CHAP 1: WAYS OF KNOWING

Question 1

What are the 5 kinds of Evidence we rely on to help us explain things?

Answer 1

5 kinds of evidence:

1. LOGICAL ANALYSIS (unemployed -> depressed -> divorced)
2. Advice of AUTHORITIES/ experts (not always true) (not always an actual expert) (a teacher advice on ways of learning)
3. CONSENSUS of our peers (getting others’ opinions, not objective because they’re often like us)
4. Further OBSERVATION that we may make (Can’t see the big picture)
5. Reflections about PAST EXPERIENCE and behaviors (False memories)

Question 2

How do #SocialSciences differ from #CasualObservation?

Answer 2

at least in 2 WAYS:

1. # SSC rely on systematic formulation of VARIABLES + collection&analysis of EMPIRICAL DATA
2. They study the inherent BIASES in the explanations evaluating process and DESIGN THEIR STUDIES to minimize the BIASES.

Question 3

WHAT IS A SCIENTIFIC STANCE?

Answer 3

ALWAYS SKEPTICAL ONE

Question 4

CH1 What is an INDEPENDENT?

Answer 4

a VARIABLE (usu. X) whose vibration does not depend on the vibration of another

Question 5

CH1 What is a DEPENDENT?

Answer 5

a VARIABLE (Y) whose values depend on that of another

Question 6

CH1 What is a CONSTRUCT?

Answer 6

a CONSTRUCT is an ABSTRACT IDEA we want to MEASURE (love, intelligence, confidence)

Question 7

CH1 What is a OPERATIONAL DEFINITION?

Answer 7

A SET OF PROCEDURES TO MEASURE/ MANIPULATE CONSTRUCT

Question 8

CH1 WHAT IS A SSC HYPOTHESIS?

Answer 8

A FALSIFIABLE STATEMENT OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN 2+ CONSTRUCTS RELATED TO HUMAN SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

Question 9

WHAT CAN WE DO TO ‘MAXIMISE CONSTRUCT VALIDITY’?

Answer 9

WE NEED TO MEASURE EACH ‘CONSTRUCT’ IN >1 WAY

-> USE MUL #OD => COMPARE THEM => SEE IF THEY MEASURE THE SAME THINGS

Question 10

WHAT IS ‘INTERNAL VALIDITY’?

Answer 10

THE EXTENT TO WHICH ‘RESEARCH DESIGN’ ALLOWS US TO DRAW #CAUSAL_CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE ‘EFFECT’ OF THE “INDEPENDENT VARIABLE” ON “DEPENDENT VARIABLE”

Question 11

WHAT IS “EXTERNAL VALIDITY”?

Answer 11

THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE CAN #GENERALISE FROM ‘RESEARCH SAMPLE’ & SETTING TO THE POPULATIONS & SETTINGS IN THE “RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS”

Question 12

WHAT THE HELL IS CORRELATIONAL FALLACY?

Answer 12

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

Question 13

WTF IS QUALITATIVE RESEARCH?

Answer 13

NON-NUMERICAL DATA RESEARCH

Question 14

WTF IS QUANTITIVE RESEARCH?

Answer 14

NUMERICAL DATA RESEARCH

Question 15

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF A RESEARCH HAS RELIABILITY?

Answer 15

IF #REPETITION_OF_RESEARCH => SAME RESULTS

Question 16

WHEN CAN SMTH #ACHIEVE_RELIABILITY? (4 CRITERIA)

Answer 16

1. LARGE SAMPLE
2. TEST-RETEST
3. MULTIPLE METHODS
4. SPLIT-HALF

Question 17

CAN RESULTS BE “RELIABLE” BUT NOT “VALID”?

Answer 17

YES!

Question 18

CAN “NON-RELIABLE RESULTS” BE VALID?

Answer 18

NEVER!!

Question 19

WHAT IS A “MANIPULATED VARIABLE”?

Answer 19

AN “INDEPENDENT VARIABLE” IS #CREATED RATHER THAN #MEASURED

Question 20

WHAT DOES “SYSTEMATIC ERROR” REFLECT?

Answer 20

INFLUENCES FROM OTHER CONSTRUCTS BESIDES THE DESIRED ONES

CAUSES:

1. faulty equipment
2. flawed experiment design

Question 21

WHAT DOES “RANDOM ERROR” REFLECT?

Answer 21

NON-SYSTEMATIC, EVER-CHANGING INFLUENCES ON THE SCORE (P.81)

Question 22

HOW CAN WE DEFINE THE “RELIABILITY” OF A #MEASURE?

Answer 22

THE EXTENT TO WHICH IT IS #FREE FROM #RANDOM_ERROR

Question 23

WHAT IS #INDUCTIVE MANNER IN RESEARCHING?

Answer 23

OBSERVATION -> HYPOTHESES

Question 24

WHAT IS #DEDUCTIVE MANNER IN RESEARCHING?

Answer 24

HYPOTHESES -> OBSERVATION

Question 25

WHAT IS “VALIDITY”?

Answer 25

THE EXTENT TO WHICH A #MEASURE REFLECTS ONLY THE “DESIRED CONSTRUCT” WITHOUT CONTAMINATION FROM OTHER “SYSTEMATICALLY VARYING CONSTRUCTS”.

Question 26

WHAT IS #EMPIRICAL RESEARCH?

Answer 26

OBSERVATION THAT IS #SYSTEMATIC IN AN ATTEMPT TO #AVOID_BIASES

Question 27

WHAT IS OPERATIONISM?
->THE ASSUMPTION THAT

a. ALL CONSTRUCTS CAN’T BE MEASURED/ OBSERVED.
b. ALL CONSTRUCTS CAN BE MEASURED/ OBSERVED.

Answer 27

B. ALL CONSTRUCTS CAN BE MEASURED/ OBSERVED.

Question 28

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.

Answer 28

C. AN #EMPIRICAL RESEARCH REVEALS THE “SAME” CONCLUSION AS THE PREVIOUSLY CONDUCTED.