Bachman, The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice 6th Edition
Chapter 1: Science, Society, and Criminological Research
Test Bank
1. Ben interviews ten juvenile gang members and discovers that most regularly carry
weapons. Based on this information, he argues that all juvenile gang members carry
weapons. This is an example of:
a. Careful observation
b. Systematic reasoning
*c. Overgeneralization
d. Inaccurate observation
Section: Everyday Errors of Reasoning
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
2. When conducting an interview, a researcher misunderstands a respondent’s statement
and enters an incorrect entry into his notes. This is an example of:
a. Careful observation
b. Systematic reasoning
c. Overgeneralization
*d. Inaccurate observation
Section: Everyday Errors of Reasoning
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
3. Research shows that most criminals are poor. Many people think, therefore, that most
poor people are criminals. This is an example of:
a. Inaccurate observation
b. Systematic reasoning
c. Resistance to change
*d. Illogical reasoning
Section: Everyday Errors of Reasoning
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
4. Intersubjective agreement is important to which philosophy?
a. Constructivist
*b. Postpositivist
c. Feminist
d. Interpretivist
Section: Social Research Philosophies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
5. An individual is told that an auto manufacturing company has changed its business
plan to make quality vehicles, but he refuses to believe this because he has had poor
experiences with this company's vehicles in the past. This is an example of:
a. Uncritical agreement with authority
b. Policy motivations
*c. Resistance to change
d. Inaccurate observation
Section: Everyday Errors of Reasoning
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
6. In explaining her position on the death penalty, Sally states, “I support the death
penalty because my parents do and I trust their opinions.” She is committing which type
of reasoning error?
a. Ego-based commitments
b. Excessive devotion to tradition
*c. Uncritical agreement with authority
d. Inaccurate observation
Section: Everyday Errors of Reasoning
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
7. In an effort to reduce violence, a high school principal is interested in adopting a zero
tolerance rule at his school whereby students who bring weapons to school will
automatically be expelled. He interviews other school administrators with and without
zero tolerance rules. This study is driven by:
*a. Policy motivations
b. Personal motivations
c. Academic motivations
d. Profit motivations
Section: Motives for Criminological Research
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
8. A criminology professor is interested in understanding how ex-offenders reintegrate
back into the community. This study is driven by:
*a. Policy motivations
b. Personal motivations
c. Academic motivations
d. Profit motivations
Section: Motives for Criminological Research
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
9. A volunteer for the Humane Society is about to conduct a study on animal abuse. She
is most likely working from:
a. Policy motivations
*b. Personal motivations
c. Academic motivations
d. Both B and C
Section: Motives for Criminological Research
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
10. Which of the following is not a standard motivation for criminological research?
a. Academic
b. Personal
c. Policy
*d. Profit
Section: Motives for Criminological Research
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
11. What type of research is concerned with how participants make sense of their
actions?
a. Descriptive
*b. Exploratory
c. Explanatory
d. Evaluation
Section: Social Criminological Research in Practice
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
12. Examining the effect of a gun buyback program on reducing gun violence to
determine whether more communities should implement similar programs is an example
of:
a. Descriptive research
b. Exploratory research
c. Explanatory research
*d. Evaluation research
Section: Social Criminological Research in Practice
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
13. A researcher is interested in identifying which types of drugs juveniles are more
likely to use. This is an example of
*a. Descriptive research
b. Exploratory research
c. Explanatory research
d. Evaluation research
Section: Social Criminological Research in Practice
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
14. Exploratory research is generally concerned with:
*a. Uncovering detailed information about a new or understudied phenomenon
b. Documenting the existence of causal relationships
c. Exploring the effect of social programs
d. Questions derived from personal motivations
Section: Social Criminological Research in Practice
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
15. Studying the effect that being a victim of childhood abuse has on an individual’s
likelihood of being an adult perpetrator of domestic violence is an example of:
a. Descriptive research
*b. Explanatory research
c. Exploratory research
d. Evaluation research
Section: Social Criminological Research in Practice
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
16. The advancement of scientific knowledge is an important goal of which philosophy?
a. Intrepetivist
b. Constructivist
c. Feminist
*d. Postpositivist
Section: Social Research Philosophies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
17. Social science research will always be:
*a. Subject to error
b. Quantitative
c. Qualitative
d. Without error
Section: The Social Science Approach
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
18. All of the following are true except:
a. Quantitative data are usually numerical.
b. Qualitative data usually focuses on words instead of numbers.
*c. A research project could not use both quantitative and qualitative methods to
investigate a phenomenon.
d. Qualitative methods are used for exploration research.
Section: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
19. Examining song lyrics to determine attitudes toward teen alcohol use is an example
of:
a. Participant observation
b. Intensive interviewing
*c. Content analysis
d. Selective observation
Section: Specific Types of Research Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
20. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey is used to determine trends and patterns in violencerelated behavior. It is an example of:
a. Exploratory research
b. Evaluation research
*c. Descriptive research
d. Qualitative research
Section: Social Criminological Research in Practice
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
21. As part of her study on homeless teens, a researcher lives on the streets with the youth
and observe their everyday lives. This would be an example of which type of research
methodology?
a. Questionnaire
*b. Participant Observation
c. Intensive Interviewing
d. Crime Mapping
Section: Specific Types of Research Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
22. Which of the following is not an example of qualitative research methods?
a. Interviews
b. Participant observation
c. Focus groups
*d. Statistical analysis
Section: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
23. A researcher uses interviews, surveys, and content analysis to study a research
question. This is an example of:
*a. Triangulation
b. Phenomenology
c. Epistemology
d. Phrenology
Section: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
24. In order to study the media portrayal of female police officers, a student watches old
TV shows and compares them with new ones. This is an example of:
a. Evaluation research
*b. Content analysis
c. Survey research
d. Triangulation
Section: Specific Types of Research Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
25 Which of the following research methodologies is considered to be the most versatile?
a. Interview
b. Content analysis
*c. Survey
d. Participant Observation
Section: Specific Types of Research Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
26. What type of methodology would be used first by a constructivist researcher?
a. Questionnaire
*b. Interview
c. Crime mapping
d. Content analysis
Section: Specific Types of Research Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
27. Researchers from which of the following philosophies believe that researchers are
akin to activists?
a. Positivist; Postpositivist
b. Interpretivist; Positivist
c. Postpositivist; Constructivist
*d. Interpretivist; Constructivist
Section: Social Research Philosophies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
28. True experiments must have:
a. Two groups
b. Random assignment into groups
c. Assessment of change
*d. All of the above
Section: Specific Types of Research Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
29. Researchers from which of the following philosophies believe in professional
distance between researchers and subjects:
*a. Positivist researcher; Postpositivist researcher
b. Interpretivist researcher; Positivist researcher
c. Postpositivist researcher; Constructivist researcher
d. Interpretivist researcher; Constructivist researcher
Section: Social Research Philosophies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
30. Weber’s verstehen is related to which of the following social research philosophies?
*a. Intrepetivist
b. Constructivist
c. Positivist
d. Postpositivist
Section: Social Research Philosophies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
31. Personal motivations are valid motives for criminological research.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Motives for Criminological Research
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
32. Quantitative research is more scientific than qualitative research.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
33. Using social science research methods completely eliminates error.
a. True
*b. False
Section: The Social Science Approach
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
34. Systematic measurement can reduce selective or inaccurate observations.
*a. True
b. False
Section: The Social Science Approach
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
35. Phrenology is a widely accepted scientific field in contemporary society.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Science versus Pseudoscience
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
36. Exploratory research rarely involves qualitative research.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
37. A person who believes that there is an objective reality has a positivistic view.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Social Research Philosophies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
38. An individual who believes that research methods are incapable of documenting
reality has a postpositivistic view.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Social Research Philosophies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
39. The concept of hermeneutic circle is a closely aligned with positivist inquiry.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Social Research Philosophies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
40. A case report is similar in content and style to a traditional research report.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Social Research Philosophies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
41. Epistemology is the study of how knowledge is accrued.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Science Versus Pseudo Science
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
42. All studies meet the criteria for true experiments.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Specific Types of Research Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
43. Questionnaires are administered by a researcher.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Specific Types of Research Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
44. Transparency is an important feature of the scientific method.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Science Versus Pseudoscience
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
45. Qualitative research focuses on the respondents’ experience.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
46. Briefly describe a descriptive research project, an exploratory research project, an
explanatory research project, and an evaluation research project that would examine
youth violence. Clearly identify the main focus of each research project.
Section: Social Criminological Research in Practice
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
47. Identify and explain three strengths and weaknesses of social science research.
Section: The Social Science Approach
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
48. Imagine that a positivist researcher and a postpositivist researcher were collaborating
on a project. How would their approaches be similar? How would they be different?
Section: Social Research Philosophies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
49. Imagine that you are interested in studying urban violence. How could the research
methods of secondary data analysis, historical events research, and crime mapping inform
your understanding of the phenomenon?
