RSC2601
Research In Social Sciences
Full Exam Pack 2024 Exam
Preparation.Compilation of past
UNISA Exam,Questions and answers,
With MCQs for Assignments and
Examinations.
RSC2601 – Research in Social
Sciences
1
EXAM PREPARATION
This document is a compilation of past UNISA exam Questions and Answers,
Assignment Questions and Answers, as well as Test Yourself Questions and
Answers from Studyguide.
Answers are motivated by a
combination of: Page references
to the UNISA Study Guide:
Short summaries regarding the relevant topic(s) in question.
Past exams covered are:
May/Jun 2016
Oct/Nov 2016
May/Jun 2017
Oct/Nov 2017
May/Jun 2018
Oct/Nov 2018
May/Jun 2019
Oct/Nov 2019
, May/Jun 2020
Oct/Nov 2020
May/jun 2021
Oct/Nov 2021
May/Jun 2022
Oct/Nov2022
May/Jun 2023
Oct/Nov 2023
Assignment
Previous Assignment 2
Previous Assignment 3
Previous Assignment 4
Semester 1 Assignment 1 (2021)
Semester 1 Assignment 2 (2021)
Semester 2 Assignment 1 (2021)
Semester 2 Assignment 2 (2021)
RSC2601 – Research in Social
Sciences
May/Jun 2016
2
QUESTION 1
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 anagricultural development project. Being of her high status, she
speaks with authority.
The research results obtained by this person must be:
accepted unquestioningly because of the high academic standing of the
researcherrejected because authority is not a valid way to gain knowledge
rejected because participation is a form of common sense knowledge
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,
thatperson 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:overgeneralization
selective
observation
ego
involvement
stress
The correct answer is (2) SG p9
Overgeneralisation may lead to selective observation. Once the decision is made that
eventsare 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
overlookthe 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:
medi
a
myth
s
auth
ority
mythical interpretation of technology
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
onknowledge. Most people learn
RSC2601 – Research in Social
Sciences
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 3
the media is to entertain, not to present reality accurately. Writers who adapt real
life for 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:
social reality and natural reality can be studied in the
same waysocial reality is inherently meaningful
human beings are reflexive
patriarchy is common in traditional societies
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:
establishes a crucial relationship between juvenile delinquency and
povertytreats juvenile delinquency as a fact
provides reasons for juvenile delinquency
focuses on causation rather than description
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 witheach 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: values are not important by positivists
to research
positivists distance themselves in research from their own
valuesobjective findings can be made about social reality
the values of the positivist must take precedence in the research
processobjectivity is pursued by using standardized research
procedures
a), c), e)
Research In Social Sciences
Full Exam Pack 2024 Exam
Preparation.Compilation of past
UNISA Exam,Questions and answers,
With MCQs for Assignments and
Examinations.
RSC2601 – Research in Social
Sciences
1
EXAM PREPARATION
This document is a compilation of past UNISA exam Questions and Answers,
Assignment Questions and Answers, as well as Test Yourself Questions and
Answers from Studyguide.
Answers are motivated by a
combination of: Page references
to the UNISA Study Guide:
Short summaries regarding the relevant topic(s) in question.
Past exams covered are:
May/Jun 2016
Oct/Nov 2016
May/Jun 2017
Oct/Nov 2017
May/Jun 2018
Oct/Nov 2018
May/Jun 2019
Oct/Nov 2019
, May/Jun 2020
Oct/Nov 2020
May/jun 2021
Oct/Nov 2021
May/Jun 2022
Oct/Nov2022
May/Jun 2023
Oct/Nov 2023
Assignment
Previous Assignment 2
Previous Assignment 3
Previous Assignment 4
Semester 1 Assignment 1 (2021)
Semester 1 Assignment 2 (2021)
Semester 2 Assignment 1 (2021)
Semester 2 Assignment 2 (2021)
RSC2601 – Research in Social
Sciences
May/Jun 2016
2
QUESTION 1
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 anagricultural development project. Being of her high status, she
speaks with authority.
The research results obtained by this person must be:
accepted unquestioningly because of the high academic standing of the
researcherrejected because authority is not a valid way to gain knowledge
rejected because participation is a form of common sense knowledge
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,
thatperson 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:overgeneralization
selective
observation
ego
involvement
stress
The correct answer is (2) SG p9
Overgeneralisation may lead to selective observation. Once the decision is made that
eventsare 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
overlookthe 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:
medi
a
myth
s
auth
ority
mythical interpretation of technology
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
onknowledge. Most people learn
RSC2601 – Research in Social
Sciences
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 3
the media is to entertain, not to present reality accurately. Writers who adapt real
life for 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:
social reality and natural reality can be studied in the
same waysocial reality is inherently meaningful
human beings are reflexive
patriarchy is common in traditional societies
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:
establishes a crucial relationship between juvenile delinquency and
povertytreats juvenile delinquency as a fact
provides reasons for juvenile delinquency
focuses on causation rather than description
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 witheach 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: values are not important by positivists
to research
positivists distance themselves in research from their own
valuesobjective findings can be made about social reality
the values of the positivist must take precedence in the research
processobjectivity is pursued by using standardized research
procedures
a), c), e)
