Chapter 2 Flashcards
What is survey research?
Poll where researchers gather data from a subset of the population
What should the sample look like for survey research?
As random as possible
How is info gathered in survey research?
Questionnaire, mail, phone
What is the non response bias?
Systematic patterns of people who don’t respond to surveys (generally busy people)
What are the pros and cons to survey research?
Good for big populations, cheap, efficient, good for proving cause and effect
Forces answers, underestimates certain groups, **socially desirable response
What is secondary analysis?
Uses precollected data and analyzes other people’s statistics
What is content analysis?
Systematic examination of cultural artifacts/forms of comunication to extract thematic data
(EG biases in media, latent messages in cartoons, sexist comments in textbooks)
What is field research?
Study of social life in its natural setting
What is participant observation?
Collecting data while pretending to be a part of the group being studied
Why is participant observation sometimes preferred?
Get inside info, good for case studies- in depth analysis of a particular social setting
What are the pros and cons of field research?
Studying behavior in its natural setting, getting lots of data, voicing underrepresenting groups
Not generalizable data, emotionally involved
What is an ethnography?
Detailed study of life/activities of a group ofpeople by researchers who may live with them for years
What are the pros and cons of experiments?
You can control the situation and replicate it easily
Artificial, people act differently when they know they’re being watched (Hawthorne effect)
What are some of the guidelines for ethics?
Do no harm (Physical or psychological)
Informed concent
Do not deceive (with some exceptions)
Anonymity and confidentiality
No falsifying data
No plaigarism
What did the milligram experiment reveal?
People will do almost anything if put under pressure by authority.