Section: Specific Types of Research Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
50. Propose a study in which you would use both quantitative and qualitative data to
examine elder abuse. How is the project improved by a mixed methods approach?
Section: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
51. Select a topic of criminological inquiry and explain how you would approach the
inquiry from an interpretivist perspective.
Section: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
52. How might a feminist researcher approach the study of domestic violence?
Section: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
53. Describe what types of research methodologies (e.g., surveys or participant
observation) would be best suited for a positivist research project and which would be
best for a constructivist project.
Section: Social Research Philosophies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
54. Identify an error of overgeneralization, selective observation, and illogical reasoning
in research related to school violence. Explain exactly why you think the belief
exemplifies the error(s).
Section: Everyday Errors of Reasoning
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
55. Explain the difference between science and pseudo-science.
Section: Science Versus Pseudoscience
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
Bachman, The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice 6th Edition
Chapter 2: The Process and Problems of Criminology Research
Test Bank
1. The four major stages in the research circle are:
a. Replication, data, theory, and hypothesis
b. Implementation, deduction, induction, and replication
c. Validation, theory, empiricism, and replication
*d. Theory, hypothesis, data, and empirical generalization
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
2. In the course of a study, anomalous findings emerge. The researcher could do all of the
following except:
*a. Immediately discard the results.
b. Use inductive reasoning to make sense of the unexpected findings.
c. Determine whether the unexpected findings are important.
d. Propose a new study in which deductive reasoning is used to compare the new
findings with the original unexpected findings.
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
3. According to deterrence theory, punishment for a deviant act reduces the likelihood
that a person will repeat the act. A researcher decides that it must therefore be likely that
tougher gun control laws would reduce the gun crimes of repeat offenders. This is an
example of:
*a. Deductive reasoning
b. Sample generalizability
c. Inductive reasoning
d. Implementation
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
4. Which of the following is a hypothesis?
a. I agree with the death penalty.
b. The United States has the death penalty.
c. States with the death penalty will have lower murder rates.
d. The death penalty is immoral.
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
5. If there is a negative relationship between social capital and crime, crime might be
reduced by:
*a. Increasing social capital
b. Decreasing social capital
c. Using a deductive strategy
d. Not enough information provided
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
6. A positive relationship implies that:
a. Increases in the independent variable result in decreases in the dependent
variable.
*b. Decreases in the independent variable result in decreases in the dependent
variable.
c. Decreases in the independent variable result in increases in the dependent
variable.
d. There is no relationship between the independent variable and the dependent
variable.
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
7. Assuming that social networks reduce criminal behavior, one plausible hypothesis
would be that:
a. People who live in cities should be more likely to be victimized.
b. Cities should have larger social networks than rural areas.
c. People who live in cities should be more likely to commit crimes.
*d. People with few friends should be more likely to commit crimes.
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
8. An observer of street corner groups finds that more acts of vandalism are committed by
same-sex groups than by mixed-sex groups. She speculates that the propensity to commit
publicly deviant acts is a product of competition for recognition among peers of equal
status. This speculation is an example of:
a. Overgeneralization
b. Deductive reasoning
c. Sample generalizability
*d. Inductive reasoning
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
9. A researcher conducts a study in which he measures the level of fear community
residents have of being a victim of crime and the presence of police officers in a sample
of urban neighborhoods. Based on findings, the researcher reports that there is no relation
between fear of crime and police presence. This statement is:
*a. An empirical generalization
b. A valid deduction
c. A selective observation
d. An overgeneralization
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
10. When a researcher intends to document the length of a time a child plays video games
(duration) but instead measures the number of times the child plays video games
(frequency), this is an error of
*a. Measurement validity
b. Internal validity
c. External validity
d. Feasibility
Section: Social Research Standards
Bloom's Taxonomy Application
11. Paternoster et al.’s (1997) follow-up study to the Sherman and Berk domestic
violence experiment examined the theory that people comply with the law out of a sense
of moral obligation, if and when they believe the law is applied fairly. If this statement is
true, then:
a. Arrestees who feel they are treated fairly should be more likely to re-offend
than those who feel otherwise.
b. Arrestees who feel that they were treated unfairly should be less likely to reoffend than those who feel otherwise.
*c. Arrestees who feel they are treated fairly should be less likely to re-offend
than those who feel otherwise.
d. There is no relationship between perceptions of fairness and re-offending.
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
12. Replication of research findings:
a. Is usually discouraged because it takes a disproportionate amount of resources
b. Is unnecessary if causal validity is high
c. Is not needed when you trust the credentials of the researcher
*d. Could increase sample generalizability and cross-population generalizability
Section: Generalizability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
13. When research findings from a sample of college students can be applicable to all
college students, the findings have this type of generalizability:
*a. Sample generalizability
b. Cross-population generalizability
c. External validity
d. Internal validity
Section: Social Research Standards
Bloom's Taxonomy Application
14. A researcher finds that length of time in solitary confinement increases recidivism.
Her study:
*a. Found a positive association between length of time in solitary confinement
and recidivism
b. Found a negative association between length of time in solitary confinement
and recidivism
c. Must have poor measurement validity
d. Cannot be replicated
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
15. When findings related to prison inmates are also applicable to patients at a mental
hospital, the findings have this type of generalizability:
a. Sample generalizability
*b. Cross-population generalizability
c. External validity
d. Internal validity
Section: Social Research Standards
Bloom's Taxonomy Application
16. For the hypothesis “if gun control laws are stricter, crime will decrease,”
____________ is the independent variable and _____________ is the dependent variable.
a. criminal activity level, gun owners’ adherence to laws
*b. strength of gun control laws, criminal activity level
c. criminal activity level, strength of gun control laws
d. strength of gun control laws, gun owners’ adherence to laws
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
17. Sherman and Berk's original domestic violence study in Minneapolis lacked
_____________ because its conclusions did not always hold true in other cities.
a. measurement validity
*b. generalizability
c. falsifiability
d. authenticity
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
18. An individual develops a research project in which she would survey inmates in every
prison in the United States; however, she does not have the resources available to conduct
this project. This is an issue of:
*a. Feasibility
b. Social importance
c. Authenticity
d. Falsifiability
Section: Criminological Research Questions
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
19. A professor shares a planned research project with a colleague. The colleague
questions the study’s value to society. This is an issue of:
a. Feasibility
*b. Social importance
c. Authenticity
d. Falsifiability
Section: Criminological Research Questions
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
20. Which of the following is an accurate statement about literature review:
a. A researcher only ever needs to conduct one literature review at the start of the
project.
b. A researcher should set out to find every publication related to his or her
project topic.
*c. The preferred source of previous literature is refereed journals.
d. If your library does not have the article, then there is no way for you to access
it.
Section: Social Research Foundations
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
21. A researcher is concerned that his study of the attitudes of college freshmen
accurately portrays the actual views of the freshmen he is studying. The researcher is
concerned here with:
a. Theoretical falsifiability
b. Generalizability
c. Causal validity
*d. Authenticity
Section: Social Research Standards
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
22. A research is examining gender differences in drug use among college seniors. A
constant in this study is:
a. Drug use
b. Gender
*c. Level of education
d. Age
Section: Social Research Standards
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
23. A researcher is studying whether the ingestion of alcohol causes people to be more
violent. If her findings support a causal relationship, then she will have achieved:
a. External validity
b. Generalizability
*c. Internal validity
d. Authenticity
Section: Social Research Standards
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
24. When the relationship between an independent and dependent variable is described as
negative, this means that:
a. The independent and dependent variables are both decreasing
*b. The independent and dependent variables are moving in opposite directions
c. The researcher believes that this finding is bad for society
d. The researcher erred in the research process
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
25. In general strain theory, the three types of strain are removal of positively valued
stimuli, the presence of negatively valued stimuli, and the failure to achieve goals. These
are examples of:
a. Constants
b. Independent variables
*c. Theoretical constructs
d. Dependent variables
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
26. Maria’s study indicates that reading true crime novels leads people to become violent.
If no such relationship actually exists, her conclusion lacks:
a. Feasibility
b. Generalizability
*c. Causal validity
d. Objectivity
Section: Social Research Standards
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
27. Internal validity exists when:
*a. There is a causal relationship between the independent and dependent
variables.
b. Measurement validity is high.
c. Generalizability is high.
d. Both measurement validity and generalizability are high.
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
28. A researcher is examining how parental incarceration impacts future offending. In
this study, the independent variable is _______________ and the dependent variable is
____________.
*a. parental incarceration; future offending
b. future offending; parental incarceration
c. future offending; future offending
d. parental incarceration; parental incarceration
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
29. All of the following are recommended practices when writing a literature review
except:
a. Paraphrase instead of relying on direct quotes.
b. Include recent studies.
c. Assess the objectivity of the author of the study.
*d. Cite as many works as possible so that you have as long of a literature review
as possible.
