RSC2601 Exam Pack - Oct/Nov 2020 PDF

RSC2601 EXAM PACK This paper comprises 21 pages. Pocket calculators are not required for this exam. Please complete the attendance register on the back page, tear it off and hand it to the invigilator. VERY IMPORTANT 1. You are about to answer 60 mul...

RSC2601 EXAM PACK This paper comprises 21 pages. Pocket calculators are not required for this exam. Please complete the attendance register on the back page, tear it off and hand it to the invigilator. VERY IMPORTANT 1. You are about to answer 60 multiple-choice questions. If you are sure of the answer to an item, mark it as explained in the instructions. If you are not sure of the answer, you can either try to answer or omit the item: (a) if you answer correctly, you will receive a mark; and (b) If you answer incorrectly, you will not receive a mark. Since there is no penalty for wrong answers, you should try to answer every item in order to obtain the highest possible score. 2. Read the instructions on the examination mark-reading sheet and follow these instructions carefully. After completing the examination, you must hand in the following: (a) one mark-reading sheet; and (b) THIS EXAMINATION PAPER. CONFIDENTAIL [TURN OVER] Page 1 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 QUESTION 1 Ego involvement as a possible error in scientific inquiry is guarded against by researchers … (a) doing a thorough literature review. (b) involving a sufficiently large sample of observations. (c) rigorously testing hypotheses. (d) sharing research results with fellow scientists. (1) (a) (2) (a) (b) (3) (a) (b) (c) (4) (c) (d) QUESTION 2 Which one of the following statements is INCORRECT regarding norms of scientific research? (1) Research results must be made available so that the scientific community can review and criticise them. (2) The purpose of organised scepticism is to ensure that scientific knowledge can be subjected to close examination. (3) In evaluating research reports reviewers should rely both on the stature of the researcher and the scientific merit of the research. (4) Scientists are slow to reject a theory even when new evidence invalidates it, but eventually they are willing to adopt a better theory. (5) The norms of scientific inquiry are only likely to be upheld if the institutional context in which research takes place is conducive to it. QUESTION 3 Identify the epistemological statement. (1) Social reality and natural reality can be studied in the same way. (2) Social reality is inherently meaningful. (3) Human beings are reflexive. (4) Patriarchy is common in traditional societies. (5) Hidden structures mask the true nature of social reality. CONFIDENTAIL Page 2 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 QUESTION 4 Which two of the following statements best describe methodology? Methodology … (a) is what social scientists discover about the nature of reality. (b) studies the characteristics of knowledge. (c) is the logic on which research is based. (d) provides social scientists with the necessary know-how for research. (1) (a) (b) (2) (b) (c) (3) (c) (d) (4) (a) (c) (5) (b) (d) QUESTION 5 The approach to research that criticises notions of certainty and rationality as a foundation of knowledge is known as … (1) feminist research. (2) positivist social science. (3) critical social science. (4) interpretive social science. (5) postmodernism. QUESTION 6 Value freedom implies … (1) that one is free to construct ones’ own scientific values when conducting research. (2) complete subjectivity whilst conducting research. (3) that scientific inquiry should not be influenced by values that scientists hold dear. (4) that scientific inquiry will inevitably be influenced by the scientist’s values. CONFIDENTAIL [TURN OVER] Page 3 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 QUESTION 7 Identify the statement(s) that has/have the potential to be a social law. (a) If we exert less force on an object, it will move slower. (b) The suicide rate decreases as the level of social integration increases. (c) Men are sexist. (d) Intelligence is an inherited attribute. (1) (a) (b) (2) (c) (d) (3) (a) (b) (d) (4) (c) (5) (b) QUESTION 8 Indicate the correct sequence of events during the initial stage of a research project. (a) Conducting a literature review (b) Decide on a topic to research (c) Operationalising concepts (d) Specifying a research question (e) Framing a hypothesis (1) (a)→ (b)→ (c)→ (d)→ (e) (2) (b)→ (a)→ (d)→ (e)→ (c) (3) (e)→ (b)→ (a)→ (d)→ (c) (4) (b)→ (d)→ (e)→ (c)→ (a) QUESTION 9 Identify the statements that are correct in relation to theory in the social sciences. (a) Theory is a conceptual framework that explains certain occurrences or phenomena. (b) By suggesting what evidence is required, theory provides an inquiry with focus. (c) Theories are often proven to be universally true. (d) The relationship between two variables is known as a theory. (e) Theories are predictions of phenomena. CONFIDENTAIL Page 4 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 (1) (a) (b) (c) (2) (b) (d) (e) (3) (a) (b) (4) (c) (d) (e) (5) (c) (e) QUESTION 10 Which one of the following is NOT a criterion for determining causality? (1) temporal order (2) association (3) elimination of alternatives (4) logical reasoning (5) operationalisation QUESTION 11 Which of the following statements correctly summarise(s) the significance of concepts in social research? Concepts … (a) provide explanations of phenomena. (b) suggest ways of measuring things. (c) often suggest new areas of reality to research. (d) provide a precise name for a phenomenon. (1) (c) (d) (2) (a) (b) (c) (d) (3) (a) (b) (4) (a) (5) (d) QUESTION 12 Which of the following statements are correct in terms of the choice of a research topic? (a) A topic is often selected because the researcher is financially interested in solving a particular social problem. (b) The social and scientific significance of the issue/problem can influence ones’ choice of topic. CONFIDENTAIL [TURN OVER] Page 5 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 (c) Even positivist social scientists acknowledge that personal interest, commitment and motivation are key in influencing the choice of topic. (d) The theory doesn’t necessarily need to be connected to the chosen research topic. (1) (a) (b) (c) (2) (a) (d) (3) (b) (c) (4) (b) (c) (d) QUESTION 13 In social science basic research tries to … (1) support or reject theories. (2) explain social relationships. (3) interpret changes in communities. (4) create new scientific knowledge. (5) accommodate all of the above-mentioned. QUESTION 14 A true experiment requires the following … (a) control. (b) manipulation. (c) randomisation. (d) double-blind procedure. (1) (a) (b) (2) (c) (d) (3) (a) (b) (c) (4) (a) (b) (c) (d) QUESTION 15 A student conducts research on crimes against women in South Africa. She wants to give an accurate profile of the respondents and provide information about the phenomenon. CONFIDENTAIL Page 6 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 She is conducting... research. (1) descriptive (2) explanatory (3) time-series (4) exploratory QUESTION 16 The use of inductive reasoning is a characteristic of the … approach. (1) quantitative (2) logistic (3) qualitative (4) basic QUESTION 17 The use of multiple methods to study one single topic is called... (1) analysis triangulation. (2) data triangulation. (3) methodological triangulation. (4) multiple method triangulation. QUESTION 18 Which of the following data-collection techniques are mostly used in quantitative research? (a) participant observation (b) questionnaires (c) interview schedules (d) in-depth interviews (1) (a) (b) (2) (b) (c) (3) (a) (c) (4) (b) (d) CONFIDENTAIL Page 7 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 [TURN OVER] QUESTION 19 The use of a hidden camera when conducting a face-to-face interview usually amounts to … (1) an unethical practice. (2) the protection of privacy. (3) voluntary participation. (4) avoiding personal constraints. QUESTION 20 Which behavioural norm or principle is being described below? The researcher should NOT undertake research for financial rewards only. (1) Voluntary participation (2) Disinterestedness (3) Informed consent (4) Freedom from harm QUESTION 21 Which ethical problem can be created when a researcher decides to use secondary data instead of primary data? (1) justice (2) bias (3) consent (4) anonymity QUESTION 22 Which ethical issue is being addressed in the following scenario? Responses recorded on an audiotape during personal interviews, are identified with reference to participants’ first names only. CONFIDENTAIL Page 8 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 (1) Legal competency (2) Organised skepticism (3) Do no harm (4) Protection of privacy QUESTION 23 Social science researchers should ensure that the procedure followed and information collected during data collection do not conflict with the participants’ right to privacy. Identify the three aspects to keep in mind in order to ensure the privacy of respondents. (a) Whether the research is qualitative. (b) Sensitivity of the information. (c) The place where the research is conducted. (d) The presence of a control group. (e) How public the research findings will be made. (1) (a) (b) (c) (2) (b) (c) (d) (3) (a) (c) (e) (4) (b) (c) (e) QUESTION 24 What is ethics in research? (a) Ethics is complying with research that has been conducted before. (b) Interpreting data by respecting the rights of participants and respondents. (c) Research ethics is never breaking the law of the country in which you are conducting research. (d) It guides the researcher in terms of the standard of acceptable behaviour when doing research. CONFIDENTAIL [TURN OVER] Page 9 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 (1) (a)(c) (2) (b)(c) (3) (b)(d) (4) (a) (b) (d) QUESTION 25 Read the following and indicate how clear and specific the research design is. A researcher wants to find out what misconceptions primary school teachers in the Gauteng Province in South Africa have about child abuse. She decides to ask four groups of about seven primary school teachers from different schools to discuss a number of fictional case studies involving child abuse. She plans to identify instances of common misconceptions using a coding scheme developed by a previous researcher. (1) The research question is clearly specified, but the method is not clearly specified. (2) The method is clearly specified, but the research question is not clearly specified. (3) Both the research question and the method are clearly specified. (4) Neither the research question nor the method is clearly specified. QUESTION 26 Select the research design described in the following scenario. A psychologist evaluates the if developed treatment for depression using behaviour therapy as a control condition. He randomly assigns clients to the new treatment and the behaviour therapy. After three months of treatment clients are evaluated in terms of the degree of depression. (1) pre-experimental (2) post-test only control group (3) quasi-experimental (4) pre-test-post-test control group CONFIDENTAIL Page 10 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 QUESTION 27 Read the following scenario and select the most appropriate option. A researcher is conducting a study on people’s attitudes towards a government project before and after they have attended an information session on the project. He uses raters to assess their attitudes. Which threat to the internal validity of the study arises if the raters become more competent in their ratings after the information session? (1) instrumentation (2) maturation (3) history (4) regression effect QUESTION 28 How are the research question and the method addressed in the following scenario? A researcher asks a group of outpatients suffering from depression to keep a diary in which they write once a week. After three months, the researcher analyses the content of the diaries to try and identify common themes. The findings are presented in a report to the staff at the hospital who are involved with these patients. (1) The research question is specified, but the method is adaptable. (2) The method is described, but the research question is fairly open. (3) Both the research question and the method are clearly specified. (4) Neither the research question, nor the method is specified. CONFIDENTAIL [TURN OVER] Page 11 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 QUESTION 29 What is the following threat to external validity called? The researcher communicates clues to the respondents which determine how they behave. (1) selection bias (2) laboratory effect (3) reactive effect (4) realism QUESTION 30 A researcher is comparing two different memorisation techniques. A sample of research participants are asked to use the one method to memorise the list of words and their recollection are tested an hour afterwards. A month later they are asked to memorize a different but similar list of words using the second technique and they are tested again. In each experiment the number of words are tested The researcher finds that the second experiment shows less extreme scores (very high or very low) than was found in the first experiment. This is likely due to … (1) maturation. (2) instrumentation. (3) the testing effect. (4) the regression effect. QUESTION 31 Selecting the first 100 people crossing a street, is an example of... sampling. (1) convenience (2) purposive (3) theoretical (4) snowball CONFIDENTAIL Page 12 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 QUESTION 32 A representative sample … (1) consists of at least 500 cases of the population. (2) is the inverse of the square root of the sample size. (3) must always be chosen on a simple random basis. (4) reflects crucial dimensions of a population. QUESTION 33 Which of the following statements with regard to sampling is true? (1) A random sample is one in which 50% of the elements of a population have an equal chance of being sampled. (2) When hourly observations are made, you are in fact using a random sampling method. (3) Random sampling in social sciences is the least expensive and most time-consuming strategy for selecting a sample. (4) If a sample is representative, it yields valid data for making generalisations about the population from which it was drawn. QUESTION 34 An accidental sample is … (1) not necessarily biased. (2) generally obtained through costly sampling procedures. (3) only used in non-experimental research. (4) always part of quota sampling. QUESTION 35 A researcher wants to identify the health needs of the workers in a tobacco company. Eighty percent (80%) of the workers are men. In order to generalise the findings, the sampling technique should be a … (1) simple random sampling. (2) systematic sampling. (3) cluster sampling. (4) stratified random sampling. CONFIDENTAIL [TURN OVER] Page 13 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 QUESTION 36 A researcher randomly selected 15 hospitals out of 20 to participate in a study. In each of the 15 hospitals, 10 units were randomly selected. From each of these 10 units 10 cleaners were randomly selected to participate in the study. This type of sampling is called … (1) cluster sampling. (2) stratified sampling. (3) systematic sampling. (4) simple random sampling QUESTION 37 You want to determine the underlying reasons why patients with tuberculosis are reluctant to return for follow-up visits to the local health clinic. The most appropriate way in which you would collect this information, is by using … (1) semantic differential scales. (2) Likert scales. (3) participant observation. (4) in-depth interviews. QUESTION 38 You want to undertake exploratory research to determine what work related problems twenty newly appointed employees with disabilities are experiencing. Which of the following options would be the most appropriate? (1) Make use a self-administered questionnaire. (2) Conduct interviews, using open questions. (3) Make use of ranking and inventory questions. (4) Utilise semantic differential scales CONFIDENTAIL Page 14 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 QUESTION 39 Unobtrusive observations (in field research) occur when … (1) a researcher makes tape recordings of conversations, but does not get involved in the social interaction. (2) the Hawthorne effect takes place. (3) a researcher becomes involved with the activities of the group of participants being observed. (4) the reason for a researcher’s presence is not known to the group being observed. QUESTION 40 By asking sales assistants whether they had received any enquiries during the past week, you are using the following level of measurement … (1) ratio. (2) interval. (3) nominal. (4) ordinal. QUESTION 41 When collecting data for social research, the accuracy of measurement could be compromised by … (1) planned errors and random errors. (2) systematic errors and chaotic errors. (3) systematic errors and random errors. (4) measurement errors and data errors. QUESTION 42 Which of the following methods of estimating instrument validity implies a focus on what is being measured? (1) construct validity (2) predictive validity (3) concurrent validity (4) expert-jury validity CONFIDENTAIL [TURN OVER] Page 15 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 QUESTION 43 The purpose of descriptive statistics is to … (1) organise and summarise quantitative data. (2) prove the researcher’s claims. (3) make generalisations about the population. (4) summarise and report trends in qualitative data. QUESTION 44 Standard deviation is to variability as the … is to central tendency. (1) mean (2) typical value (3) variance (4) spread QUESTION 45 Which measure(s) of central tendency is/are the largest for the following set of data? 4 6 8 8 14 (1) mode (2) median (3) mean (4) all three measures are equal QUESTION 46 The procedures used to make generalisations about the population, based on the results of a sample, are referred to as … (1) generalisations. (2) descriptive statistics. (3) inferential statistics. (4) coding. CONFIDENTAIL Page 16 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 QUESTION 47 A researcher is conducting a study on serious crimes. The relevant variable is ‘type of crime’ and the researcher obtains data on the number of crimes in a specific area for a specified time period. She distinguishes between murder, armed robbery and assault. What type of graph would best display the frequency distribution of the crimes? (1) bar chart (2) histogram (3) X-Y plot (4) polygon QUESTION 48 Please complete the following sentence. The main disadvantage of using the range to determine the variability of a distribution is that … (1) you have to subtract the highest value from the lowest value. (2) you are using only two scores from the distribution. (3) it is the most difficult method of determining variability. (4) you have to subtract the lowest value from the highest value. QUESTION 49 In practice, when does the actual process of qualitative data analysis tend to commence? (1) Data analysis routinely starts prior to the first interview. (2) The process of data analysis commences when the process of data collection begins. (3) Data analysis will be conducted as an activity concurrently with data collection, data interpretation, and narrative report writing. (4) The process of data analysis commences once data saturation becomes noticeable. CONFIDENTAIL [TURN OVER] Page 17 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 QUESTION 50 In the context of qualitative data analysis the acronym “CAQDAS” stands for … (1) computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software. (2) computer-assisted quantitative data analysis software. (3) customer-assisted qualitative data analysis systems. (4) customer-assisted quantitative data analysis systems. QUESTION 51 In a qualitative study on family relationships where a member abuses alcohol, the researcher noticed that all participants spoke about their struggle to “cope” with the behaviour of the abusing member. Using the term “coping efforts of family members” abbreviated as (CE) she has … (1) turned a major topic into a theme. (2) identified major topics. (3) done open coding. (4) identified the first topic of the study. (5) arranged the data. QUESTION 52 According to the RSC 2601 Study Guide, the organisation and preparation of collected data for analysis involves the following: (a) transcribing the interviews verbatim. (b) typing of field notes. (c) sorting and arranging data into different types of data depending on the source of information. (d) the inclusion of non-verbal gestures, pauses and sounds made by the participant during the interview. (1) (a) (c) (d) (2) (b) (3) (c) (d) (4) (a) (b) (c) (d) CONFIDENTAIL Page 18 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 QUESTION 53 Which of the following options best describe the process of qualitative data analysis? Qualitative data analysis … process. (a) is a linear. (b) is a cyclical (c) is not an interactive (d) is often a lengthy (e) is a non-linear, non-hierarchal (1) (a) (b) (e) (2) (c) (d) (3) (b) (d) (e) (4) (a) (c) QUESTION 54 Qualitative research was conducted and data was collected by means of semi- structured interviews. The data were analysed according to the eight steps proposed by Tesch (in Creswell 1994 and 2009). In presenting the findings of the research conducted the research should firstly present … (1) a thematic presentation of the research findings. (2) a biographical profile relating to the research population. (3) a biographical profile relating to the sample group. (4) all the data that was collected. QUESTION 55 Which of the following ways of presenting a research report would best make research findings the most readily available to the general public? (1) In-house publication (2) Academic journal article (3) Newspaper article (4) Presentation at a seminar CONFIDENTAIL [TURN OVER] Page 19 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 QUESTION 56 The introduction to a research report should … (1) be written comprehensively, so that it is equal in length to other sections. (2) comprise the problem, the method used and research findings. (3) be written after the body of the report has been completed. (4) contain an extensive review of the supporting theory. QUESTION 57 In a research report the researcher fails to indicate how a sample was drawn from a population of respondents living in an informal settlement. You would criticise the above-mentioned because the following scientific criterion of the study cannot be confirmed. (1) external validity (2) time-dimension (3) objectives (4) problem statement QUESTION 58 The major aim of report writing is to … (1) standardise research. (2) document the results. (3) identify variables. (4) define concepts. CONFIDENTAIL Page 20 of 21  RSC2601 OCT/NOV 2020 QUESTION 59 Wimmer and Dominick suggest that two aspects be considered when writing your literature review. These are … (1) accuracy and diligence. (2) accuracy and relevance. (3) relevance and completeness. (4) completeness and diligence. QUESTION 60 The format of your research report depends on the … (1) nature of the research. (2) size of the sample. (3) purpose of the report. (4) method that was used. [TOTAL: 100] CONFIDENTIAL © UNISA 2020 Page 21 of 21 UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS May/June 2020 RSC2601 RESEARCH IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES 100 Marks Duration: 3 days Instructions: This paper consists of 19 pages. Follow these steps to submit your take-home answer file. 1. Access myUnisa at https://my.unisa.ac.za/portal and login using your student number and myUnisa password 2. Click on the “myAdmin” tab in the top navigation 3. In the “Assessments” submenu, click on the “Assessment Info” tool in the drop-down list A list of all available assessments will display Locate the section for UNISA summative assessments at the bottom of the list Find the corresponding portfolio number for your module Click on the Submit link in the Action column and follow the steps described below. Step 1: Load the answer file from your PC to myUnisa Click on the Browse button next to File Name In the Choose File dialog box, select the file you want to upload, and then click OK Select the correct file format from the File Format drop-down list. Most modules only allow PDF formatted files to be uploaded. Click on the Continue button. Step 2: Verify the file details for final submission of your answer file Use this step to verify that you are uploading the correct answer file to the correct course and assessment number. Click on the Continue button to submit your answer file. If you do not click Continue, no submission action will take place. Large files will take longer to upload than smaller files. Please be patient after you’ve clicked Continue. If the wrong details, e.g. file name, appear on the screen, click Back to restart the file upload process. Step 3: Assessment submission report This is your proof that your take-home answer file was submitted. It is advisable to print this page or make a screen capture for record purposes. A copy of this page will also be emailed to your myLife email account. Step 4: Attach the Honesty Declaration Page 1 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 VERY IMPORTANT You are about to answer 60 multiple-choice questions. If you are sure of the answer to an item, mark it as explained in the instructions. If you are not sure of the answer, you can either try to answer or omit the item: (a) if you answer correctly, you will receive a mark; and (b) If you answer incorrectly, you will not receive a mark. Since there is no penalty for wrong answers, you should try to answer every item in order to obtain the highest possible score. QUESTION 1 Which one of the following statements is INCORRECT regarding norms of scientific research? (1) Research results must be made available so that the scientific community can review and criticise them. (2) The purpose of organised scepticism is to ensure that scientific knowledge can be subjected to close examination. (3) In evaluating research reports reviewers should rely both on the stature of the researcher and the scientific merit of the research. (4) Scientists are slow to reject a theory even when new evidence invalidates it, but eventually they are willing to adopt a better theory. (5) The norms of scientific inquiry are only likely to be upheld if the institutional context in which research takes place is conducive to it. QUESTION 2 Ms Ndlovu runs a health education programme on prevention of the spread of HIV each first Monday of the month. During February, she educated the clients on the importance of condom use. In April, she finds that the majority of the clients still do not use condoms. She concludes that the clients show a lack of knowledge as well as a negative attitude towards the prevention of the spread of HIV. This is an example of … (1) ego involvement. (2) overgeneralisation. (3) inaccurate observation. (4) premature closure. Page 2 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 QUESTION 3 Research on juvenile delinquency would be regarded as interpretive if it … (1) establishes a causal relationship between juvenile delinquency and poverty. (2) treats juvenile delinquency as a fact. (3) provides reasons for juvenile delinquency. (4) focuses on causation rather than description. (5) treats juvenile delinquency as a construction of meaning. QUESTION 4 To which one of the following approaches to research does the description below refer? There is NOT one true path to knowledge. It is necessary to accept a variety of ways in which knowledge about the world can be gained. (1) positivism (2) interpretivism (3) critical theory (4) feminism (5) postmodernism QUESTION 5 According to the study guide, sources of knowledge include all of the following, EXCEPT … (1) tradition. (2) inspiration. (3) common sense. (4) authority. QUESTION 6 Which of the following statements regarding epistemology is TRUE? (1) Epistemological questions concern the principles or rules to be followed in determining the reality of an entity. (2) Epistemology is the field of philosophy that concerns the nature of reality. (3) The question whether False Memory Syndrome exists or not is an epistemological question. (4) Epistemology helps us to decide what kinds of statements can be considered to be social scientific knowledge. Page 3 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 QUESTION 7 Which of the following statements are TRUE? In social science research deduction is the process of reasoning whereby … (a) general statements are made from specific evidence. (b) one moves from the abstract to the concrete. (c) general principles are linked to specific contexts. (d) abstract statements are derived from concrete evidence. (1) (a) (b) (2) (b) (c) (3) (c) (d) (4) (a) (d) QUESTION 8 The words in BOLD are an example of an independent variable in which of the following statements? (1) One's state of health depends on one's income. (2) Severe stress leads to personality disintegration. (3) Revolutions are caused by relative deprivation. (4) Neurotic behaviour is caused by early childhood experiences. (5) Malnutrition is a cause of a depressed immune system. QUESTION 9 Which of the following are examples of inductive reasoning? (a) Susan