Chapter 7 Flashcards
Social Scientists have 3 Tasks
Exploration
Description
Explanation
Research Design
we mean the process of
hypothesis specification, design of the
intervention/experiment/comparison/data
collection
Descriptive Research
Describe a particular phenomenon or experience
in its natural state
* There is no manipulation of behaviors
Typically no prior knowledge / hypotheses
guide this type of research
Quantitative or qualitative in nature
Idiographic Explanation
Exhaustive understanding of all the underlying causesof a
single case
Nomographic Explanation
Searching for a small number of factors that account for an
outcome across a large number of cases.
– On average, or most of the time, not all the time.
Correlational Research
Looks at relationships between two or more
variables
* Does not examine how one variable impacts another
Types of Relationships
None
Positive
Negative
Inverse
Cross Sectional Studies
Take place at a single point in time, but may capture info
on different individuals
*Repeated measures designs
Longitudinal Studies
Longitudinal studies
–Follow the same individuals over multiple measurement
waves
Qualitative Data
Data that are in the form of text, pictures, sounds, etc
Quantitative Data
Data that are in numeric form
Variables
a quantity that may change within
a context
Attribute Requirements
Exhaustive + Mutually Exclusive
Units of Analysis
Individuals
Groups
Artifacts
Geographical Units
Social Interactions
Hypothesis
is a predictive statement about a possible outcome
* Often tests the relationship between two variables
Alternative Hypothesis
A specific statement of prediction stating what you expect will happen in your
study
Null Hypothesis
A specific statement that predicts there will be no effect of a program or
treatment you are studying
One-Tailed Hypothesis
A hypothesis that specifies a direction
Two-Tailed Hypothesis
A hypothesis that does not specify a direction
