senses.

Answer: True

Learning Objective: LO 2.1: Explain how scientific evidence often challenges common sense

Topic: Basics of Sociological Investigation

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

TB_Q2.2.6

A positivist approach assumes that an objective reality exists “out there.”

Answer: True

Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Describe sociology’s three research orientations

Topic: Three Ways to Do Sociology

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

TB_Q2.2.7

In every situation, the mean is a better statistical measure than the mode or the median.

Answer: False

Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Describe sociology’s three research orientations

Topic: Three Ways to Do Sociology

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

TB_Q2.2.8

Reliability is a concept that refers to the quality of consistency in measurement.

Answer: True

Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Describe sociology’s three research orientations

Topic: Three Ways to Do Sociology

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

TB_Q2.2.9

Validity is a concept that refers to actually measuring what you want to measure.

Answer: True

Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Describe sociology’s three research orientations

Topic: Three Ways to Do Sociology

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

TB_Q2.2.10

A variable that is changed by another variable is called the “independent variable.”

Answer: False

Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Describe sociology’s three research orientations

Topic: Three Ways to Do Sociology

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

TB_Q2.2.11

A variable that causes change in another variable is called the “dependent variable.”

Answer: False

Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Describe sociology’s three research orientations

Topic: Three Ways to Do Sociology

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

TB_Q2.2.12

Whenever two variables are statistically related, a cause-and-effect relationship always exists.

Answer: False

Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Describe sociology’s three research orientations

Topic: Three Ways to Do Sociology

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

TB_Q2.2.13

A false correlation between two variables caused by a third variable is described as a “spurious” correlation.

Answer: True