20 flashcards · Shared on 19 August 2026 by AtomAI Library
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What is a major limitation of opportunity sampling?
It can overrepresent people who are easiest to access
What is a major limitation of opportunity sampling?
It can overrepresent people who are easiest to access
What is a principal strength of a controlled experiment?
It allows researchers to manipulate variables and examine possible causal effects
What is attrition in a longitudinal study?
Participants leave the study over time, potentially biasing the remaining sample
Participant observation occurs when a researcher:
Joins or takes part in the activities of the group being studied
What is the observer effect in sociological research?
People alter their behavior because they know they are being observed
How does a longitudinal study differ from a cross-sectional study?
It follows the same people or population over an extended period
In research methods, reliability refers to:
Whether similar procedures produce consistent results
Compared with structured interviews, unstructured interviews are especially useful because they:
Generate detailed accounts in participants' own words
A key advantage of closed-question surveys is that they:
Produce standardized answers that are relatively easy to compare
Which description best matches a random sample?
Every member of the target population has an equal chance of selection
Why can covert observation raise serious ethical concerns?
Participants usually cannot give informed consent to being studied
Why are laboratory experiments sometimes criticized for lacking ecological validity?
Their artificial setting may influence behavior
Triangulation in sociological research means:
Using multiple methods or data sources to investigate the same issue
What is meant by validity in sociological research?
The extent to which a study measures or describes what it claims to
Why do sociologists often use a representative sample?
To make the sample reflect important features of the wider population
Which limitation is commonly associated with questionnaires?
Respondents may interpret questions differently or give socially desirable answers
What is a limitation of unstructured interviews?
They can be time-consuming and difficult to compare systematically
Which is a limitation of using official statistics as secondary data?
Their categories and collection methods may reflect institutional decisions
What does correlation between two variables establish by itself?
The variables are associated, but causation is not established
Informed consent requires that research participants:
Are told relevant information about the study and voluntarily agree to take part