Section: Social Research Foundations
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
30. One study found that adolescent males are motivated to engage in delinquency
because they want to impress their peers. A subsequent study found that adolescent
females have similar reasons for engaging in delinquency. The fact that the original
research findings are applicable to females is an example of:
*a. Cross-population generalizability
b. Causal validity
c. Measurement validity
d. Sample generalizability
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
31. Falsifiability is a requirement of a theory.
*a. True
b. False
Section: The Role of Theory
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
32. In strictly inductive research, the researcher already knows what she has found when
she starts theorizing.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
33. Theory is rarely used to devise research questions.
a. True
*b. False
Section: The Role of Theory
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
34. A researcher is studying how age impacts the likelihood of committing crime. In this
study, age is a variable.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
35. A researcher examined the negative life events in a sample of female inmates. In this
study, sex is a constant.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
36. Deductive reasoning is commonly used in quantitative research.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
37. Inductive research begins with specific data and then develops general ideas or
theories to explain patterns in the data.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
38. In a hypothesis, if one variable decreases and the other variables also decrease, the
direction of association is negative.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
39. In the literature review, the researcher should use direct quotes sparingly.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Social Research Foundations
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
40. Cross-population generalizability is when findings from one population hold true for
other populations.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Social Research Standards
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
41. Authenticity is not a standard attainable in qualitative research.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Social Research Standards
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
42. A study has causal validity when a conclusion reached in the study is applicable to
the population at large.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Social Research Standards
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
43. When conducting a literature search, a researcher should rely on newspaper and
magazine articles more than refereed scholarly journals.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Social Research Foundations
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
44. Causal validity is needed to ensure that A leads to B.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Social Research Standards
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
45. A research study that was funded by a group with a stake in the outcome is
considered to have as much scholarly objectivity as a study from an independent party.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Social Research Foundations
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
46. Propose three research questions on topics of interest to you and examine them
through the lens of feasibility, social importance, and scientific relevance. Based on your
evaluation, which is the best for further exploration?
Section Criminological Research Questions
Bloom's Taxonomy: Evaluation
47. Create a research project that involves both deductive and inductive reasoning. What
types of research methods would be used and why?
Section Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
48. Obtain a peer-reviewed journal article. Identify and summarize the four stages of the
research circle, theory, hypothesis, data, and empirical generalizations utilized.
Section Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
49. Select a criminological theory and identify its theoretical constructs.
Section Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
50. Propose a research project and identify a hypothesis, independent variable, dependent
variable, and constant.
Section Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
51. In order for research to be considered “good,” it is said that it needs to be both
scientifically relevant and socially important. However, many people are critical of social
science research, claiming that it is neither relevant nor important. Do you believe this to
be a problem? Explain why or why not. If so, what must be done? If not, how do you
respond to those who believe it is?
Section Criminological Research Questions
Bloom's Taxonomy: Evaluation
52. Explain what a literature review is. Summarize the three steps of the literature review
and their importance. Why is a literature review so necessary for scientific research?
Section: Reviewing Research
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
53. Explain how the research process differs in qualitative research as compared with
quantitative research.
Section: Social Research Strategies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
54. Identify and explain four reasons that theory is important to research.
Section: The Role of Theory
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
55. What steps could a researcher take to ensure that the standards of measurement
validity, generalizability, causal validity, and authenticity are met?
Section: Social Research Standards
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
Bachman, The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice 6th Edition
Chapter 3: Doing Research Ethically
Test Bank
1. Which of the following is not one of the ethical elements established in the “Belmont
Report”?
a. Beneficence
b. Justice
*c. Compensation
d. Respect
Section: Historical Background
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
2. Which of the following was not an issue with the Tuskegee Syphilis Study:
a. Proper medical treatment was withheld from some subjects.
b. Informed consent was not obtained from subjects.
c. Some subjects were not told that they had syphilis.
*d. The subjects were given substantial amounts of money to participate that it
affected their voluntary participation.
Section: Historical Background
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
3. Researchers must set aside all personal biases and prejudices if research is to be
approached:
*a. Objectively
b. Qualitatively
c. Quantitatively
d. Subjectively
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
4. In order to ensure openness and honesty in research, all of the following should be, if
not published, at least open to public scrutiny except:
a. Data
b. Data collection methods
c. Research procedures
*d. Subjects’ names
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
5. One year after completion of Milgram’s obedience study, interviews with the subjects
found that:
*a. The majority reported that they were pleased with their participation in the
study
b. The majority reported that they were displeased with their participation in the
study.
c. Older subjects, but not younger subjects, reported that they were pleased with
their participation in the study
d. Almost all reported traumatic reactions as a result of participation in the
experiment.
Section: Ethicial Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
6. All of the following are requirements when obtaining informed consent except:
a. Subjects must be informed of their roles in the research study.
*b. Subjects can never be deceived.
c. Subjects must consent voluntarily.
d. Subjects must comprehend what they are told.
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
7. Institutional review boards regulate:
a. All experiments involving humans, animals, plants, or robotics.
b. Experiments involving animals only.
*c. Experiments involving human subjects.
d. Experiments in which subjects are at great risk of physical harm.
Section: Historical Background
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
8. Which of the following groups is not considered to be a vulnerable population, subject
to special protection?
*a. The elderly
b. Pregnant women
c. Prisoners
d. Educationally disadvantaged persons
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
9. Which of the following groups can give only assent, but not informed consent, to
participate in a study?
a. University students
*b. Children
c. Economically disadvantaged persons
d. Prisoners
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
10. If only some research subjects—not all—were given compensation for participation
in a study, this would be a violation of:
a. Informed consent
b. Beneficence
*c. Justice
d. Respect for persons
Section: Historical Background
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
11. The domestic violence study conducted in 1984 by Sherman and Berk had an ethical
concern in that:
a. They financially profited from the research.
b. They did not adhere to special protections for vulnerable populations.
*c. They potentially withheld a beneficial treatment.
d. They deceived their subjects.
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
12. Of the following violations to general ethical rules, which is the most common and
most acceptable if properly addressed?
*a. Deceiving subjects
b. Mentally torturing subjects
c. Publishing the names and addresses of respondents
d. Physically harming the subjects
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
13. Bergen and her colleagues’ research on pedophilia in chatrooms involved issues
related to:
a. Informed consent and voluntariness
b. Deception and debriefing
c. Debriefing and deception
*d. Informed consent and deception
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
14. Which of the following is an accurate statement about the long-term effects of
participation in Zimbardo’s prison study?
a. Some of the guards experienced long-term adverse effects.
*b. None of the participants experienced long-term adverse effects.
c. Some of the prisoners experienced long-term adverse effects
d. Guards and prisoners experienced long-term adverse effects.
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
15. Which of the following is not a current ethical standard?
a. Research should avoid harm to subjects.
b. Anonymity or confidentiality should be maintained.
c. Researchers should fully disclose their identity when possible.
*d. Subjects should be financially compensated for their time and effort.
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
16. The ethics of Zimbardo’s prison study have been debated because researchers:
a. Informed consent was not obtained.
b. Subjects were deceived.
c. Participation was not voluntary.
*d. Some subjects were harmed as they experienced adverse psychological
reactions.
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
17. Which of the following is not an aspect of the requirement that subjects give informed
consent to participate in research?
a. Subjects must be competent to consent.
*b. Subjects must be fully debriefed immediately after the study.
c. Subjects must consent voluntarily.
d. Subjects must fully understand what they are consenting to.
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
18. Which of the following is an accurate summary regarding voluntary participation?
*a. Voluntary participation is required for all subjects.
b. Subjects can be forced into participating based on the discretion of the
researcher.
c. Only specially protected groups cannot be coerced into participating.
d. Subjects can be forced into participating if it is believed that the findings of the
experiment have great social importance.
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
19. Which of the following is an accurate statement about Milgram’s and Zimbardo’s
opinions about their experiments?
a. Zimbardo maintained that his experiment was ethical, but Milgram did not.
*b. Milgram maintained that his experiment was ethical, but Zimbardo did not.
c. Both Zimbardo and Milgram maintained that their experiments were ethical.
d. Both Zimbardo and Milgram believed that their experiments were unethical.
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
20. Following Sherman and Berk’s domestic violence study, Sherman advised police
departments to:
a. Immediately adopt mandatory arrest policies
*b. Use caution when making changes to their arrest practices
c. Make arrest decisions based on the police officer’s hunch
d. Disregard the results of the experiment
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
21. Sara presents subjects with photographs of people and asks them to describe their
impressions. In order to get their honest opinions, she does not tell them that she is
studying the stereotypes people form based on race and gender. In order to adhere to
ethical guidelines while using deception in her research, she should:
*a. Debrief all participants at the end
b. Debrief only those who appear upset at the end
c. Not have them sign an informed consent form
d. Not report the deception in her findings
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
22. Questions about the ethics of Milgram’s study of obedience to authority have
frequently been raised. Which of the following is not an ethical issue encountered in this
experiment?
