Chapter 3 Quiz

. It is important that you do not include the characteristics you used to define the research population as one of your

correlations

causations

independent variables

dependent variables

. The unit of analysis for World Values Survey data is

the United States

countries that were surveyed

the year that the countries were surveyed in

individuals

. Which of the following is an example of ordinal measurement?

male and female choices indicating biological sex

a scale from 1 to 4 measuring life satisfaction

a list of six different religious affiliations

a whole number indication of a person's age in years

. Why should researchers not choose independent variables arbitrarily?

because there are certain variables that should not be used in research

because variables have different types of measurement

because we are trying to explain variation in independent variables in our research

because there should be a reason for which an independent variable is included

. For your project, any variable with nominal measurement that has more than two categories will require the researcher to:

transform the variable into one with ordinal measurement

choose or create only two categories from the original categories

choose a different variable

write a different kind of theory

. Analytical Research Questions are aimed at trying to discover:

who

what

how

why

. Correlations are

Empirical relationships between variables

Always immediately clear

Theoretical and impossible to measure

Only measurable when using nominal variables

. Establishing definitive causality in the social sciences is more difficult when compared to the natural sciences

Because it is harder to establish that a particular value in one variable caused a particular value in a second variable in social sciences

Because it is easier to control for external factors in social sciences

Because natural scientists conduct more research than social scientists

Because social scientists work with units of analysis that are easier to quantify

. Correlation and Causation answer:

How and What

How and Why

Whether and What

Whether and Why

. A dependent variable is

Is normally denoted as X

Is what we wish to explain by conducting our research

Is what we use to explain variation in our independent variable

Is also known as an "impact variable"

. Why is it important that independent variables vary?

Otherwise we will have too many independent variables

Otherwise will only be able to include ordinal variables in the study

Otherwise we will have multiple dependent variables

Otherwise we will not be able to answer the research question

. What distinguishes ratio measurement from interval measurement?

The distance between the values of variables can only be measured on variables with ratio measurement

Variables with ratio measurement can only contain two categories

Variables with ratio measurement have a true zero associated with them

Variables with ratio measurement must include a fractional value

. What distinguishes nominal variables from ordinal variables?

Nominal variables do not have an inherent order to them while ordinal variables do

Nominal variables are chosen at random while ordinal variables are not

Nominal variables can be correlated with other variables while ordinal variable cannot

Nominal variables are useful in research while ordinal variables are not

. A research population is defined as:

A group of experts who review your study

A number of people living in the country where your study is taking place

A group of observations that have a particular set of attributes or characteristics in common

A set of individuals who refuse to participate in your study

. The process of turning words into numbers so that variables can be systematically analyzed is known as

Qualification

Quantification

Correlation

Causation

. If two variables are demonstrated to be correlated with one another, then

Their relationship is automatically causal

Their relationship is not automatically causal, but possibly could be

Their relationship cannot possibly be causal

They have no relationship with one another

. Which of the following is not true of analytical research questions

They require explanation, analysis, and interpretation

They ask whether a correlation exists between two or more variables

They require the elaboration of a causal theory to understand why correlations among variables should exist.

They must establish definitive causality between variables to be useful

. Intervening variables

Can help further explain the effect the independent variable has on the dependent variable

Are attributes or characteristics that occur prior to the variables included in the analysis

Are what we wish to explain in our research

Are generally placed after both the independent and dependent variables

. By reading the title of a study, you will usually be able to identify

The dependent variable of the study

The methodology used in the study

The results of the study

The experts who have reviewed

. A binary variable is a variable that

Has 2 or more categories

Has 2 or less categories

Has exactly 2 categories

Does not have a set amount of categories

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