leaves for work at 07:00 and is on time. This happens a few times. Susan assumes then, that she will always be on time if she leaves at 07:00. (b) All cars have at least two doors and a Nissan Micra is a car, so the Nissan Micra has at least two doors. (c) Since all squares are rectangles, and all rectangles have four sides, so all squares have four sides. (d) This marble from the bag is red. That marble from the bag is red. A third marble from the bag is red. Therefore, all the marbles in the bag are red. (e) I keep on making a fool of myself time after time in the ballroom dancing class, and continuously step on the toes of my partner. I have come to the conclusion that I am no good at ballroom dancing. (1) (a) (b) (e) (2) (c) (d) (e) (3) (a) (d) (e) (4) (a) (b) (c) Page 4 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 QUESTION 10 Identify which of the following statements contain indicators. A researcher … (a) is interested in finding out participants’ level of alienation by referring to feelings of powerlessness. (b) suspects that people who work hard are more likely to be single. (c) plans to use the Retail Price Index to investigate inflation. (d) is interested in finding out whether alienation in the workplace leads to depression. (1) (a) (c) (2) (b) (d) (3) (b) (c) (4) (a) (d) QUESTION 11 Which of the following are examples of quantitative variables? (a) Level of education (b) Income (c) Ethnic affiliation (d) Mass (e) Place of residence (1) (a) (b) (d) (2) (c) (e) (3) (c) (d) (e) (4) (b) (d) QUESTION 12 Which of the following statements are CORRECT in terms of the choice of a research topic? (a) A topic is often selected because the researcher is financially interested in solving a particular social problem. (b) The social and scientific significance of the issue/problem can influence one’s choice of topic. (c) Even positivist social scientists acknowledge that personal interest, commitment and motivation are key in influencing the choice of topic. (d) The theory doesn’t necessarily need to be connected to the chosen research topic. (1) (a) (b) (c) (2) (a) (d) (3) (b) (c) Page 5 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 (4) (b) (c) (d) QUESTION 13 A researcher conducts research to determine the possible effects of integrating the police and prison services into one state department. This type of research is best described as... research. (1) action (2) basic (3) fundamental (4) social impact evaluation QUESTION 14 When a researcher is conducting research to support or reject a theory, he is conducting... research. (1) phenomenological (2) basic (3) critical (4) explanatory QUESTION 15 To gather details of a situation, a researcher should conduct … research. (1) descriptive (2) evaluation (3) explanatory (4) longitudinal QUESTION 16 A researcher explored and described the parenting skills of a group of parents that went for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in 2010 and followed them until June 2017. This type of research is called … (1) cross sectional research. (2) longitudinal research. (3) correlational research. Page 6 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 (4) explanatory research. QUESTION 17 A researcher gathers data by using questionnaires, diaries and in depth interviews. This is called … (1) methodological triangulation. (2) researcher triangulation. (3) data triangulation. (4) theory triangulation. QUESTION 18 One of the obstacles of a follow-up study is to … (1) determine the development of individuals. (2) select the specific cohort. (3) retain the participants. (4) make the comparisons. QUESTION 19 Which behavioural norm or principle is being described below? The researcher should NOT undertake research for financial rewards only. (1) voluntary participation (2) disinterestedness (3) informed consent (4) freedom from harm QUESTION 20 Select factors that can impose a risk on subjects’ right to privacy, when conducting research. (a) the researcher’s gender (b) the sensitivity of the information (c) obtaining prior informed consent (d) the researcher’s language preference (e) the setting where the research is conducted (f) how widely the findings are published (g) conducting a debriefing interview (1) (a) (b) (e) (2) (f) (g) Page 7 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 (3) (b) (e) (f) (4) (c) (d) QUESTION 21 Which ethical issue is being addressed in the following scenario? The moderator in a focus-group interview that deals with AIDS invites participants to discuss the experiences or views of their acquaintances, friends or neighbours. (1) Hawthorne effect (2) possible universalism (3) potential embarrassment (4) expected communality QUESTION 22 Which behavioural norm does the researcher in the following scenario ignore? In a report of a survey conducted among prisoners, the researcher neglects to state how the sample of respondents was drawn. (1) respect (2) disinterestedness (3) communality (4) universalism QUESTION 23 Which ethical requirement is ignored by using the following data-collection technique? A local government appoints you on a contract basis to conduct a survey amongst sex workers (prostitutes) in two sex clubs. Some of the workers fear that they will be dismissed and as a result pretend to be satisfied with their conditions of service and payment. (1) Hawthorne effect (2) voluntary (3) empowerment (4) universalism Page 8 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 QUESTION 24 Which of the following statements pertaining to behavioural norms are correct? (a) Universalism refers to doing research in line with accepted methods. (b) Universalism refers to doing research that is international and ground-breaking. (c) The norm ‘disinterestedness’ dictates that it is important that a researcher is interested in his/her own work. (d) Communality in research means that researchers must work together on research projects in groups. (e) Communality in research refers to the requirement that researchers must share their methods, purpose, motives and consequences of their research. (1) (a) (d) (e) (2) (b) (c) (f) (3) (b) (c) (e) (4) (a) (d) (f) QUESTION 25 The following factors should be taken into account to ensure that the research design is coherent … (a) the meaning of social phenomena. (b) the purpose and use of the research. (c) the data-collection and data-analysis techniques. (1) (a) (b) (2) (a) (b) (c) (3) (b) (c) (4) (a) (c) QUESTION 26 Respondents may become wiser and more experienced between the two administrations of a test. This is called the threat of … (1) maturation. (2) history. (3) instrumentation. (4) regression effect. Page 9 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 QUESTION 27 Which of the following is a defining characteristic that must be present in a TRUE experimental design? (1) Using a random sample of respondents. (2) Including a pre-test and a post-test in the study. (3) Random assignment of respondents to groups. (4) Subjecting each respondent to two treatment conditions. QUESTION 28 A quantitative research design involving treatment of two groups, where the respondents decide to which group they want to belong, is called a/an … design. (1) posttest only control group (2) quasi-experimental (3) voluntary (4) experimental QUESTION 29 Select the research design described in the following scenario. A psychologist evaluates the success of a newly developed treatment for depression with little change to using behaviour therapy as a control condition. He randomly assigns clients to the new treatment and the behaviour therapy. After three months of treatment clients are evaluated in terms of the degree of depression. (1) pre-experimental (2) posttest only control group (3) quasi-experimental (4) pretest, posttest control group QUESTION 30 If a sample of data is not representative of the population, it is not possible to generalise findings of research to the wider population. This problem represents a threat to the … of the research. (1) internal validity (2) external validity Page 10 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 (3) design coherence (4) scope QUESTION 31 Read the following scenario and select the most appropriate option. A researcher wishes to study individuals suffering from agoraphobia (fear of open spaces). The researcher places an advertisement in the newspaper asking for participants. A total of 50 people respond, of which the researcher randomly selects 30. However, only 15 participants actually turn up for their appointment. The basic problem confronted by the researcher is that … (1) the accessible population may differ from the target population. (2) the sample has been drawn by using an unethical method. (3) the sample size is too small. (4) it is impossible to study agoraphobia in a scientific way. QUESTION 32 A non-random sample that is proportionately selected according to pre-specified characteristics, such as gender or ethnicity, is called a … sample. (1) cluster (2) stratified random (3) quota (4) purposive QUESTION 33 Random selection is used in … sampling. (1) convenience (2) stratified (3) purposive (4) accidental QUESTION 34 A researcher selects all the clients that enter a health clinic between 08:00 and 09:00. What sampling technique did the researcher use? Page 11 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 (1) purposive (2) simple random (3) quota (4) convenience QUESTION 35 A researcher investigating the career progress of female managers selects 25 women who are managers in large companies. Which of the following sampling techniques did the researcher use? (1) quota (2) systematic (3) purposive (4) convenience QUESTION 36 In research reports as well as in sampling letters, calculations are important. To determine the sampling interval in a study, the following calculation needs to be done: 