*a. Milgram expected the experiment to unfold as it did yet he did not make
explicit the potential for harm in the informed consent.
b. There was no debriefing.
c. Follow-up interviewing discovered no evidence of lasting trauma.
d. The subjects were from a vulnerable group.
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
23. Which of the following is an accurate statement about the Stanford Prison
Experiment?
*a. Other researchers allege that the results were invalid.
b. Replications of the Stanford Prison Experiment have produced different results.
c. Zimbardo later admitted the results were invalid.
d. Zimbardo has been criticized for failing to disclose the research procedures.
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
24. Milgram’s study was influenced by which historical event?
*a. The Holocaust
b. The Attica Prison Riot
c. Watergate
d. The Vietnam War
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
25. Which of the following is an accurate statement about the findings in the Burger
replication of Milgram’s experiment?
a. Respondents were much less likely to administer the shocks as compared to
Milgram’s sample.
b. Respondents were more likely to administer the shocks as compared to
Milgram’s sample.
c. Respondents were slightly more likely to administer the shocks as compared to
Milgram’s sample.
*d. Respondents were slightly less likely to administer the shocks as compared to
Milgram’s sample.
Section: Conclusion
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
26. Researchers would need to get the informed consent of this group if they wished to
conduct interviews with high school sophomores about their delinquency:
a. Teachers
*b. Legal guardians
c. Child psychologists
d. Family members
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
27. When does a researcher need to break confidentiality and report suspicions of child
abuse?
a. When he or she does not have a Privacy Certificate or Certificate of
Confidentiality
*b. The researcher must always report child abuse.
c. When the child has been abused multiple times.
d. When the child has been abused by a non-relative.
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
28. Which of the following is not a mandated protection in the Burger replication of
Milgram’s experiment?
a. Restrictions were made on how much voltage could be administered.
b. A screening was implemented to eliminate potential subjects who could have
an adverse reaction.
*c. No deception was used.
d. The respondents were debriefed immediately.
Section: Conclusion
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
29. Results from a survey conducted by Michigan’s Institute for Social Research Survey
Center indicate that the majority of people who participated in a study:
a. Felt that they should have been compensated.
b. Felt that they were unable to give informed consent.
c. Believed that deception of subjects should not be permitted in research.
*d. Expressed interest in participating in a future study.
Section: Conclusion
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
30. Which of the following is an incorrect statement about maintaining privacy and
confidentiality?
a. Subjects’ privacy can be protected by locking records and creating special
codes to identify subjects.
b. A researcher can be ordered by a court subpoena to turn over research records.
*c. Observations in public places are subject to the same protections of
confidentiality as observations in private places.
d. In a life-threatening situation, a researcher may break the assurance of
confidentiality.
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
31. In the Stanford Prison Experiment, subjects were assigned the role of “officers” if
they scored higher on aggression tests and “inmates” if they received lower scores.
a. True
*b. False
Section Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
32. The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) has its own code of ethics.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Historical Background
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
33. The Stanford Prison Experiment was terminated earlier than planned.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
34. According to research, research subjects who have been deceived were less trusting in
the future.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
35. Milgram opted to end his experiment earlier than planned.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
36. In certain situations, the law may require researchers to break confidentiality.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
37. To maintain confidentiality, researchers should not disclose the sources of their
financial support.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
38. Depending on the state, if a researcher suspects elder abuse, then the researcher must
break confidentiality and report the incident.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Research Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
39. Zimbardo’s and Milgram’s studies have never been replicated.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Research Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
40. Subjects can waive the protection of confidentiality.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Research Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
41. The necessity of deception in research is universally agreed upon by social scientists.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Research Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
42. The US government has never been involved in unethical studies involving human
subjects.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Research Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
43. Milgram offered full debriefings to all of his subjects.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
44. One criticism of Zimbardo’s experiment is that he did not pay his subjects.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Research Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
45. Children with exceptionally high IQs can legally consent to participate in research
studies.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Research Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
46. Outline the Zimbardo prison study. Where did they go wrong? What could they have
done differently to offset some of the problems that cropped up?
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Analysis
47. Outline Milgram’s obedience study. Why is this study criticized? What could they
have done differently? Do you believe they erred? Why or why not?
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Analysis
48. Select the research questions of either the Zimbardo prison study or Milgam’s
obedience study. Propose a replication study in which you eliminate or minimize the
ethical concerns of the original study.
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
49. Describe the three basic ethical principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and
justice. How does each contribute to the appropriate treatment of research subjects?
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
50. Do you believe that certain groups (e.g., pregnant women, prisoners, children, etc.)
are vulnerable and need special protection? Why or why not? Are there any additional
groups not currently recognized that you believe should receive special protection.
Defend your position.
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Analysis
51. A researcher wants to determine if prosecuting (rather than simply arresting)
domestic violence offenders will lower the rate of domestic violence. Write an essay in
which you outline relevant ethical concerns. Are the ethical concerns of this study
different than those for studies examining the influence of arrest on domestic violence?
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
52. Do you agree that the use of deception is sometimes required in research? What can
be achieved through deception that warrants its use? What limitations would you place on
its use?
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Analysis
53. When can researchers break their assurances of confidentiality? Why should
researchers be able to do? Why shouldn’t they be?
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
54. How much harm do you feel is appropriate for research subjects to experience? If
subjects were to be harmed in a study, should researchers be obligated to provide
treatment?
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Analysis
55. Provide three recommendations to prevent unethical experiments by government
researchers.
Section: Ethical Principles
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
Bachman, The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice 6th Edition
Chapter 4: Conceptualization and Measurement
Test Bank
1. Cory wrote a proposal to study the impact of birth order on aggressiveness. One of his
first steps was to review definitions of aggressiveness in other research studies. This
illustrates the first step in the process of:
a. Ecometrics
b. Operationalization
*c. Conceptualization
d. Measurement
Section: Concepts
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
2. A researcher decides to measure the concept of parental discipline by the use of
spanking. This decision illustrates the process of:
a. Conceptualization
*b. Operationalization
c. Validation
d. Verification
Section: From Concepts to Variables: Measurement Operations
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
3. Imagine a survey had the following two options for the age variable: 15 and under and
15 and over. The issue with this variable relates to:
*a. Mutually exclusive
b. Exhaustive
c. Ambiguity
d. Hawthorne Effect
Section: Constructing Questions
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
4. Measurement validity is a prerequisite for:
a. Internal validity
b. External validity
*c. Both internal and external validity
d. Neither internal or external validity
Section: Conceptualization and Measurement
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
5. All of the following are unobtrusive measures except:
a. Available data
b. Discarded items
*c. Surveys
d. Hidden recordings
Section: Collecting Unobtrusive Measures
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
6. A researcher surveys people about their reported weight loss in the previous month.
Which of the following would be a criterion validity of this measure?
a. The researcher surveys them a year later about their weight loss.
b. The researcher asks the subjects loved ones if they have lost weight.
c. The researchers measures their blood pressure.
*d. The researcher weighs them on a scale and compares their weight at the start
and end of the month to determine if they lost weight.
Section: Criterion Validity
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
7. A survey of teenagers has the following options for the age variable: 13, 14, 15, 17, 18,
and 19. This is a problem of:
a. Mutually exclusive choices
*b. Exhaustive choices
c. Psychometrics
d. Generalizability
Section: Constructing Questions
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
8. When preparing a survey on female inmates’ communication with their children, you
ask a friend who is an expert in this area to review your survey. What approach to
validation did you use?
*a. Content validation
b. Criterion validation
c. Construct validation
d. Intraobserver validation
Section: Content Validity
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
9. If a probation officer checks self-reports of drug use with urine tests, she is using:
a. Face validation
*b. Criterion validation
c. Construct validation
d. Discriminant validation
Section: Criterion Validity
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
10. This level of measurement includes continuous measures:
a. Nominal; Interval
b. Ordinal; Ratio
c. Interval; Nominal
*d. Interval; Ratio
Section: Ratio Level of Measurement
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
11. Before their release, prison inmates are asked to fill out a risk assessment
questionnaire that assesses the likelihood that an inmate will re-offend. A researcher later
corroborates the risk assessments with official arrest statistics. This is an example of:
a. Content validation
b. Discriminant validation
*c. Criterion validation
d. Construct validation
Section: Criterion Validity
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
12. According to a general theory of crime, individuals who engage in crime are also
likely to engage in other risky behaviors, for example, speeding or using drugs. A
researcher compares her subjects’ responses in the areas of offending, speeding, and drug
use. What type of validation is she using?
