Lesson 4.3.2.6

4.3.2.6 Science, theory and methods Quiz: AQA Sociology, Unit 3

20 questions

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Lesson 4.3.2.6, Science, theory and methods: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Sociology (7192), Unit 3: Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is Karl Popper's principle of falsification?

    • A theory is scientific only if it can in principle be tested and shown to be false by evidence
    • A theory is scientific only if its predictions have been confirmed by a large number of observations of past events
    • A theory is scientific only if it has been accepted by every member of the scientific community at the time it is proposed
    • A theory is scientific only if it avoids all reference to observable evidence, relying only on logic and reasoned argument

  2. Which concept, associated with Thomas Kuhn, describes a shared framework of assumptions and methods that guides normal scientific research?

    • Paradigm, a shared set of theories, methods and exemplars that defines a scientific community's normal practice
    • Hypothesis, a provisional statement about a relationship between variables that can be tested through systematic observation
    • Verstehen, an interpretive procedure in which the researcher seeks to understand the subjective meanings of actors' conduct
    • Falsification, a procedure in which hypotheses are tested by attempts to prove that they are false using controlled evidence

  3. In what sense does the 'deductive' approach to research begin?

    • With a policy decision by government, which is then evaluated against the statistical outcomes that follow from it over time
    • With a large set of observations from which general theories are induced without any prior theoretical expectations
    • With the personal experience of the researcher, which is recorded in a diary and then interpreted without reference to theory
    • With a theory from which hypotheses are derived and then tested against empirical data

  4. Which approach begins with empirical observation and develops theory from the patterns found in the data?

    • Inductive research, which builds theory from data, as in grounded theory developed by Glaser and Strauss
    • Positivist research, which measures social facts to confirm laws that were established by earlier natural scientists
    • Experimental research, which manipulates variables under controlled conditions to isolate the causal effect of one factor
    • Deductive research, which derives hypotheses from an established theory and tests them with new data collected for the purpose

  5. Why do some sociologists argue that sociology is not fully a science?

    • Social phenomena are always fixed and unchanging, so no empirical study can ever be carried out on them by researchers
    • Social phenomena can be studied only with laboratory equipment, which sociologists have never had access to in practice
    • Social phenomena are influenced by meanings and values, and the researcher is part of the social world being studied
    • Social phenomena are always identical to natural phenomena, so there is no difference between sociology and physics at all

  6. Which feature of scientific knowledge does Kuhn describe as a 'scientific revolution'?

    • A decline in the number of scientists working in a field, which reduces the range of hypotheses that can be tested by them
    • A decision by governments to fund scientific research, which changes the direction of research without altering its methods
    • A gradual accumulation of facts, each added to the existing paradigm without any change to its basic assumptions over time
    • A shift from one paradigm to another, after anomalies accumulate that the existing framework cannot explain

  7. What is a key criticism of applying falsification to sociological theories?

    • Many social theories are hard to test directly, and their predictions may be qualified in ways that make refutation difficult
    • Sociological theories are always based on natural laws, which cannot be tested with any social data in any study at all
    • Sociological theories are always proven true by a single study, so there is never any need to test them further after publication
    • Sociological theories are never published, so falsification has no role to play in their development or in their evaluation

  8. What is the relationship between theory and methods in sociological research?

    • Theory and methods are unrelated, since each can be chosen independently without any effect on the other part of the study
    • Methods determine theory completely, so researchers must first collect data and only then decide what theory to adopt
    • Theory replaces methods entirely, so sociologists need only reason logically and never collect any evidence about society
    • Theory guides the questions asked and the methods chosen, while methods provide evidence that can support or challenge theory

  9. Which concept refers to the process of generating a theory from data through repeated comparison of cases and emerging categories?

    • Replication, which repeats an existing study with the same methods to see whether the original findings are confirmed
    • Falsification, which tests a hypothesis by attempting to show that it is false through repeated experimental manipulation
    • Grounded theory, which develops categories and theoretical explanations inductively from systematically analysed data
    • Operationalisation, which translates an abstract concept into measurable indicators that can be recorded in a questionnaire

  10. Which concept refers to the translation of an abstract concept into measurable indicators?

    • Verstehen, which describes the interpretive understanding of the meanings that actors attach to their own social conduct
    • Paradigm shift, which describes a major change in the shared assumptions of a scientific community over a period of years
    • Structuration, which describes the mutual constitution of structure and agency through the repeated actions of individuals
    • Operationalisation, which specifies the observable indicators used to measure a concept such as social class or deprivation