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 (1) k= 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 (2) k= 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 (3) n= 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 (4) N= 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 QUESTION 37 This statement is to be used in a self-administered questionnaire. Some groups accept that all television news items are literally true while others believe that news should be interpreted contextually. Do you agree? It is problematic because it is a/an … statement. (1) double-barrelled (2) complex (3) lengthy (4) unwarranted Page 12 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 QUESTION 38 When using a Likert scale to evaluate respondents’ opinions about a health issue, which level of measurement are you applying? (1) nominal (2) ordinal (3) interval (4) ratio QUESTION 39 An advantage of using telephone interviews is that … (1) diverse opinions can be obtained whilst pretesting a measuring instrument. (2) a sensitive topic can be researched. (3) the time it takes to collect data is short. (4) an interpersonal rapport can be established between interviewer and respondents. QUESTION 40 Non-participant observation in field research occurs when … (1) a researcher makes audio recordings of conversations, but does not get involved in the social interaction. (2) the Hawthorne effect takes place. (3) a researcher becomes involved with the activities of the group of participants being observed. (4) the reason for a researcher’s presence is not known to the group being observed. QUESTION 41 You have compiled a questionnaire to test how employees in one organisation feel about new job evaluation and performance appraisal procedures. Which method would you use to evaluate the reliability of the measuring scales? (1) intercoder method (2) equivalent-forms method (3) test-retest method (4) split-half method Page 13 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 QUESTION 42 By asking respondents whether they would vote for candidate A or B, you are applying the … level of measurement. (1) ratio (2) interval (3) nominal (4) ordinal QUESTION 43 You are creating a frequency distribution of the gender of students in your study group. In what chronological order would you do the following? (a) Make a tally mark for every student in a particular category (male or female). (b) List the relevant categories (male and female). (c) Add the tally marks to get the total frequency for each category. (1) (a) (b) (c) (2) (b) (a) (c) (3) (a) (c) (b) (4) (b) (c) (a) QUESTION 44 Which of the following is considered a measure of central tendency? (1) typical value (2) mode (3) standard deviation (4) variance QUESTION 45 Standard deviation is sometimes preferred to variance because it is … (1) a measure of variability. (2) in original units of measurement. (3) easier to calculate. (4) an indication of the spread of scores. Page 14 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 QUESTION 46 All the Grade 7 learners in a school wrote a diagnostic mathematics test two (2) weeks before their final examination. The aim is to distinguish between those learners who mastered the required skills; those who are at the required level but who might benefit from additional work; and those who need remediation. What type of graph would best display the frequency distribution of the test results? (1) histogram (2) polygon (3) bar-chart (4) scatterplot QUESTION 47 A standard deviation is a measurement which describes … (a) rank order. (b) variability. (c) central tendency. (d) the relationship among variables. (e) the deviation from the mean. (1) (b) (c) (2) (a) (d) (3) (b) (e) (4) (c) (e) QUESTION 48 The purpose of descriptive statistics is to … (1) support the researcher’s beliefs and values. (2) indicate how the data were obtained. (3) identify underlying patterns in the data. (4) to make generalisations about the population. QUESTION 49 In the interpretation of qualitative data, saturation implies that … (a) nothing new can be learned from further data collection. (b) the researcher has met the set standards for evaluating conclusions. (c) subsequent data collection reconfirms current knowledge. Page 15 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 (1) (a) (b) (c) (2) (a) (b) (3) (a) (c) (4) (b) (c) QUESTION 50 Which of the following descriptions can pass as a definition or definitions for the concept ‘code’? (a) A code is a tag or a label assigned to meaning units. (b) A code is attached to words, phrases, sentences or paragraphs. (c) A code is a short-hand way of identifying the theme/category in a transcription. (1) (a) (2) (b) (3) (c) (4) (a) (b) (c) QUESTION 51 You are invited to deliver a paper at an International Conference on Qualitative Research. The topic of your paper is: “Guidelines to keep in mind when including storylines/direct quotations from the transcribed interviews in the research report.” Which of the following guidelines will you include in your paper? (a) Quotations should be linked to the related text (e.g. theme, category and/or literature). (b) The context surrounding the quotations should be clarified. (c) The quotations should be interpreted so that the readers can understand why the quotations are used. (d) The quotations should usually be relatively short in length, as long quotations are often vague in meaning. (1) (b) (c) (2) (a) (d) (3) (a) (b) (c) (4) (b) (c) (d) (5) (a) (b) (c) (d) QUESTION 52 In literature, the process of qualitative data analysis is described as … Page 16 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 (a) eclectic. (b) nonlinear. (c) a lengthy process. (1) (a) (b) (2) (b) (c) (3) (a) (c) (4) (a) (b) (c) QUESTION 53 The major task of a qualitative researcher during the process of data analysis is to … (1) take apart the masses of information into smaller pieces and rearranging it into a larger consolidated picture. (2) dissect the masses of information into smaller pieces and rearranging it into a smaller consolidated picture. (3) take apart the masses of information into smaller pieces and rearranging it into a larger consolidated picture that explains the relationship between variables. (4) feed all the data into the data analysis computer software. QUESTION 54 Qualitative research was conducted and data was collected by means of semi- structured interviews. The data were analysed according to the eight steps proposed by Tesch (in Creswell 1994 and 2009). In presenting the findings of the research conducted the research should firstly present … (1) a thematic presentation of the research findings. (2) a biographical profile relating to the research population. (3) a biographical profile relating to the sample group. (4) all the data that was collected. QUESTION 55 Which of the following statements is the MOST CORRECT? (1) The primary function of research is to establish the current boundaries of knowledge. (2) The usefulness of research is determined by the type of research report in which it is made known. (3) Research only becomes useful if the findings of that research are shared with others. (4) The way in which a research report is used, determines the validity of that research. Page 17 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 QUESTION 56 In terms of length and complexity, which type of research report would be the most extensive? (1) journal article (2) in-house publication (3) dissertation and thesis (4) mass-media report QUESTION 57 Which ethical requirement is met by the following? A researcher shows sensitivity by NOT revealing the names of tuberculosis patients in a published report. (1) generalisability (2) utility (3) feasibility (4) anonymity QUESTION 58 In which part of a research report are the descriptive statistics and findings normally reported? (1) abstract (2) discussion (3) results (4) appendices QUESTION 59 The format of a research report usually depends upon the … (1) assumptions made by the researcher. (2) section headings that are used. (3) methods used to gather and interpret data. (4) purpose and subject of the report. QUESTION 60 Essentially quantitative research consists of four steps. Page 18 of 19  RSC2601 MAY/JUNE 2020 Identify the correct order in which these steps occur. (a) collecting data (b) communicating the results (c) planning the study (d) analysing the data (1) (d) (a) (c) (b) (2) (a) (c) (d) (b) (3) (a) (d) (c) (b) (4) (c) (a) (d) (b) [TOTAL: 100] © UNISA 2020 Page 19 of 19  RSC2601 MAY JUNE STUDENT 2020 NO: 64166996 SUMMATIVE MAY/JUNE 2020 EXAM STUDENT: AE MANNEL ASSESSMENT RESEARCH IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES QUESTION 01 - 04 QUESTION 31 - 03 QUESTION 02 - 04 QUESTION 32 - 03 QUESTION 03 - 05 QUESTION 33 - 02 QUESTION 04 - 05 QUESTION 34 - 04 QUESTION 05 - 02 QUESTION 35 - 03 QUESTION 06 - 04 QUESTION 36 - 01 QUESTION 07 - 02 QUESTION 37 - 03 QUESTION 08 - 03 QUESTION 38 - 02 QUESTION 09 - 03 QUESTION 39 - 03 QUESTION 10 - 01 QUESTION 40 - 01 QUESTION 11 - 01 QUESTION 41 - 02 QUESTION 12 - 03 QUESTION 42 - 03 QUESTION 13 - 01 QUESTION 43 - 02 QUESTION 14 - 02 QUESTION 44 - 02 QUESTION 15 - 01 QUESTION 45 - 02 QUESTION 16 - 02 QUESTION 46 - 03 QUESTION 17 - 03 QUESTION 47 - 03 QUESTION 18 - 03 QUESTION 48 - 03 QUESTION 19 - 02 QUESTION 49 - 04 QUESTION 20 - 01 QUESTION 50 - 01 QUESTION 21 - 02 QUESTION 51 - 05 QUESTION 22 - 03 QUESTION 52 - 04 QUESTION 23 - 01 QUESTION 53 - 01 QUESTION 24 - 01 QUESTION 54 - 01 QUESTION 25 - 03 QUESTION 55 - 03 QUESTION 26 - 01 QUESTION 56 - 03 QUESTION 27 - 03 QUESTION 57 - 04 QUESTION 28 - 03 QUESTION 58 - 03 QUESTION 29 - 04 QUESTION 59 - 04 QUESTION 30 - 02 QUESTION 60 - 04 This study source was downloaded by 100000799301222 from CourseHero.com on 01-17-2022 14:44:52 GMT -06:00 