a. Face validity
b. Criterion validity
c. Content validity
*d. Construct Validity
Section: Construct Validity
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
13. A politician is worried that fear of crime is increasing. A survey is given to
community residents to measure fear of crime. To check the criterion validity of this
measure, the politician should:
*a. Collect direct observations of the community residents’ behavior
b. Use multiple operations to measure the full range of the community residents’
fear
c. Ask the residents themselves whether the survey appears to measure fear
d. Interview the residents about their level of fear
Section: Criterion Validity
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
14. To develop a measure of self-control that has high content validity, a researcher
should use:
a. Delinquency scores as a comparison
*b. Questions that encompass the full meaning of self-control
c. A research strategy in which self-control will be measured at several points in
time
d. Dichotomous variables
Section: Content Validity
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
15. If every case can have only one attribute, a variable is:
a. Invalid
b. Triangulated
c. Exhaustive
*d. Mutually exclusive
Section: Constructing Questions
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
16. A research team is taking their surveys and entering the information into a data
spreadsheet. They want to make sure that the information is coded in the same way by
different members of the research team in order to ensure:
a. Intraobserver reliability
b. Interobserver reliability
*c. Intercoder reliability
d. Intracoder reliability
Section: Intraobserver and Interobserver Reliability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
17. A researcher examining behavior in a classroom observes the students. Over the next
several weeks, he returns to the class to observe the students. If he obtains similar
measurements at various visits, then he will have achieved:
a. Interitem Reliability
b. Interobserver Reliability
c. Interobserver Reliability
*d. Intraobserver Reliability
Section: Intraobserver and Interobserver Reliability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
18. A researcher can verify interitem reliability:
a. By using different observers to provide similar measurements
b. If the same observer provides different measurements
c. By using one item used to measure multiple concepts
*d. By using multiple items used to measure a single concept
Section: Reliability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
19. Alternate forms reliability is different than test-retest reliability because:
a. Only one measurement is collected.
b. Multiple observers are utilized.
*c. Different versions of survey questions are used.
d. Multiple measurements are collected.
Section: Alternate-Forms Reliability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
20. With the variable previous arrest a researcher codes subjects with one or more
previous arrests as one and first time arrestees as zero. This variable is which type?
*a. Dichotomous
b. Ordinal
c. Interval
d. Ratio
Section: The Case of Dichotomies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
21. A researcher repeats an experiment several times. Although he follows the same
research procedures each time, he receives a different result each time. This indicates a
problem with:
a. Face validity
*b. Intraobserver reliability
c. Interobserver reliability
d. Criterion validity
Section: Intraobserver and Interobserver Reliability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
22. High school seniors in a small town are asked a series of questions to measure the
frequency of their drinking and driving. The students give consistent answers to the series
of questions, but police records indicate that drinking and driving is much more common
than indicated by the students’ responses. This suggests that the measure of frequency of
drinking and driving is:
a. Valid but not reliable
*b. Reliable but not valid
c. Both reliable and valid
d. Neither reliable nor valid
Section: Reliability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
23. Research often shows that self-reports underestimate the true levels of drug use. To
measure the interitem reliability of self-reported drug use, a researcher should examine
the extent to which:
a. Self-reports and hair follicle drug tests provide similar results.
b. Two measurements separated by an interval of time are consistent.
*c. Different questions about drug use provide similar answers.
d. Measures of drug use are correlated with other negative behaviors.
Section: Interitem Reliability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
24. A variable's level of measurement indicates:
a. The sample size
b. The number of questions used to measure the variable
c. The degree of triangulation
*d. The complexity of the mathematical relationship between the values of the
variable
Section: Variables and Levels of Measurement
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
25. Which level of measurement has an absolute zero point?
*a. Ratio
b. Nominal
c. Interval
d. Ordinal
Section: Variables and Levels of Measurement
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
26. In a study examining cheating on exams, a researcher includes a measure of number
of reported cheating incidents. The level of measurement is:
a. Nominal
b. Ordinal
c. Interval
*d. Ratio
Section: Variables and Levels of Measurement
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
27. In a national survey of use of capital punishment, the variable region includes West,
Southwest, South, Southeast, East, Northeast, Midwest, and Northwest. The level of
measurement is:
*a. Nominal
b. Ordinal
c. Interval
d. Ratio
Section: Variables and Levels of Measurement
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
28. In a study of citizen satisfaction of police, the variable satisfaction with police is
measured by asking respondents to rate their levels of satisfaction. The ratings are made
on a scale from 1 (low satisfaction) to 5 (high satisfaction). The level of measurement is:
a. Nominal
*b. Ordinal
c. Interval
d. Ratio
Section: Variables and Levels of Measurement
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
29. In a survey of the negative life events of juvenile offenders , the variable parental
incarceration is measured as the number of times their parents were incarcerated. The
level of measurement is:
a. Nominal
b. Ordinal
c. Interval
*d. Ratio
Section: Variables and Levels of Measurement
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
30. In a national survey of drug abuse, the variable drug involvement is measured by
averaging the responses to 10 questions. Respondents are asked to rate their use of 10
different types of drugs on a 1 (no use) to 5 (frequent use) scale. What is the highest level
of measurement that scores on this variable represent?
a. Nominal
b. Ordinal
*c. Interval
d. Ratio
Section: Variables and Levels of Measurement
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
31. What type of measures is used to study groups or individuals without their
knowledge?
a. Overt
b. Participant observation
c. Triangulation
*d. Unobtrusive
Section: Collecting Unobtrusive Measures
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
32. If research is appropriate when carefully scrutinized, it has:
*a. Face validity
b. Content validity
c. Criterion validity
d. Construct validity
Section: Face Validity
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
33. A researcher conducts a study and then conducts the study a second time and achieves
very similar results. This study has:
a. Criterion validity
b. Construct validity
*c. Test-retest reliability
d. Interitem reliability
Section: Test-Retest Reliability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
34. In order to collect observation data of school children in the classroom, three research
assistants are assigned to observe and report on the same behavior in the same classroom.
The goal of this practice is likely to achieve:
a. Alternate-forms reliability
*b. Interobserver reliability
c. Intraobserver reliability
d. Test-retest reliability
Section: Intraobserver and Interobserver Reliability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
35. In order to determine the relationship between weather and crime, a researcher
measures and records the temperature. Temperature is an example of which level of
measurement?
a. Nominal
b. Ordinal
*c. Interval
d. Ratio
Section: Variables and Levels of Measurement
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
36. Variables have inherent levels of measurements.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Comparing Levels of Measurement
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
37. Validity exists when statements or conclusions about empirical reality are correct.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Reliability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
38. Reliability exists when measurements are consistent.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Reliability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
39. Researchers choose the level of measurement for a variable during data analysis.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Variables and Levels of Measurement
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
40. Test-retest reliability occurs when measures from two different data periods are
compared.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Test-Retest Reliability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
41. Dichotomies are incapable of measuring the presence or absence of an attribute.
a. True
*b. False
Section: The Case of Dichotomies
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
42. Triangulation refers to using multiple means of measuring the same variable.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Combining Measurement Operations
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
43. The only qualitative level of measurement is the nominal level.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Variables and Levels of Measurement
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
44. Open-ended questions can be used when a researcher is unaware of the potential
responses to be given by respondents.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Constructing Questions
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
45. Measurement validity is not necessary to achieve causal validity or generalizability.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Conceptualization and Measurement
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
46. A single question is never an adequate measure of a concept.
a. True
*b. False
Section: From Concepts to Variables: Measurement Operations
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
47. Fixed-choice questions need to be both mutually exclusive and exhaustive.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Constructing Questions
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
48. Ordinal, interval, and ratio levels of measurement have mathematical meaning.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Variables and Levels of Measurement
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
49. Blood pressure is an example of a psychometric.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Ways to Improve Reliability and Validity
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
50. IQ scores are an example of ecometrics.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Ways to Improve Reliability and Validity
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
51. Variables with the ratio level of measurement have an absolute zero.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Variables and Levels of Measurement
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
52. Identify a concept that you are interested in studying. Operationalize it and identify
the related variables and indicators. Reflect on this experience. Was it easier or more
difficult than you expected it to be?
Section: From Concepts to Variables: Measurement Operations
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
53. Identify and explain four specific ways in which a researcher can improve reliability
and validity in a study.
Section: Ways to Improve Reliability and Validity
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
54. One of the risk factors for delinquent behavior is the lack of parental supervision.
Describe two variables that may be used to measure parental supervision. Describe how
each variable would be measured. Describe three methods that could be used to assess the
validity of each variable. Explain the rationale of each method.
Section: From Concepts to Variables: Measurement Operations
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
55. A researcher wants to examine whether delinquents have lower IQs than
nondelinquents. To measure IQ, she utilizes a self-report survey containing 50 questions.
Describe how test-retest reliability and interitem reliability could be used to assess the
reliability of this measure of IQ.
Section: Reliability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
56. Propose measures of delinquency at the nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio levels.
What procedures do you recommend to establish the validity and reliability of all of your
delinquency measures. Explain your rationale for each procedure.
Section: Concepts to Variables: Measurement Operations
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
57. Take a measure that you have created it and evaluate it based on face validity, content
validity, and criterion validity. What can you conclude about the effectiveness of your
measure?
