CHAP 1: WAYS OF KNOWING Flashcards
Learn Vocab
What are the 5 kinds of Evidence we rely on to help us explain things?
5 kinds of evidence:
- LOGICAL ANALYSIS (unemployed -> depressed -> divorced)
- Advice of AUTHORITIES/ experts (not always true) (not always an actual expert) (a teacher advice on ways of learning)
- CONSENSUS of our peers (getting others’ opinions, not objective because they’re often like us)
- Further OBSERVATION that we may make (Can’t see the big picture)
- Reflections about PAST EXPERIENCE and behaviors (False memories)
How do #SocialSciences differ from #CasualObservation?
at least in 2 WAYS:
- # SSC rely on systematic formulation of VARIABLES + collection&analysis of EMPIRICAL DATA
- They study the inherent BIASES in the explanations evaluating process and DESIGN THEIR STUDIES to minimize the BIASES.
WHAT IS A SCIENTIFIC STANCE?
ALWAYS SKEPTICAL ONE
CH1 What is an INDEPENDENT?
a VARIABLE (usu. X) whose vibration does not depend on the vibration of another
CH1 What is a DEPENDENT?
a VARIABLE (Y) whose values depend on that of another
CH1 What is a CONSTRUCT?
a CONSTRUCT is an ABSTRACT IDEA we want to MEASURE (love, intelligence, confidence)
CH1 What is a OPERATIONAL DEFINITION?
A SET OF PROCEDURES TO MEASURE/ MANIPULATE CONSTRUCT
CH1 WHAT IS A SSC HYPOTHESIS?
A FALSIFIABLE STATEMENT OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN 2+ CONSTRUCTS RELATED TO HUMAN SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
WHAT CAN WE DO TO ‘MAXIMISE CONSTRUCT VALIDITY’?
WE NEED TO MEASURE EACH ‘CONSTRUCT’ IN >1 WAY
-> USE MUL #OD => COMPARE THEM => SEE IF THEY MEASURE THE SAME THINGS
WHAT IS ‘INTERNAL VALIDITY’?
THE EXTENT TO WHICH ‘RESEARCH DESIGN’ ALLOWS US TO DRAW #CAUSAL_CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE ‘EFFECT’ OF THE “INDEPENDENT VARIABLE” ON “DEPENDENT VARIABLE”
WHAT IS “EXTERNAL VALIDITY”?
THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE CAN #GENERALISE FROM ‘RESEARCH SAMPLE’ & SETTING TO THE POPULATIONS & SETTINGS IN THE “RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS”
WHAT THE HELL IS CORRELATIONAL FALLACY?
INAPPROPRIATELY INFERRING #CAUSALITY FROM A “SIMPLE ASSOCIATION” BTW 2 VARIABLES
#CORRELATION DOESNOT MEAN CAUSALITY #A HAPPENS WHEN B HAPPENS DOESNOT MEAN A CAUSES B TO HAPPEN
WTF IS QUALITATIVE RESEARCH?
NON-NUMERICAL DATA RESEARCH
WTF IS QUANTITIVE RESEARCH?
NUMERICAL DATA RESEARCH
HOW CAN YOU TELL IF A RESEARCH HAS RELIABILITY?
IF #REPETITION_OF_RESEARCH => SAME RESULTS
WHEN CAN SMTH #ACHIEVE_RELIABILITY? (4 CRITERIA)
- LARGE SAMPLE
- TEST-RETEST
- MULTIPLE METHODS
- SPLIT-HALF
CAN RESULTS BE “RELIABLE” BUT NOT “VALID”?
YES!
CAN “NON-RELIABLE RESULTS” BE VALID?
NEVER!!
WHAT IS A “MANIPULATED VARIABLE”?
AN “INDEPENDENT VARIABLE” IS #CREATED RATHER THAN #MEASURED
WHAT DOES “SYSTEMATIC ERROR” REFLECT?
INFLUENCES FROM OTHER CONSTRUCTS BESIDES THE DESIRED ONES
CAUSES:
- faulty equipment
- flawed experiment design
WHAT DOES “RANDOM ERROR” REFLECT?
NON-SYSTEMATIC, EVER-CHANGING INFLUENCES ON THE SCORE (P.81)
HOW CAN WE DEFINE THE “RELIABILITY” OF A #MEASURE?
THE EXTENT TO WHICH IT IS #FREE FROM #RANDOM_ERROR
WHAT IS #INDUCTIVE MANNER IN RESEARCHING?
OBSERVATION -> HYPOTHESES
WHAT IS #DEDUCTIVE MANNER IN RESEARCHING?
HYPOTHESES -> OBSERVATION
WHAT IS “VALIDITY”?
THE EXTENT TO WHICH A #MEASURE REFLECTS ONLY THE “DESIRED CONSTRUCT” WITHOUT CONTAMINATION FROM OTHER “SYSTEMATICALLY VARYING CONSTRUCTS”.
WHAT IS #EMPIRICAL RESEARCH?
OBSERVATION THAT IS #SYSTEMATIC IN AN ATTEMPT TO #AVOID_BIASES
WHAT IS OPERATIONISM?
->THE ASSUMPTION THAT
a. ALL CONSTRUCTS CAN’T BE MEASURED/ OBSERVED.
b. ALL CONSTRUCTS CAN BE MEASURED/ OBSERVED.
B. ALL CONSTRUCTS CAN BE MEASURED/ OBSERVED.
WHAT IS A “REPLICATION”?
=> AN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH THAT
a. “REPEATS” WHAT A PREVIOUS ONE HAD DONE
b. REVEALS A “DIFFERENT” CONCLUSION FROM A PREVIOUSLY CONDUCTED ONE.
c. REVEALS THE “SAME” CONCLUSION AS ONE PREVIOUSLY CONDUCTED.
C. AN #EMPIRICAL RESEARCH REVEALS THE “SAME” CONCLUSION AS THE PREVIOUSLY CONDUCTED.
