A variable
1. is a concept that can take one or more values
2. can be ‘dependent’ in one context and ‘independent’ in another
3. is independent if it causes changes to another variable
4. is all of the above
The variables: ethnicity, race, gender, blood type and marital status are
1. continuous variables
2. discrete variables
3. quantitative variables
4. all of the above
Nominal-level measurement shows
1. the highest, and ratio-level measurement, the lowest, matching with the real-number system
2. the lowest, and ratio level measurement, the highest, matching with the real-number system
3. the same matching with the real-number system as the ratio-level measurement
4. none of the above
Nominal-level measurement
1. is the simplest, lowest and most primitive type of measurement
2. involves classification of events and categories
3. entails ‘naming’ scales
4. is all of the above
In nominal-level measurement
1. categories are distinct, unidimensional, mutually exclusive and exhaustive
2. categories have no mathematical value
3. data cannot be added, subtracted, multiplied, divided or otherwise manipulated mathematically
4. all of the above are true
Which of the following is NOT correct?
1. nominal measurement has a zero point
2. nominal measurement assumes no equal units of measurement
3. nominal measurement produces nominal or categorical data
4. all of the above
Which of the following is correct?
1. ordinal measurement includes categorical variables
2. ordinal measurement is quantitative measurement
3. ordinal measurement fails to offer a relative order of magnitude
4. ordinal measurement shows the amount of difference between the groups
Which of the following is correct?
1. interval-level measurement contains equal intervals
2. interval-level measurement is a quantitative measurement
3. interval-level measurement has no true zero point
4. all of the above
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of interval-level measurement?
1. numbers assigned to the categories are used to count and rank
2. numbers assigned to the categories are used to add and subtract
3. numbers assigned to the categories can be multiplied and divided
4. a and b above
Calendar time, degrees of temperature and IQ scores are examples of
1. nominal-level measurement
2. ordinal-level measurement
3. interval-level measurement
4. ratio-level measurement
According to the text, which of the following is NOT correct?
1. ratio-level measurement allows statements about proportions and ratios
2. ratio-level measurement allows the use of all mathematical functions
3. ratio-level measurement is appropriate for attitude measurement
4. all of the above
Which of the following is correct with regard to validity?
1. validity is the ability to produce reliable information
2. validity is an attribute of quantitative research only
3. checking for representativeness is a way of validity testing in qualitative research
4. qualitative research uses empirical validation to check validity
Which of the following is not one of the tactics of validation used in qualitative research?
1. ruling out spurious relations
2. triangulation
3. pragmatic or criterion validity
4. replicating a finding
According to Lamnek, qualitative studies have a higher validity than quantitative studies because
1. the data is closer to reality than in quantitative research
2. a successive expansion of data is possible
3. it allows openness and flexibility in research
4. all of the above
According to the text, which of the following types of reliability is NOT considered by quantitative social researchers?
1. stability reliability
2. representative reliability
3. argumentative reliability
4. equivalence reliability
Which of the following is NOT one of the methods employed to test reliability in quantitative research?
1. test-retest method
2. increased variability method
3. alternate-form reliability
4. split-half method
A method that after four attempts produces the same but incorrect weight of the same person is
1. valid but unreliable
2. reliable but invalid
3. both valid and reliable
4. neither valid nor reliable
The time of the day is a
1. continuous variable
2. discrete variable
The number of male students in the university bus is a
1. continuous variable
2. discrete variable
The percentage of male students in the university tennis club is a
1. continuous variable
2. discrete variable
The number of books read by students each month is a
1. continuous variable
2. discrete variable
The speed at which low performance students complete the exams is a
1. continuous variable
2. discrete variable
The weight of students who complete the exams first is a
1. continuous variable
2. discrete variable
The age of students who obtain the best test results is a
1. continuous variable
2. discrete variable
The IQ of female students is an example of
1. a nominal-level measurement
2. an ordinal-level measurement
3. an interval-level measurement
4. a ratio-level measurement
The assessment method in social research that measures performance using the values poor, good, very good and excellent is an example of
1. nominal-level measurement
2. ordinal-level measurement
3. interval-level measurement
4. ratio-level measurement
The types of cars driven by mature-age students are examples of
1. a nominal-level measurement
2. an ordinal-level measurement
3. an interval-level measurement
4. a ratio-level measurement
The weight of nursing students is an example of
1. a nominal-level measurement
2. an ordinal-level measurement
3. an interval-level measurement
4. a ratio-level measurement
The time required by below average students to complete the end-of-semester examination is an example of
1. a nominal-level measurement
2. an ordinal-level measurement
3. an interval-level measurement
4. a ratio-level measurement
According to the text, which of the following factors is one of the reasons for using scales?
1. high coverage
2. high precision and reliability
3. simplicity and high comparability
4. all of the above
The scale that measures the social distance between certain groups of people is the
1. Likert scale
2. Thurstone scale
3. Bogardus scale
4. Guttman scale
Which of the following is NOT one of the principles of social research?
1. spuriousness
2. replication
3. precision in measurement
4. representativeness
Value neutrality is the same as
1. normativism
2. objectivity
3. reliability
4. naturalism
Value neutrality suggests that
1. social sciences should study ‘what is’ and not ‘what ought to be’
2. researchers must be objective
3. researchers ought to be limited in their personal biases
4. all of the above
Normativism is
1. the same as subjectivism
2. the same as value neutrality
3. the opposite of value neutrality
4. the opposite of reliability
Which of the following statements is NOT correct?
1. normativists suggest that objectivity is unattainable, unnecessary and undesirable
2. according to normativism social scientists ought to have no views on social issues
3. normativists argue that our general orientation is based on and guided by values
4. normativists suggest that disclosing our personal bias is less dangerous than pretending to be value free
Feminists argue that
1. objectivity has adverse effects on women
2. abandoning objectivity may eliminate constraints that dominate the essence of women
3. feminist research must be based on objectivity if women are to be liberated
4. a and b are correct
In principle, qualitative researchers
1. reject objectivity
2. accept objectivity during data collection but not during data analysis
3. accept objectivity during data construction but not during data collection
4. accept objectivity
Which of the following reasons against objectivity is NOT one of those proposed by qualitative researchers?
1. objectivity implies distance and neutrality from the researched
2. objectivity is desirable during research design but not during data analysis
3. objectivity implies that reality is objectively given
4. objectivity emerges out of subjectivity
Which of the following is one of the ethical standards in professional practice?
1. accuracy in data gathering, data processing, and reporting
2. choice of relevant research methodology and use of appropriate interpretation
3. avoiding fabrication or falsification of data
4. all of the above
Which of the following is NOT correct?
1. qualitative studies use no operationalisation
2. sampling in qualitative studies is representative
3. qualitative studies allow inductive not analytical generalisations
4. qualitative studies employ designs that are loosely structured
The concept ‘analytical generalisations’ means that
1. generalisations are based on accurate statistical analysis of data
2. generalisations are subject, context and time specific
3. generalisations are derived from secondary analysis of data
4. both a and b are correct