https://www.coursehero.com/file/93560919/RSC-EXAMdocx/ Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) May/Jun 2011 QUESTION 1 2 A person of high academic standing is given the task by the local government to investigate the best ways of ensuring participation of people living in a small town in an agricultural development project. Being of her high status, she speaks with authority. The research results obtained by this person must be: 1) accepted unquestioningly because of the high academic standing of the researcher 2) rejected because authority is not a valid way to gain knowledge 3) rejected because participation is a form of common sense knowledge 4) accepted if it withstands critical scrutiny The correct answer is (4) SG p5 But the problem with relying on authority is that we can overestimate the expertise of persons in authority: in other words, experts can be wrong. When we do not know how the experts arrived at their knowledge, we should be careful in accepting their conclusions. Therefore 1) is incorrect. A person in a position of authority is likely to have earned that authority by his or her experience and may therefore be able to offer us reliable knowledge. In other words, that person has spent time and effort learning something and others can benefit from this. Therefore 2) and 3) is incorrect. QUESTION 2 The different accounts of people having witnessed a car accident can be ascribed to: 1) overgeneralization 2) selective observation 3) ego involvement 4) stress The correct answer is (2) SG p9 Overgeneralisation may lead to selective observation. Once the decision is made that events are following a particular pattern, and you think you know why, you will tend to pay attention mainly to future situations that correspond with that pattern. You will also tend to overlook the situations that conflict with the pattern. QUESTION 3 People’s dependence on media presentations for understanding the impact of, for example, sophisticated communication technology on their daily lives, is an example of: 1) media myths 2) authority 3) mythical interpretation of technology 4) skepticism towards technology The correct answer is (1) SG p8 Media Myths: The mass media, including television, films, newspapers and magazines and, most recently, the Internet, have a powerful influence on knowledge. Most people learn about the world and develop their concept of social reality according to what they see, hear and read in the media. However, as Neuman (1997) points out, the chief purpose of the media is to entertain, not to present reality accurately. Writers who adapt real life for 3 television shows and films scripts distort reality, often relying on tradition, authority or common sense. Writers for newspapers and magazines have deadlines which limit their information and they cannot be specialists in every topic they write about. Mistakes may be made from ignorance. Public thinking can be changed by selective emphasis, and this, in turn, can lead people into error. QUESTION 4 Identify the epistemological statement: 1) social reality and natural reality can be studied in the same way 2) social reality is inherently meaningful 3) human beings are reflexive 4) patriarchy is common in traditional societies 5) hidden structures mask the true nature of social reality The correct answer is (1) SG p20 “We shall explain epistemology in the context of the social sciences with reference to the following epistemological question: “Can social reality (things such as groups, societies, norms, organisations) be studied in the same way as natural reality (things such as atoms, bodies, viruses, planets?”” QUESTION 5 Research on juvenile delinquency would be regarded and interpretive if it: 1) establishes a crucial relationship between juvenile delinquency and poverty 2) treats juvenile delinquency as a fact 3) provides reasons for juvenile delinquency 4) focuses on causation rather than description 5) treats juvenile delinquency as a construction of meaning The correct answer is (5) SG p25 “Interpretivists argue that social reality is inherently meaningful. People have the ability to interpret a situation and decide how to act in response to this situation. By consciously participating in a situation, they attribute meaning to that situation. Meaning is constructed through human beings interacting with each other and playing a central role in defining a situation to make sense of it” QUESTION 6 In the context of positivism, value freedom implies that: a) values are not important by positivists to research b) positivists distance themselves in research from their own values c) objective findings can be made about social reality d) the values of the positivist must take precedence in the research process e) objectivity is pursued by using standardized research procedures 1) a), c), e) 2) a), d), e)  3) b), c), d) 4) b), c), e) 4 5) c), d), e) The correct answer is (4) SG p22, 23 “We start with how positivists see the nature of social reality. Positivists believe that social reality can be discovered. Positivists claim it is crucial that researchers approach social reality in a neutral, value-free, detached and systematic way. Methodological tools are developed to collect evidence that is observable and hence measurable. Standardised procedures are followed to study particular events and learn about their interconnections. value-freedom: researchers’ personal values do not influence the collection of data (research)” QUESTION 7 Which of the following statements are true with regard to theories in the social sciences? a) theories can describe or explain a phenomenon b) theories are broader in scope than approaches c) the level of abstraction of theories can differ d) theories guide research e) theories are speculations 1) a), b), c) 2) a), b), d) 3) a), c), d) 4) a), c), e) 5) b), c), d) The correct answer is (3) SG p50, 55, 56, 58 Here, theory is equated to speculation. To recap: concepts identify and describe phenomena. The scope of a theory is linked to the level of abstraction achieved by the concepts in the theory (the building blocks of the theory). The higher the level of abstraction, the more the theory can be generalised and the wider its applicability. Theory deductively guides research, while the information obtained through research inductively builds theory. Theory and research are therefore inseparable (Cohen 1989:22) QUESTION 8 Which of the following concepts reflects the highest level of abstraction? 1) age 2) gender 3) alienation 4) educational level 5) income The correct answer is (3) SG p55, 56 The scope of a theory is linked to the level of abstraction achieved by the concepts in the theory (the building blocks of the theory). The higher the level of abstraction, the more the theory can be generalised and the wider its applicability. The opposite of abstract is 5 concrete. The difference between abstract and concrete concepts can be compared to a view of a town from 10 kilometres in the sky and one that is seen up close. Abstract concepts allows us to get the big picture, but does not show much detail, whereas concrete concepts presents the close-up view and allows us to focus on specific cases. QUESTION 9 Which of the following statements are true? a) theory inductively guides research b) research deductively builds theory c) theory deductively guides research d) research inductively builds theory 1) a), b) 2) b), c) 3) c), d) 4) a), c) 5) b), d) The correct answer is (3) SG p58 Theory deductively guides research, while the information obtained through research inductively builds theory. Therefore a) is incorrect and c) correct. Also, b) is incorrect, and d) correct. QUESTION 10 If a negative relationship exists between variables in a hypothesis, it implies that: 1) the two variables are not related 2) as the value of one variable decreases, the other variable also decreases in value 3) there is only a weak relationship between the two variables 4) as the value of one variable decreases, the other value increases in value The correct answer is (4) SG p78 See 2.3.4. The first three statements are all incorrect. In causal relationships “negative” and “positive” imply the direction of the relationship between two variables. If a relationship is “positive”, both variables change in the same direction. An example is: the higher the population density, the higher the crime rate. A negative relationship implies changes in different directions. An example here is: the higher the rate of immunisation, the lower the infant mortality rate. QUESTION 11 The scope of a theory: a) increases as the level of abstraction increases b) refers to the generalizability of the theory c) is associated with a specific domain of analysis d) refers to the social reality which is studied empirically  1) a), b) 6 2) a), d) 3) b), c) 4) c), d) 5) a), b), c), d) The correct answer is (1) SG p55, 56 The scope of a theory is linked to the level of abstraction achieved by the concepts in the theory (the building blocks of the theory). The higher the level of abstraction, the more the theory can be generalised and the wider its applicability. QUESTION 12 Identify the statement(s) that has/have the potential to be a social law: a) if we exert less force on an object, it will move slower b) the suicide rate decreases as the level of social integration increases c) men are sexist d) intelligence is an inherited attribute 1) a), b) 2) c), d) 3) a), b), d) 4) c) 5) b) The correct answer is (1) SG p76 Remember we describe social laws as being probabilities rather than certainties. QUESTION 13 In social science basic research tries to ___ about our social world. 