Solutions Manual Chapter 1:
Elementary Statistics in Social Research Why the Social Researcher Uses Statistics
Chapter 1: Why the Social Researcher Uses Statistics
1. A sociologist collects information from high school teachers about their job
M
satisfaction. For each of the following items, indicate the level of measurement—
nominal, ordinal, or interval:
a. What field of study do you teach? Math, Science, Social Studies, English,
PR
or Other?
b. How many students do you have in a class?
c. On a five-point scale (from strongly favorable to strongly unfavorable),
how do you feel about your work?
d. How many years have you been teaching?
ES
Answer:
a. Nominal
b. Interval
c. Ordinal
d. Interval
SI
2. A political scientist asks a series of questions to gauge how politically active
individuals are. For each of the following items, indicate the level of measurement
—nominal, ordinal, or interval:
VE
a. Did you vote in the last election? Yes or No?
b. With which political party do you identify? Democrat, Republican, or
Independent?
c. How often do you vote in elections? Never, Rarely, Sometimes, or
Always?
G
d. On a 0–10 scale, how “extreme” do you consider your views? 0 is
equivalent to mainstream and 10 is equivalent to radical.
e. What level of education have you attained? Bachelor’s, Master’s, or
R
Doctorate?
f. Do you coach a school sports team? Yes or No?
AD
Answer:
a. Nominal
b. Nominal
c. Ordinal
d. Interval
e. Ordinal
ES
f. Nominal
, Solutions Manual Chapter 1:
Elementary Statistics in Social Research Why the Social Researcher Uses Statistics
3. A sociologist undertakes a series of studies to investigate various aspects of sports
violence. For each of the following research situations, identify the research
strategy (experiment, survey, content analysis, or participant observation) and the
M
independent and dependent variables:
a. Do male and female sports reporters describe combative sporting events
(such as football) in the same way? To find out, the sociologist collects the
PR
game reports filed by a number of male and female newspaper writers on
the day following the Super Bowl. He compares the aggressiveness
contained in the adjectives used by the reporters to describe the game.
b. Do children react differently after watching combative and noncombative
sports? To find out, the sociologist randomly assigns school children to
watch taped versions of either a hockey game (combative) or a swimming
ES
meet (noncombative). She then observes the aggressiveness of play
demonstrated by the children immediately following their viewing of the
tapes.
c. Are fans more aggressive when their team wins or loses? To find out, the
sociologist spends his Saturdays in a sports bar that features the local
SI
college game on wide-screen television. He dresses in a team sweatshirt
and becomes one of the crowd. At the same time, he observes the extent
of arguing and fighting that goes on around him when the team is winning
and losing.
VE
d. Do levels of personal aggressiveness influence the kinds of sporting
events that people prefer to watch? To find out, the sociologist distributes
a questionnaire to a random sample of adults. In addition to standard
background information, the questionnaire includes a series of items
measuring aggressiveness (for example, “How often do you get involved
G
in heated arguments with neighbors or friends?”) and a checklist of which
sports the respondents like to watch.
R
AD
ES
, Solutions Manual Chapter 1:
Elementary Statistics in Social Research Why the Social Researcher Uses Statistics
Answer:
a. Content analysis, IV = gender, DV = aggressiveness in description of
Super Bowl.
M
b. Experiment, IV = type of sport, DV = aggressiveness of play
c. Participant observation, IV = whether team wins or losses, DV = extent of
arguing and fighting
PR
d. Survey, IV = aggressiveness, DV = preferred sporting events
4. Identify the level of measurement—nominal, ordinal, or interval/ratio—represented
in each of the following questionnaire items:
a. Your sex:
ES
1. _____ Female
2. _____ Male
b. Your age:
1. _____ Younger than 20
2. _____ 20–29
SI
3. _____ 30–39
4. _____ 40–49
5. _____ 50–59
6. _____ 60–69
VE
7. _____ 70 or older
c. How many people are in your immediate family? ___________
d. Specify the highest level of education achieved by your mother:
1. _____ None
2. _____ Elementary school
G
3. _____ Some high school
4. _____ Graduated high school
5. _____ Some college
R
6. _____ Graduated college
7. _____ Graduate/professional school
e. Your annual income from all sources: ___________ (specify)
AD
f. Your religious preference:
1. _____ Protestant
2. _____ Catholic
3. _____ Jewish
4. _____ Other ___________ (specify)
ES
, Solutions Manual Chapter 1:
Elementary Statistics in Social Research Why the Social Researcher Uses Statistics
g. The social class to which your parents belong:
1. _____ Upper
2. _____ Upper-middle
M
3. _____ Middle-middle
4. _____ Lower-middle
5. _____ Lower
PR
h. In which of the following regions do your parents presently live?