  11. What is the main criticism of the view that sociology can be entirely objective?

    • Researchers can always remove all personal influence from their work simply by using quantitative data in their analysis
    • Researchers are never influenced by their social position, since training in research methods removes all personal values
    • Researchers' values, social positions and choices of topic can influence what is studied and how it is interpreted
    • Researchers' values have no influence on research, since data collected through surveys are always entirely neutral in content

  12. Which statement about hypothesis testing in social research is most accurate?

    • A hypothesis is a testable statement about the relationship between variables, which can be supported or rejected by evidence
    • A hypothesis is a proven fact about society that requires no further testing, since it has been confirmed by an earlier study
    • A hypothesis is a personal opinion that cannot be tested with evidence, since it reflects only the researcher's beliefs
    • A hypothesis is a general statement about moral values that cannot be linked to any observable data in a research project

  13. Which claim does Popper's approach imply about social science?

    • Social science should avoid making any claims at all, since every claim about society is necessarily false and unscientific
    • Social science should be based only on personal experience, since only personal experience can produce certain knowledge
    • Social science should accept any claim that agrees with common sense, since common sense always provides the best evidence
    • Social science should formulate claims that can be exposed to tests which could show them to be wrong

  14. Why might a researcher's theory influence what counts as 'evidence'?

    • A theory is simply a list of facts, so it cannot shape the interpretation of any evidence that a researcher collects
    • A theory never affects evidence, because facts are always collected in the same way by all researchers regardless of their ideas
    • A theory determines evidence only in the natural sciences, so sociological data are unaffected by the theoretical framework used
    • A theory directs attention to particular aspects of social life and shapes how observations are categorised and interpreted

  15. What does 'replication' contribute to the scientific standing of research?

    • It allows the original researcher to avoid writing a full report, since repeated results can be summarised in a single sentence
    • It allows other researchers to test whether findings hold up under similar conditions, strengthening confidence in them
    • It allows the findings to be kept secret, since replicated results are never published in any form in academic journals
    • It allows the researcher to change the original hypothesis to fit the new results, which removes the need for any testing at all

  16. Which of these best describes the 'hypothetico-deductive' model of science?

    • Deriving testable predictions from a theory and checking them against evidence, rejecting the theory if predictions fail
    • Describing social life through narrative accounts alone, without making predictions or testing any claims against observation
    • Accepting a theory on the basis of the authority of its founder, without any need to examine evidence for or against it
    • Collecting as much data as possible before forming any theory, so that the theory emerges entirely from the accumulated observations

  17. A researcher finds that a theory predicts a rise in crime after a policy change, but crime falls. What should the researcher consider?

    • The theory may be falsified or need revision, so the evidence should be used to reassess the theory rather than ignored
    • The theory must be correct, since any evidence that contradicts it must always be the result of error in data collection
    • The theory cannot be tested, so the researcher should abandon all attempts to compare its predictions with the data
    • The theory is unimportant, so the researcher should choose a new topic without considering why the prediction failed

  18. Which feature best distinguishes a paradigm from a theory, according to Kuhn?

    • A paradigm is a broader framework that includes shared exemplars, assumptions and methods, not only a set of propositions
    • A paradigm is always a government policy, whereas a theory is always an academic idea developed in universities
    • A paradigm is a single statistical test used in every study, whereas a theory is a set of general claims about society
    • A paradigm is a personal belief held by one researcher, whereas a theory is a view shared by the whole scientific community

  19. Which feature is characteristic of inductive reasoning in social research?

    • Generalisations are drawn from particular observations, which may be revised as new evidence emerges
    • Conclusions are fixed in advance by the research question, so the data collected cannot change the final interpretation
    • Conclusions are certain once they have been logically derived from premises, so no further evidence is ever needed
    • Conclusions are drawn from the authority of established theorists, without any reference to particular observations

  20. What is a 'null hypothesis' in statistical testing?

    • A statement that all variables are equal in size and importance, so that no weighting is needed when results are combined in a model
    • A statement that there is no relationship between the variables, which the researcher tests to see whether the data allow it to be rejected
    • A statement that the researcher's favoured explanation is true, which is accepted without testing if it fits the common sense of the field
    • A statement that the sample is empty and contains no participants, so no statistical analysis can be carried out on the data at all

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