1) support or reject theories 2) explain social relationships 3) interpret changes in communities 4) enhance new scientific knowledge 5) all of the above are applicable The correct answer is (5) SG p81 Basic research is undertaken to enhance or extend fundamental knowledge about social reality or within a discipline. This type of research is used to support or reject theories by explaining social relationships. It is also used to interpret changes in communities, in order to enhance new scientific ideas/knowledge about our social world (Neuman 1997:22–23; Polit & Beck 2008:19). QUESTION 14 Cross sectional studies concentrate on the ___ of the problem being investigated. 7 1) structuring 2) repeatability 3) here and now 4) reliability and validity The correct answer is (3) SG p136 Cross-sectional surveys are those surveys in which the information is collected at one point in time, which could be during the course of one day or over a few weeks. An example of a cross-sectional survey would be a survey of how people intend voting in an upcoming election. A longitudinal study, on the other hand, involves collecting information at different times over a longish period of time. QUESTION 15 A student conducts research on crimes against women in South Africa. She wants to give an accurate profile of the respondents, provide information about the phenomenon and describe successive phases that occur during these crimes. She is conducting ___ research. (1) descriptive (2) explanatory (3) time-series (4) exploratory The correct answer is (1) SG p92 Purpose of research: Obesity in teenagers from Cape Town Types of Purpose of the research research Descriptive - To describe the dietary patterns of obese teenagers residing in Cape Town Exploratory - To explore how obese teenagers residing in Cape Town experience their obesity Explanatory - To determine the reasons for obesity amongst teenagers residing in Cape Town Correlational - To determine the relationship between compliance with a weight reduction programme and successful weight loss in obese teenagers residing in Cape Town QUESTION 16 One of the main points of criticism against basic research is that it does not: 1) create a basis for the application of knowledge 2) create a basis for the application of insight 3) provide a basis for policies 4) provide short tern practical solutions The correct answer is (4) SG p82 A point of criticism against basic research is that the knowledge so acquired sometimes does not offer short-term practical solutions. QUESTION 17 8 A characteristic of ___ research is that the findings accept or reject theoretical propositions. 1) quantitative 2) qualitative The correct answer is (1) SG p88 Characteristics Quantitative Research Qualitative Research Findings Generalisation, accept or Uniqueness, dynamic reject theoretical understanding of propositions. phenomena, and new theory. QUESTION 18 When researchers concentrate on adapting to complex situations as they unfold, attempting to understand a phenomenon in its social, cultural and historical context, apply inductive data analyses techniques and focus on grounded theory, then they are busy with: 1) triangulatlon 2) quantitative research 3) experimental research 4) qualitative research The correct answer is (4) SG p86, 87 Qualitative research has the following general characteristics: This type of research involves a holistic investigation executed in a natural set-up. The researcher tries to study all the elements that are present within that particular set-up/situation. The set-up is studied as a whole in order to understand the realities involved — one of the most distinctive characteristics of qualitative research. For this reason, the researcher tries to understand a phenomenon within its social, cultural and historical context. Man is the primary data-collection instrument in this type of research. The researcher relies on man as observer, rather than relying on measuring instruments. The qualitative researcher can adapt to a complex situation as it develops. Differences in values and prejudices can be taken into account. Additional data are obtained by means of other more objective instruments, such as documents or questionnaires. The emphasis is on the use of qualitative methods. Subjects are selected in a purposeful, rather than a random manner. There is a purposeful selection of a wide variety of subjects, which can then be observed by the researcher. The researcher makes use of inductive data analysis, so that unexpected results will also come to the fore. First, the researcher collects the data, and then he or she tries to understand the situation and make deductions. A grounded theory can be developed — that is, a theory that was actually developed from the data and that is thought to be better than pre-developed theory (as is the case in quantitative research). Such a grounded theory reflects the data in a more accurate manner. There are also many quantitative researchers who acknowledge the value of a grounded theory and who then do pilot studies in order to develop theoretical constructs that they eventually test by means of quantitative methods. The design of the research develops as the research develops. In qualitative studies,  the researcher begins with a tentative design (sometimes even without a design), and develops the design as the research develops. In this way, the design can be 9 adapted and variables can be included that had not been considered before that particular phenomenon was observed. The subject plays a role in the interpretation of the results. Qualitative researchers try to reconstruct reality from the subject’s frame of reference. In quantitative research, the element or person is called the respondent, and in qualitative research he or she is called the subject or participant. Intuitive insights are used. In qualitative research, the emphasis is more on intuition- based knowledge (ie, on the subject’s experience of a situation). The emphasis is on social processes. Qualitative studies focus on the social processes and the meanings attached to such social situations by the participants (Borg & Gall 1989:385–387; De Vos, Strydom, Fouche & Delport 2005:268; Polit & Beck 2008:15–17). QUESTION 19 Which behavioural norm does the researcher in the following scenario ignore? In a report of a survey conducted among prisoners, the researcher neglects to state how the sample of respondents was drawn. 1) respect 2) disinterestedness 3) communality 4) universalism The correct answer is (3) SG p111 Communality — This norm requires researchers to accurately report the methods, purpose, motives and consequences. “The principle of communality compels all researchers to share their research findings, including means, ends, motives, and consequences, freely and honestly with all other members of the research community” (Smith 1988:284). QUESTION 20 When the Hawthorne effect occurs during a research study, this effect will influence: 1) the duration of the study 2) potential harm 3) informed consent 4) Internal validity The correct answer is (4) SG p114 The importance of being properly informed has both ethical and methodological implications. For example, the research will have less internal validity if participants respond in an atypical manner because they know they are part of the study. This has been called the “Hawthorne effect” (Stacks & Hocking 1992:142–143). QUESTION 21 The use of a hidden camera when conducting a face-to-face interview usually amounts to: 10 1) an unethical practice 2) the protection of privacy 3) voluntary participation 4) avoiding personal constraints The correct answer is (1) It is not protecting privacy, but rather invading it, therefore 2) is incorrect. It is not voluntary if the recipient does not know about it, therefore 3) is incorrect. QUESTION 22 Which behavioural norm or princlple is being described in this quotation? "The norm of ___ has been honoured for a given project when all research, including its means, ends, motives and consequences can be evaluated according to predetermined standards set by a scholarly community" (Smith 1988.284) 1) respect 2) disinterestedness 3) universalism 4) communality The correct answer is (3) SG p111 Communality — This norm requires researchers to accurately report the methods, purpose, motives and consequences. “The principle of communality compels all researchers to share their research findings, including means, ends, motives, and consequences, freely and honestly with all other members of the research community” (Smith 1988:284). QUESTION 23 Identify four situational factors that apply when we make judgements about ethics in research: a) the methods we use to collect data b) the goal of the research study c) our intentions as researchers d) the consequences of the research e) the use of probability sampling f) comparing responses based on gender 1) (a) (b) (c) (d) 2) (b) (c) (e) (f) 3) (c) (d) (e) (f) 4) (a) (d) (e) (f) The correct answer is (1) SG p110 However, instead of dealing with the different steps, we now consider four situational factors that apply to making judgments about ethics in research: 1. the methods that we use to collect, analyse and report research  2. the purpose or goal of the research (eg to formulate new theories or to solve a social problem) 11 3. the personal motives or intentions of the individual researcher (eg to advance a career, which may be unrelated to the purpose of the research) 4. the consequences or effects of research, including effects on research participants or respondents, on researchers and on the larger social and scholarly communities QUESTION 24 When considering the ethical requirements that apply to conducting research, which factor can pose a risk to respondents’/participants' right to privacy? 