Section: Measurement Validity
Bloom's Taxonomy: Evaluation
58. Select two types of validity and explain what they are conceptually and why they are
necessary for research.
Section: Measurement Validity
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
59. Oftentimes, unobtrusive measures are required for solid research. Explain what
unobtrusive measures are and why they are important. Give an example of how they
could complement other measures.
Section: Collecting Unobtrusive Measures
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
60. You are interested in studying the experiences of inmates housed in solitary
confinement. Develop a survey of five closed-ended questions that are exhaustive and
mutually exclusive and five open-ended questions to study the phenomenon.
Section: Constructing Questions
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
61. Explain how you could use intraobserver reliability, interobserver reliability, and
intercoder reliability in a study of your design.
Section: Reliability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
Bachman, The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice 6th Edition
Chapter 5: Sampling
Test Bank
1. Imagine researchers are interested in examining multi-generational involvement in
crime. A multistage cluster sample is utilized in which families are selected, and then
adult children in those families are asked to provide information on their family’s
criminal behavior. In this study:
a. Families are the elements and adult children are the primary sampling units.
b. Adult children are the elements and families are the primary sampling units.
*c. Families are the primary sampling units and children are the secondary
sampling units.
d. Children are the primary sampling units and families are the secondary
sampling units.
Section: The Purpose of Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
2. For a study on female adolescent prescription drug use, a random sample of New York
City high school female students is drawn. Jim argues that the findings are generalizable
to New York City high school female students because they were based on a random
sample. Meagan argues that the findings are not generalizable to male high school
students. How would you evaluate their positions?
a. Neither claim can be correct since prescription drug use cannot be generalized
to any population.
b. Only Jim is correct because he is referring to sample generalizability.
c. Only Meagan is correct because she is referring to cross-population
generalizability.
*d. Both claims concerning sample and cross-population generalizability are
correct.
Section: Evaluate Generalizability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
3. By definition, when a sample is less representative, it:
a. Has not been selected randomly but generalizability is not affected
b. Has not been selected randomly but is more generalizable
c. Has a smaller number of cases and is less generalizable
*d. Has more sampling error and is less generalizable
Section: Evaluate Generalizability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
4. An employment test for men is used by a police department to find successful
candidates. A woman who was denied employment with the police department based on
her test scores sues the police chief. She claims in her suit that the test cannot be used to
predict her job performance since it has been used only with men. This claim raises a
question of:
*a. Cross-population generalizability
b. Sample representativeness
c. Sample generalizability
d. Measurement reliability
Section: Evaluate Generalizability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
5. When all units in the population are identical or resources are unlimited:
a. The causal validity of conclusions is guaranteed.
b. Measurement validity will be exceptionally high.
*c. Sampling is not necessary.
d. Cross-population generalizability is unattainable.
Section: Assess Population Diversity
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
6. You have been asked to draw 600 cases from a population of 12,000. You decide on a
systematic random sampling strategy. The sampling interval is:
*a. 20
b. 15
c. 10
d. 5
Section: Systematic Random Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
7. The distribution of characteristics of elements in a ________________ sample is the
same as the distribution of those characteristics among the total population of elements.
a. probability
*b. representative
c. nonprobability
d. random
Section: Assess Population Diversity
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
8. Tara decides to interview all 20 members of the first graduating class of an inmate
GED program. Her research involves a:
*a. Census
b. Probability Sample
c. Non-probability Sample
d. Triangulation
Section: Consider a Census
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
9. Which of the following terms could not be used to describe a random sample?
a. Systematic
*b. Haphazard
c. Chance
d. Representative
Section: Sampling Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
10. A researcher wishes to survey older people about their perceptions of health. She
obtains a list of all of the residents at a senior residential center. This list is the:
a. Respondent identification list
b. Population
c. Representative list
*d. Sampling frame
Section: Sampling Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
11. All of the following are probability sampling methods except:
a. Cluster sampling
b. Simple random sampling
c. Systematic random sampling
*d. Quota sampling
Section: Quota Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
12. In a true simple random sample, the probability of selection:
a. Is stratified by population characteristics
b. Varies randomly across the elements
c. Is impossible to calculate
*d. Is equal for every element
Section: Sampling Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
13. A researcher has a stack of offender files that she plans to use to draw a sample. The
files are arranged from most serious to least serious offenders. If she were to use
systematic random sampling, an issue would be:
a. Generalizability
*b. Periodicity
c. Nonresponse
d. Interitem Reliability
Section: Systematic Random Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
14. In a disproportionate stratified random sample, the probability of selection is:
a. Unknown
*b. Known and unequal across strata
c. Known and equal across strata
d. Known and proportional across strata
Section: Stratified Random Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
15. In proportionate stratified random samples, the probability of selection is:
a. Unknown
b. Known and unequal across strata
c. Known and random across strata
*d. Known and equal across strata
Section: Stratified Random Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
16. Most death row inmates are male. In order to obtain an equal number of male and
female death row inmates, a researcher should use a(n):
a. Simple random sample
*b. Disproportionate stratified sample
c. Availability sample
d. Proportionate stratified sample
Section: Stratified Random Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
17. Which of the following random samples does not require a sampling frame?
a. Simple random sample
b. Systematic random sample
c. Stratified random sample
*d. Multistage cluster sample
Section: Multistage Cluster Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
18. The National Crime Victimization Survey selects subjects by identifying rural
counties or metropolitan areas as primary sampling units, then chooses geographic
regions within these units, and then chooses addresses within the geographic regions.
This is an example of:
a. Simple random sampling
*b. Multistage cluster sampling
c. Disproportionate stratified sampling
d. Systematic random sampling
Section: Multistage Cluster Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
19. One hundred cases are sampled from a population of 1,000. Each case is identified by
a number on the sampling frame. The number for a given case is selected. If replacement
sampling is used, what happens to that number?
a. It is removed and the number cannot be drawn again.
*b. It is returned to the sampling frame and could be selected again.
c. It depends on the desired sample size.
d. It depends on how representative the researcher wants the sample to be.
Section: Simple Random Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
20. For practical purposes, sampling with replacement and sampling without replacement
are comparable as long as:
*a. Only a small fraction of the population is sampled
b. The population is relatively small
c. The target population corresponds to the population
d. The size of the sample is very small
Section: Simple Random Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
21. When conducting a multistage cluster sampling, which is preferred:
*a. More clusters with less respondents selected from each
b. Fewer clusters with less respondents selected from each
c. All respondents selected from a single cluster.
d. Neither is more preferable.
Section: Multistate Cluster Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
22. A college president is interested in conducting a study on student satisfaction with
campus resources. Within the student body are a small number of non-traditional college
students, for example, veterans and older students. In order to make sure that a sufficient
number of non-traditional college students are included in the sample, he should use
which type? Which of the following circumstances makes disproportionate stratified
random sampling more appropriate?
a. Multistage cluster sampling
b. Proportionate stratified random sampling
*c. Disproportionate stratified random sampling
d. Simple Random Sampling
Section: Stratified Random Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
23. A researcher obtains a list of all prisons in the United States. She draws a random
sample of 75 of the prisons on this list. She then obtains a list of all inmates from the
warden at each of the 75 prisons and interviews a random sample of 30 inmates at each
prison. This is a:
a. Purposive sample
b. Simple random sample
c. Systematic random sample
*d. Multistage cluster sample
Section: Multistate Cluster Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
24. When drawing a purposive sample, a researcher should continue to select respondents
until:
a. Saturation
b. Completeness
*c. Saturation and Completeness
d. Saturation or Completeness
Section: Purposive or Judgment Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
25. A researcher plans to interview participants of a drug treatment program. The
researcher will ask for volunteers in each group session. This sampling design is:
*a. An availability sample
b. A systematic sample
c. A simple random sample
d. A quota cluster sample
Section: Availability Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
26. A study is conducted of gang recruitment and sources of inter-gang conflict. Using a
contact at a local youth program, the researcher is able to meet each gang's leader. A prescreening questionnaire determines which gang leaders are knowledgeable in these areas
and should be included in the sample. This sampling method would be termed:
a. Availability
b. Quota
c. Multistage cluster
*d. Purposive
Section: Purposive Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
27. To study organized crime, a researcher is able to interview leading members of
organized crime families. During these interviews, she requests the names of leading
members of other organized crime families. She interviews these other leaders, asks them
for additional leaders’ names, and continues in this manner until she has interviewed 45
members from 19 different families. Her sampling method is:
a. Availability sampling
b. Quota sampling
*c. Snowball sampling
d. Cluster sampling
Section: Snowball Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
28. A stratified random sample is similar to what type of a nonprobability sample?
a. Snowball
*b. Quota
c. Availability
d. Purposive
Section: Quota Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
29. A sampling distribution is:
a. A distribution of a statistic obtained in one properly drawn random sample
b. Obtained after the same statistic is calculated from more than one sample
*c. A distribution of a statistic across all random samples that could be drawn
from a population
d. A goal to be obtained in a study using a random method of case selection
Section: Sampling Distributions
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
30. The purpose of inferential statistics is to:
*a. Estimate how likely it is that a statistic from a sample is representative of the
population
b. Describe the statistical profile of a population based on a sample
c. Standardize the values of descriptive statistics based on samples of differing
sizes
d. Make “best guess” statistical estimates when a sample was not selected
randomly
Section: Estimating Sampling Error
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
31. A study is conducted on the attitudes of college students at a particular university.
The sample is a small group of students, freshmen through seniors. If the information
obtained from the sample accurately reflects that of the population, it will have:
*a. Sample generalizability
b. Population generalizability
c. Cross-population generalizability
d. Universal generalizability
Section: Evaluate Generalizability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
32. If a study is conducted about attitudes of students at a particular university and the
results are applicable to students at other universities, the study will have:
a. Sample generalizability
b. Population generalizability
*c. Cross-population generalizability
d. Universal generalizability
Section: Evaluate Generalizability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
33. In a study of robbers, a researcher finds a sample mean number of 4.5 robberies.
Using inferential statistics, she finds a 95% confidence interval for the mean with a lower
limit of 3.2 and an upper limit of 6.7. With a 95% confidence interval, we could say:
a. She can be 95% confident that the true mean number of robberies is below 3.2.
