Read the Following Vignette and Answer the Subsequent Questions to the Best

question 13

Multiple Choice

Read the following vignette and answer the subsequent questions to the best of your ability.
A sociologist is interested in studying the causes of suicide in society. She begins her research by developing a project in which she asks suicide survivors to discuss the reasons for committing suicide, the personal and social conditions that led to their decision to commit the act. In the second project, she examined another researcher's survey data from a national sample of U.S. citizens. Her first set of analysis found that depression is associated with the desire to commit suicide but many people who thought about committing suicide never made any attempt to do so. She also found that people who have experienced a stressful life event, such as a job loss or divorce, were more likely to report the desire to commit suicide.
-Which of the projects would probably be most useful for gaining deeper insights into the processes associated with deciding to commit suicide? Which is more representative of American's experience with suicide decisions?

• A) project 1; project 2
• B) project 2; project 1
• C) they are both equally insightful and representative
• D) neither are terribly insightful or representative

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Definitions:

Cortisol

A collective term for the glucocorticoid hormones, which are released into the bloodstream by the adrenal cortex as a response to physical or psychological stress.

Causal Link

A connection between two events or states, where one is the cause of the other, indicating a direct relationship that results in an effect.

Biological Processes

Biological processes refer to the complex interactions and activities within living organisms that result in growth, reproduction, and maintenance of life.

Social Behavior

Actions among individuals, how they interact, and the effects of their interactions on their community and society at large.