1) the researcher's gender 2) obtaining prior informed consent 3) the researcher's language preference 4) the place where the research is conducted 5) conducting a debriefing interview The correct answer is (4) SG p114 However, unlike obtaining a loan or applying for credit facilities, our goal (collecting and analysing information about people as human beings) may be in conflict with people’s right to privacy. We can deal with this potential conflict by considering: 1. the sensitivity of the information 2. the place where the research is conducted 3. how public we are going to make our research findings QUESTION 25 The following factors should be taken into account to ensure that the research design is coherent: a) the meaning of social phenomena b) the purpose and use of the research c) the data-colIecilon and data-analysis techniques 1) (a) (b) 2) (a) (b) (c) 3) (b) (c) 4) (a) (c) The correct answer is (3) SG p127 The factors that should be taken into account to ensure that the research design is coherent: 1. The purpose and the proposed use of the study influence the type of study that will be done. 2. In a coherent research design data-collection techniques will match data-analysis techniques. QUESTION 26 Suppose a researcher has an expectation about how a study will turn out, and the study 12 does in fact turn out that way because of his beliefs. This is called: 1) the Hawthorne effect 2) the regression effect 3) selection bias 4) none of the above The correct answer is (4) SG p114, 129 Hawthorne effect: the effect on participants of knowing that they are being “researched’’. Therefore 1) is incorrect. Regression effect refers to a tendency of extreme scores to move towards the average upon retesting. Suppose a researcher finds that violent criminals, tested before and after watching a violent film, are slightly less violent after the film. Because the criminals began at an extreme in terms of the measure on violence, it is unlikely that the film could make them more violent and due to the regression effect, they appear less extreme when measured again. Therefore 2) is incorrect. Selection of subjects to be assigned to a specific group could bias the study if there are important, unsuspected differences between the subjects in each group. An example is an experiment on physical aggression in which the one group unintentionally contains soccer and rugby players, whereas the other group is made up of musicians and painters! Therefore 3) is incorrect. QUESTION 27 What research design is described in this scenario? A researcher working for an advertising company wants to investigate whether people are more inclined to buy a new product when they have been informed of the advantages of the product, than before being informed. She selects a sample and measures their willingness to buy the product by means of a questionnaire.She then randomly assigns each person to an experimental group (who receives more information on the product) and a control group (who receives no additional information on the product). After the information session, she again measures the willingness of the two groups to buy the product. This is an example of a ___ design 1) pre-experimental 2) post-test only control group 3) quasi-experimental 4) pre-test post-test control group The correct answer is (4) SG p131 The group that receives the treatment (counselling) is called the experimental group, while the group that receives no treatment is called the control group. These groups are compared in terms of the outcome or response to the treatment (or “no treatment”). This outcome is the dependent variable and the comparison between groups enables the researcher to determine the impact of the treatment. In an experiment, the dependent variable can be measured more than once. If the dependent variable is measured before the introduction of the treatment, this is called a pretest. The posttest is the measurement of the dependent variable after the treatment has been introduced. Although quasi-expermiental designs also consist of a pre-test and post-test group, and also involve manipulating conditions and assignment of subjects to the treatment conditions, 13 therefore identify causal relationships, quasi-experimental designs do not involve randomisation. Therefore 3) is incorrect. QUESTION 28 Which of the following is a defining characteristic that must be present in a true experimental design? 1) using a random sample of subjects 2) including a pretest and a postlest in the study 3) random assignment of subjects to groups 4) subjecting each subject to two treatment conditions The correct answer is (3) SG p133 In a true experiment, random assignment of subjects to the groups ensures that the groups are similar except for the fact that the experimental group receives the treatment. QUESTION 29 Read the following study and identify what the researcher wanted to achieve in designing this study. A researcher wants to find out how teachers experience cases of child abuse He decides to conduct open-ended, in-depth interviews with teachers (either individually or in groups) in which he will ask them to tell him about their thoughts on and experiences with child abuse. The researcher wanted to: 1) ensure reliability by maintaining a proper scientific distance from the research participants 2) encourage research participants to talk openly by listening to them empathically 3) participate in teachers' experiences so that he can understand them empathically 4) use objective data-gathering techniques to determine own experiences empathically The correct answer is (1) SG p179 In-depth interviews have also been called “intensive interviews”, “unstructured, conversational interviews”, “ethnographic interviews” and “focused interviews” (Pitout 1995:112). In-depth interviews differ from face-to-face interviews conducted in a survey, of a large population, because the main aim of in-depth interviews is to obtain detailed information. Therefore, whereas a survey in which face-to-face interviews are used to collect answers, opinions, motivations or emotions, as data, in-depth interviews delve into the reasons behind the answers, opinions, or emotions given in a survey. This is why in-depth interviews are particularly useful in field research. QUESTION 30 Which characteristic of qualitative designs is reflected in the following? 14 A researcher is investigating the experiences of victims of a natural disaster. She conducts in-depth, open interviews with a limited number of the victims, trying to understand the experiences of the particular individuals interviewed. These interviews are then analysed in detail. 1) scope 2) flexibility 3) accuracy 4) outcome The correct answer is (2) SG p142 Flexibility: The general area of concern is determined in advance, but further specific research questions may arise later. The interview format is naturalistic and open. The analytic technique used (phenomenological analysis that focuses on private experiences and subjective perceptions) is specified in advance. QUESTION 31 Random selection is used in ___ sampling 1) quota 2) judgemental 3) cluster 4) accidental The correct answer is (3) Convenience (also called accidental sampling), quota sampling, snowball sampling and purposive (also called judgemental sampling) are types of nonprobability sampling techniques, and does not involve random selection. QUESTION 32 A sample of 250 members is randomly selected from the data records of a professional body. This is an example of ___ sampling 1) simple random 2) stratified random 3) systematic 4) cluster The correct answer is (1) SG p156 Simple random sampling is the most basic of the probability sampling techniques. Once the population has been defined, the sampling frame is drawn up. Each element of the sampling frame then has an equal chance of being included in the sample (Brink, Van der Walt & Van Rensburg 2006:127; De Vos et al 2005:200). QUESTION 33 A researcher is studying the various domains of life and the importance of those domains to people. He fails to take into account the age of the respondents when determining the 15 sample. This is an example of: 1) chance factor error 2) bias in selection 3) non-response error 4) response error The correct answer is (2) SG p153 Bias in selection arises primarily from faulty technique and may or may not be deliberate. A researcher may, for instance, fail to take into account a specific criterion such as educational level or the respondent may give incorrect information about her or his educational level. QUESTION 34 A representative sample: 1) consists of at least 500 elements 2) must be a random sample 3) is defined as the inverse of the square root of the sample size 4) reflects the crucial characteristics of a population The correct answer is (4) SG p164 A sample is representative when it resembles the population and enables the researcher to accurately generalise results. QUESTION 35 A researcher studying leadership selects 30 business practitioners to investigate management practices. Which of the following sampling techniques is applicable? 1) quota 2) systematic 3) convenience 4) purposive The correct answer is (4) SG p162 Purposive or judgmental sampling (also referred to as theoretical sampling) is when the researcher selects a sample that can be judged to be representative of the total population. This judgment is made on the basis of available information or the researcher’s knowledge about the population. This knowledge is used to hand-pick the elements for the sample. Choosing the first three days of the month for auditing client’s files is an example of purposive sampling. This type of sampling relies heavily on the subjective considerations of the researcher rather than scientific criteria. But when used by an expert who knows the population being studied, it has some value. It could, however lead to misleading results (Polit & Beck 2008:343). QUESTION 36 A researcher selects all the clients that enter a health clinic between 08h00 and 09h00. 16 What sampling technique did the researcher u