*b. She can be 95% confident that the true mean number of robberies falls
between 3.2 and 6.7.
c. She can be 95% confident that the true mean number of robberies is above 6.7.
d. She can be 95% confident that the true mean number of robberies is not
between 3.2 and 6.7.
Section: Estimating Sampling Error
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
34. All of the following are recommended ways in which to increase the generalizability
of qualitative studies except:
*a. There is a consensus among qualitative researchers that generalizability is not
possible in qualitative research.
b. Select typical sites
c. Select atypical sites
d. Study multiple sites
Section: Generalizability in Qualitative Research
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
35. Which of the following is an accurate statement about the relationship between
sample size and representativeness in random sampling?
*a. The larger the sample size the greater the likelihood of representativeness.
b. The larger the sample size the lower the likelihood of representativeness.
c. Sample size and representativeness are not related in random sampling.
d. Sample size and representativeness are only related to each other in
heterogeneous populations.
Section: Probability Sampling Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
36. A sample will have high cross-population generalizability if random sampling error is
low.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Evaluate Generalizability
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
37. The more homogenous the population, the more confidence we can have in the
representativeness of a sample of any particular size.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Probability Sampling Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
38. Disproportionate stratified random sampling is recommended if the population is
heterogeneous.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Stratified Random Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
39. In a nonprobability sample, the probability of selection is known.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Nonprobability Sampling Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
40. Sampling error is greater in a multistage cluster sample than in a simple random
sample.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Multistage Cluster Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
41. A sampling distribution is more compact when it is based on smaller samples.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Sampling Distributions
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
42. A sample is the entire set of elements in which a researcher is interested.
a. True
*b. False
Section: The Purpose of Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
43. Sampling is always necessary.
a. True
*b. False
Section: The Purpose of Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
44. Everyone who completes the US Census are asked the same number of questions.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Consider a Census
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
45. Nonresponse is not typically a problem in survey research.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Sampling Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
46. In order to correctly use a quota sampling, the researcher must know the correct
quotas in the population ahead of time.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Quota Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
47. The larger the sample, the more confidence in the sample’s representativeness.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Probability Sampling Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
48. One reason for selection of respondents through purposive sampling is knowledge or
expertise.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Purposive or Judgment Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
49. The National Crime Victimization Survey is an example of a simple random sample.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Multistage Cluster Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
50. When probability sampling is done correctly, there should be no systematic bias.
*a. True
b. False
Section: Probability Sampling Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
51. You are interested in conducting a study of the female homeless population. Indicate
a specific population of interest. Could you obtain a sampling frame? Why or why not?
What type of sampling method would you use? Why? How far could you generalize your
findings?
Section: Sampling Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
52. You are to design a sampling strategy for a survey about job stress throughout the
criminal justice system, including police officers, defense attorneys, prosecutors, judges,
correctional officers, probation officers, and parole officers. Describe a sampling design
in which the population is all employees in the system and the sampling elements are the
individual employees. Define in your description the sampling frame and the sampling
units. Now propose a different sampling design in which the sampling units and the
elements are not the same. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the two
designs?
Section: Sampling Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
53. Using two nonprobability sampling methods discussed in the text, describe how you
would use each method to study offending among high school dropouts. Then using two
probability sampling methods discussed in the text, describe how you would use each
method to study offending among high school students.
Section: Sampling Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
54. Propose a study that necessitates purposive sampling. What qualities or
characteristics are necessary for inclusion in your sample?
Section: Purposive or Judgment Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Evaluation
55. The text points out that the amount of sampling error introduced by random selection
changes with the size of a sample and with the homogeneity of the population from
which it is selected. Taking these points into account, explain how it is that stratified
sampling can result in less sampling error than simple random sampling.
Section: Stratified Random Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
56. Is sampling always necessary? Discuss under what circumstances it is necessary and
under what circumstances it would not be.
Section: The Purpose of Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
57. Explain and provide two examples each of probability sampling and nonprobability
sampling. When is probability sampling a better sampling strategy? When is
nonprobability sampling?
Sections: Probability Sampling Methods, Nonprobability Sampling Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
58. How can generalizability be increased in qualitative studies?
Section: Generalizability in Qualitative Research
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
59. What can researchers do to increase the response rate?
Section: Sampling Methods
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
60. Design a study in which you use systematic random sampling. Why is it an
appropriate sampling method? Be sure to specify the size of the population and sample.
After calculating the sampling interval, describe how you will select cases to be included
in your sample.
Section: Systematic Random Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
61. Design a study of residents using a multistage cluster sample. What factors will help
determine how many clusters and residents within each cluster will be selected?
Section: Multistage Cluster Sampling
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
62. Sampling error is an important concern for researchers. How is random sampling
error distributed? What is the difference between systematic sampling error and random
sampling error? Define the term confidence intervals. How are confidence intervals
affected by sample size?
Section: Estimating Sampling Error
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
Bachman, The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice 6th Edition
Chapter 6: Causation and Research Design
Test Bank
1. Dr. Harrison finds that violent criminals are poor and live in cities. He concludes that
poverty and urban residence cause violent crime. This conclusion:
a. Is valid on its face as a causal conclusion
*b. Violates the principle that correlation does not prove causation
c. Violates the requirement that a cause be associated with its effect
d. Is valid based on time order of the independent and dependent variables
Section: Nonspuriousness
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
2. All of the following are accurate statements about idiographic and nomothetic
explanations except:
a. Both explanations are used in social science research.
b. Both explanations can involve counterfactuals.
*c. Both explanations involve probabilistic relationships.
d. An idiographic explanation is deterministic.
Section: Causal Explanation
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
3. A researcher is interested in the effect of police on crime. She records the size of the
police force and the crime rate of 100 communities selected using a quota sampling
design. After analyzing the data obtained, she concludes that the size of the police force
causes a decrease in the crime rate. This illustrates a(n) _____________ approach to
establishing causal relations.
a. random
b. experimental
c. longitudinal
*d. nonexperimental
Section: Causality and True Experimental Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
4. Two studies test a hypothesis about the association between crime and drug use. Study
A uses a cross-sectional survey design to test the hypothesis that crime increases drug
use. Adults are surveyed and asked about their levels of drug use and criminal behavior.
Study B uses a cross-sectional survey design to test the hypothesis that juvenile
delinquency causes drug use. Adults are surveyed about their delinquent behaviors in
adolescence and whether they are currently using drugs. With respect to the two studies:
a. Study A does a better job of meeting criteria for establishing causality between
variables.
b. Neither A nor B does a better job of meeting the criteria for establishing time
order.
c. Study A is preferable to study B in terms of the criterion of association only.
*d. Study B does a better job of meeting criteria for establishing causality
between variables.
Section: Causality and True Experimental Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
5. Sampson found that the relationship between rates of family disruption and violent
crimes among cities held true for cities with similar levels of joblessness. This shows
that:
a. The association between rates of family disruption and violent crime is
nonspurious.
b. A causal relationship between family disruption and violence is not possible.
c. The effect of family disruption on violent crime is conditional on the level of
joblessness.
*d. The rate of joblessness did not cause the association between family
disruption and violent crimes.
Section: Causality and True Experimental Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
6. In nonexperimental designs, statistical controls are used to:.
a. Reduce spuriousness
b. Identify extraneous variables
c. Eliminate irrelevant variables
d. Identify intervening variables
Section: Determining Causation Using Nonexperimental Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
7. An experimental study has found that alcoholics who attend peer group meetings are
more successful in reducing their consumption of alcoholic beverages than alcoholics
who do not attend such meetings. However, the researchers are struggling to determine
the precise connection between the two and suggest that it could be due to the social
support itself, the sharing of technical information, or the time taken up by the meetings.