1. _____ Northeast
2. _____ South
3. _____ Midwest
4. _____ West
5. _____ Other ___________ (specify)
ES
i. Indicate your political orientation by placing an X in the appropriate
space:
LIBERAL___:___:___:___:___:Conservative
1 2 3 4 5
SI
Answer:
a. Nominal
b. Interval
c. Interval
VE
d. Ordinal
e. Interval
f. Nominal
g. Ordinal
h. Nominal
G
i. Interval (assuming equal intervals between points on scale)
R
AD
ES
Elementary Statistics in Social Research Why the Social Researcher Uses Statistics
Chapter 1: Why the Social Researcher Uses Statistics
1. A sociologist collects information from high school teachers about their job
M
satisfaction. For each of the following items, indicate the level of measurement—
nominal, ordinal, or interval:
a. What field of study do you teach? Math, Science, Social Studies, English,
PR
or Other?
b. How many students do you have in a class?
c. On a five-point scale (from strongly favorable to strongly unfavorable),
how do you feel about your work?
d. How many years have you been teaching?
ES
Answer:
a. Nominal
b. Interval
c. Ordinal
d. Interval
SI
2. A political scientist asks a series of questions to gauge how politically active
individuals are. For each of the following items, indicate the level of measurement
—nominal, ordinal, or interval:
VE
a. Did you vote in the last election? Yes or No?
b. With which political party do you identify? Democrat, Republican, or
Independent?
c. How often do you vote in elections? Never, Rarely, Sometimes, or
Always?
G
d. On a 0–10 scale, how “extreme” do you consider your views? 0 is
equivalent to mainstream and 10 is equivalent to radical.
e. What level of education have you attained? Bachelor’s, Master’s, or
R
Doctorate?
f. Do you coach a school sports team? Yes or No?
AD
Answer:
a. Nominal
b. Nominal
c. Ordinal
d. Interval
e. Ordinal
ES
f. Nominal
, Solutions Manual Chapter 1:
Elementary Statistics in Social Research Why the Social Researcher Uses Statistics
3. A sociologist undertakes a series of studies to investigate various aspects of sports
violence. For each of the following research situations, identify the research
strategy (experiment, survey, content analysis, or participant observation) and the
M
independent and dependent variables:
a. Do male and female sports reporters describe combative sporting events
(such as football) in the same way? To find out, the sociologist collects the
PR
game reports filed by a number of male and female newspaper writers on
the day following the Super Bowl. He compares the aggressiveness
contained in the adjectives used by the reporters to describe the game.
b. Do children react differently after watching combative and noncombative
sports? To find out, the sociologist randomly assigns school children to
watch taped versions of either a hockey game (combative) or a swimming
ES
meet (noncombative). She then observes the aggressiveness of play
demonstrated by the children immediately following their viewing of the
tapes.
c. Are fans more aggressive when their team wins or loses? To find out, the
sociologist spends his Saturdays in a sports bar that features the local
SI
college game on wide-screen television. He dresses in a team sweatshirt
and becomes one of the crowd. At the same time, he observes the extent
of arguing and fighting that goes on around him when the team is winning
and losing.
VE
d. Do levels of personal aggressiveness influence the kinds of sporting
events that people prefer to watch? To find out, the sociologist distributes
a questionnaire to a random sample of adults. In addition to standard
background information, the questionnaire includes a series of items
measuring aggressiveness (for example, “How often do you get involved
G
in heated arguments with neighbors or friends?”) and a checklist of which
sports the respondents like to watch.
R
AD
ES
, Solutions Manual Chapter 1:
Elementary Statistics in Social Research Why the Social Researcher Uses Statistics
Answer:
a. Content analysis, IV = gender, DV = aggressiveness in description of
Super Bowl.
M
b. Experiment, IV = type of sport, DV = aggressiveness of play
c. Participant observation, IV = whether team wins or losses, DV = extent of
arguing and fighting
PR
d. Survey, IV = aggressiveness, DV = preferred sporting events
4. Identify the level of measurement—nominal, ordinal, or interval/ratio—represented
in each of the following questionnaire items:
a. Your sex:
ES
1. _____ Female
2. _____ Male
b. Your age:
1. _____ Younger than 20
2. _____ 20–29
SI
3. _____ 30–39
4. _____ 40–49
5. _____ 50–59
6. _____ 60–69
VE
7. _____ 70 or older
c. How many people are in your immediate family? ___________
d. Specify the highest level of education achieved by your mother:
1. _____ None
2. _____ Elementary school
G
3. _____ Some high school
4. _____ Graduated high school
5. _____ Some college
R
6. _____ Graduated college
7. _____ Graduate/professional school
e. Your annual income from all sources: ___________ (specify)
AD
f. Your religious preference:
1. _____ Protestant
2. _____ Catholic
3. _____ Jewish
4. _____ Other ___________ (specify)
ES
, Solutions Manual Chapter 1:
Elementary Statistics in Social Research Why the Social Researcher Uses Statistics
g. The social class to which your parents belong:
1. _____ Upper
2. _____ Upper-middle
M
3. _____ Middle-middle
4. _____ Lower-middle
5. _____ Lower
PR
h. In which of the following regions do your parents presently live?
1. _____ Northeast
2. _____ South
3. _____ Midwest
4. _____ West
5. _____ Other ___________ (specify)
ES
i. Indicate your political orientation by placing an X in the appropriate
space:
LIBERAL___:___:___:___:___:Conservative
1 2 3 4 5
SI
Answer:
a. Nominal
b. Interval
c. Interval
VE
d. Ordinal
e. Interval
f. Nominal
g. Ordinal
h. Nominal
G
i. Interval (assuming equal intervals between points on scale)
R
AD
ES
