chapter 1 human inquiry and science

Question 1

epistemology

Answer 1

the science of knowing; systems of knowledge.

Question 2

methodology

Answer 2

the science of finding out; procedures for scientific investigation.

Question 3

agreement reality

Answer 3

those things we ‘‘know’’ as part and parcel of the culture of the culture we share with those around us.

Question 4

replication

Answer 4

repeating a research study to test and either confirm or question the findings of an earlier study.

Question 5

theory

Answer 5

a systematic explanation for the observations that relate to a particular aspect of life: juvenile delinquency, for example, or perhaps social stratification or political revolution.

Question 6

variables

Answer 6

Logical sets of attributes. The variable sex is

made up of the attributes male and female.

Question 7

attributes

Answer 7

characteristics of people or things.

Question 8

independent variable

Answer 8

A variable with values that are not problematic in an analysis but are taken as simply given. An independent variable is presumed to cause or determine a dependent variable.

Question 9

dependent variable

Answer 9

a variable assumed to depend on or be caused by another ( called the independent variable). If you find that income is partly a function of amount of formal education, income is being treated as a dependent variable.

Question 10

idiographic

Answer 10

an approach to explanation in which we seek to exhaust the idiosyncratic causes of a particular condition or event. in this case means unique, seperate, peculiar or distinct.
Imagine trying to list all the reasons why you chose to attend your particular college. Given all those reasons, it’s difficult to imagine your making any other choice.

Question 11

nomothetic

Answer 11

an approach to explanation in which we seek to identify a few causal factors that generally impact a class of conditions or events. Imagine the two or three key factors that determine which colleges students choose- proximity, reputation, and so forth.

Question 12

induction

Answer 12

the logical model in which general principles are developed from specific observations. Having noted that Jews and Catholics are more likely to vote democratic than protestants are, you might conclude that religious minorities in the United States are more affiliated with the Democratic party and then your task is to explain why. This would be an example of induction.

Question 13

deduction

Answer 13

the logical model in which specific explanations of hypotheses are developed on the basis of general principles. Starting from the general principle that all deans are meanies, you might anticipate that this one won’t let you change courses. This anticipation would be the result of deduction.

Question 14

tolerance for ambiguity

Answer 14

the ability to hold conflicting ideas in your mind simultaneously, without denying or dismissing any of them.