This suggestion reflects a concern with:
*a. Causal mechanisms
b. Association
c. Faulty randomization
d. Time order
Section: Determining Causation Using Nonexperimental Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
8. Research is reported showing that people who abuse substances are more likely to
physically abuse their spouses than those who do not abuse substances. Further
investigation reveals that substance abuse leads to less consideration for the abuser’s
spouse, which in turn leads to more physical abuse. In this instance, consideration for the
abuser’s spouse is:
a. An extraneous variable that creates a spurious relationship between substance
abuse and spouse abuse
*b. An intervening variable that makes up the causal mechanism connecting
substance abuse and spouse abuse
c. The variable that conceptualizes this causal process leading from substance
abuse to spouse abuse
d. Irrelevant to the establishment of a causal connection between substance abuse
and spouse abuse
Section: Determining Causation Using Nonexperimental Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
9. Compare the following two causal models: (A) Homelessness results in high levels of
drug use, which in turn increase criminal behavior. (B) Drug use results in a greater
likelihood of homelessness and in more criminal behaviors. When drug use is statistically
controlled, the relation between homelessness and criminal behavior disappears. What is
the causal role of drug use in models A and B?
*a. Intervening in A, extraneous in B
b. Extraneous in A, intervening in B
c. No causal role in either A or B
d. Extraneous in both
Section: Determining Causation Using Nonexperimental Designs, Nonspuriousness
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
10. Statistical controls allow researchers to reduce the risk of spurious attributions of
causality in nonexperimental research. The value of this for establishing causality is:
a. Weakened due to the inability to meet the criterion of time order in
nonexperimental research
b. Weakened due to the inability to meet the criterion of association
*c. Weakened due to the inability to control for all extraneous variables
d. Stronger than the value of random assignment for establishing causality in
experimental research
Section: Nonspuriousness
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
11. Nonexperimental tests of causal hypotheses will continue to be popular because:
a. They give the same results as experimental tests, so cost is the more relevant
concern.
*b. There are practical and ethical problems in randomly assigning people in
experiments.
c. They have to be conducted only once, while experimental studies must be
repeated many times.
d. They result in findings that are more likely to be causally valid than
experimental tests.
Section: Determining Causation Using Nonexperimental Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
12. Many researchers draw conclusions about causality with data that are collected at a
single point in time. Determining that the cause came before the effect is uncertain with
such data. Which of the following circumstances does not allow us to determine that the
cause came before the effect?
a. The independent variable is fixed at some point prior to the variation in the
dependent variable.
*b. Reliability of the variables is established by having different interviewers
question the respondent.
c. It can be established that the respondents’ retrospective accounts are reliable.
d. The measures are based on records that contain information on cases in earlier
time periods.
Section: Nonexperimental Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
13. A researcher collects data on the same group of children at age five and age fifteen.
This is an example of which research design:
a. Cross-sectional
b. True Experiment
*c. Longitudinal
d. Random
Section: Longitudinal Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
14. In a repeated cross-sectional design, when the population is not changing, data are
collected at two or more points in time from:
a. The same individuals from the same population
b. Individuals in a population that is defined by a common starting point
*c. Different samples of the same population
d. Different individuals in different populations
Section: Repeated Cross-Sectional Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
15. Which of the following is an accurate statement about nonexperimental designs and
testing a causal relationship?
a. Cross-sectional design is preferable over a repeated cross-sectional design.
*b. Repeated cross-sectional design is preferable over a cross-sectional design.
c. There is no difference in the ability of either to test a causal relationship.
d. Nonexperimental designs are preferable to experimental designs.
Section: Repeated Cross-Sectional Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
16. A study is conducted to test whether individuals who lived in New York City in
September 2001 have more mental health problems than a comparison group in 2011 and
2021. This is an example of a(n):
a. Cross-sectional design
b. Repeated cross-sectional design
*c. Event-based design
d. Fixed-sample panel design
Section: Event-Based Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
17. A researcher is conducting a study examining gambling among high school students
in the United States. The unit of analysis is:
a. Countries
b. High Schools
*c. Students
d. Casinos
Section: Units of Analysis and Errors in Causal Reasoning
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
18. True experiments are by design:
a. Cross-sectional
*b. Longitudinal
c. Neither cross-sectional nor longitudinal
d. Noncausal
Section: True Experiments
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
19. The counterfactual is a useful concept in experimental research because it designates
the:
a. Control group actually used in an experiment or quasi-experiment
b. Outcome that occurred for experimental subjects after the fact of treatment
c. Outcome that occurred for the control group after the fact of treatment
*d. Ideal comparison group to which actual comparison groups can be contrasted
Section: Quantitative (Nomothetic) Causal Explanation
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
20. Which of the following is not a requirement of a true experiment?
a. Random assignment
b. Experimental group
c. Assessment of change in the dependent variable
*d. Deception
Section: True Experiments
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
21. A researcher surveys correctional officers once about their attitudes toward the death
penalty. This is an example of which type of research design?
*a. Cross-sectional
b. Trend
c. Fixed-sample panels
d. Longitudinal
Section: Cross-Sectional Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
22. Ceteris paribus is a concept related to:
a. Anchors
b Subject fatigue
*c. Nomothetic explanation
d. Idiographic explanation
Section: Quantitative (Nomothetic) Causal Explanation
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
23. Which of the following research designs is used during election time to track support
of candidates?
a. Cross-sectional
*b. Repeated cross-sectional
c. Fixed-sample panel
d. Event-based
Section: Repeated Cross-Sectional Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
24. Which research design would you use to answer this question: Are prisons more
likely to have drug treatment programs available now than in the 1950s?
a. Cross-sectional
*b. Repeated cross-sectional
c. Fixed-sample panel
d. Event-based
Section: Repeated Cross-Sectional Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
25. A person reads a study that finds police agencies in the South are more likely to have
excessive force complaints filed against them. From this study, the person concludes that
Southern police officers are more likely to use excessive force. This is an example of:
a. A nomothetic explanation
b. An idiographic explanation
c. Reductionism
*d. An ecological fallacy
Section: The Ecological Fallacy and Reductionism
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
26. If a researcher’s claim that the likelihood of recidivating is higher for ex-offenders
who are unable to find legitimate employment, that would be a(n):
*a. Nomothetic explanation
b. Idiographic explanation
c. Spurious statement
d. Intervening variable
Section: Causal Explanation
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
27. In an explaining a female offender’s drug addiction, a researcher constructs a
narrative that includes how abuse as a child led the offender to self-medicate. . This is an
example of a(n):
a. Nomothetic explanation
*b. Idiographic explanation
c. Quantitative explanation
d. Spurious statement
Section: Causal Explanation
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
28. Which of the following are important, but not necessary, to establishing a causal
relationship?
a. Mechanism and time order
b. Context and time order
*c. Mechanism and context
d. Context and association
Section: Criteria and Cautions for Nomothetic Causal Explanations
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
29. A researcher is studying the causal relationship between drug use and crime.
However, she is unable to determine which variable predates the other. This is an issue
of:
a. Empirical association
*b. Time order
c. Mechanism
d. Nonspuriousness
Section: Criteria and Cautions for Nomothetic Causal Explanations
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
30. A student reads a study that finds that female students are more likely to cheat on
exams than male students. From this, he concludes that women’s colleges will have high
levels of cheating. This is an example of:
a. A nomothetic explanation
b. An idiographic explanation
*c. Reductionism
d. An ecological fallacy
Section: The Ecological Fallacy and Reductionism
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
31. In a longitudinal study of the homeless, a researcher has difficulty locating her
respondents so that she can collect new data from them. Over time, his sample decreases
from 50 to 33. This is an issue of:
a. Subject recall
b. Time order
c. Association
*d. Subject attrition
Section: Fixed-Sample Panel Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
32. When conducting an event-based study, follow-up samples must be selected from
similar groups, known as:
*a. Cohorts
b. Anchors
c. Divisions
d. Troops
Section: Event-Based Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
33. The features of true experiments meet all of the causal criteria except:
a. Association
b. Time Order
*c. Mechanism
d. Nonspurious
Section: Criteria and Cautions for Nomothetic Causal Explanations
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
34. In an experiment, a researcher is trying to improve subject recall by using important
milestones in the subjects’ lives, for example, graduation of high school, start of a new
job, and birth of a child. These events are examples of:
a. Constants
b. Intervening variables
*c. Anchors life
d. Extraneous variables
Section: Cross-Sectional Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
35. In order for a causal relationship to exist, the __________ variable must cause the
change in the __________ variable.
*a. independent; dependent
b. dependent; independent
c. constant; independent
d. dependent; constant
Section: Causality and True Experimental Designs
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
36. Context is unimportant in idiographic explanations.
a. True
*b. False
Section: Causal Explanation
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
37. All true experiments have a pretest but not necessarily a posttest.
a. True
*b. False
Section: True Experiments
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledg...
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