Chapter 9 (Sam)

Question 1

Fundamental problem of causal inference

Answer 1

the challenge that we face making causal inferences due to the fact that we cannot observe given cases in both their treated and untreated states.

Question 2

Random Assignment

Answer 2

the challenge that we face making causal inferences due to the fact that we cannot observe given cases in both their treated and untreated states.

Question 3

Experimental (treatment) group

Answer 3

a group of subjects exposed to the intervention of interest in an experiment; identical to the control group is all respects except that the control does not receive the treatment.

Question 4

control group

Answer 4

a group of subjects randomly assigned not to receive the treatment in an experiment; identical to the treatment group in all other respects.

Question 5

outliers

Answer 5

a case that differs significantly from the others in the distribution.

Question 6

single-blind design

Answer 6

an experimental design in which subjects remain unaware of various types of information—such as whether they are part of the treatment, placebo, or control group—in order to reduce the possible bias that this information could induce.

Question 7

double-blind design

Answer 7

a research design in which both the subjects and the research team are unaware of who receives the treatment and who receives a placebo; intended to reduce the risk of the researchers providing subjects with cues about how they should react and to control for bias in the data collection.

Question 8

Experimental Context

Answer 8

The experimental context is where the experiment occurs: in a laboratory, over the telephone, online, or in the real world. Contemplation of the experimental context is crucial. For instance, it might be unwise to test whether subjects are responsive to the subtleties of a TV political advertisement if they are recruited in a mall while doing last-minute Christmas shopping.

Question 9

placebo group

Answer 9

a form of stimulus that does not contain the precise treatment the researcher is testing; often takes a form similar to the experimental treatment without exposing subjects to the specific ingredient that is hypothesized to have a causal effect (e.g., a sugar pill); a type of control group in that it offers the experimenter a point of reference to estimate the treatment’s effect.

Question 10

between-subjects design

Answer 10

an experimental design in which different subjects are randomly assigned to various treatment and control groups; causality is inferred based on post-treatment differences observed between these groups.

Question 11

within-subjects design

Answer 11

an experimental design in which researchers evaluate subjects before and after exposure to a given treatment; may also involve comparisons made to the before and after observations of the control group; causality is inferred based on any differences observed between comparisons.

Question 12

stimulus (stimmy uh)

Answer 12

the treatment(s)—often involving exposure to different forms of information—to which subjects in an experimental group are exposed.

Question 13

factors (the parameters manipulated by the experimental design)

Answer 13

the parameters manipulated by the experimental design.

Question 14

levels

Answer 14

the different possible settings for a factor.

Question 15

factorial design

Answer 15

an experimental design where the researcher manipulates two or more factors simultaneously.

Question 16

Laboratory experiments

Answer 16

an experiment in which subjects are recruited to a common location where the researcher exerts a relatively large degree of control over the experimental setting.

Question 17

Survey experiments

Answer 17

an experiment implemented in the context of a survey involving the random manipulation of a part (or parts) of the survey instrument.

Question 18

split-ballot designs

Answer 18

a survey experiment that compares responses to various versions of a single survey.

Question 19

field experiment

Answer 19

an experiment that takes place in the subjects’ natural environment.

Question 20

natural experiment

Answer 20

a course of naturally occurring events in which different conditions appear to be randomly assigned to subjects without the planned intervention of the researcher (e.g., a lottery); to qualify as a natural experiment, assignment to experimental and control groups must be allocated as if by random assignment.

Question 21

quasi-experiments

Answer 21

studies that do not meet the full conditions of experimental design and that are not naturally occurring; a course of events in a subject’s environment that implies neither “as if” random assignment nor any planned intervention by the researcher.

Question 22

Case study

Answer 22

a method of analysis that involves an in-depth investigation of a single individual, group, or event; in political science, generally used with the intent of identifying general causal principles.

Question 23

Comparative research

Answer 23

: a research design that seeks to compare phenomena across different political systems or cultures.

Question 24

Counter-intuitive

Answer 24

: a condition that occurs when a situation, event, or outcome differs from dominant theoretical expectations or common sense.

Question 25

Descriptive case study

Answer 25

: a study that aims to chronicle or describe some aspect of reality; involves questions of who, what, where, and when.

Question 26

Equivalent measures

Answer 26

: indicators that measure the same concept across different countries, political systems, or cultures.

Question 27

Failed most-likely case

Answer 27

: a case that is expected to confirm the operating assumptions of a particular theory but in practice refutes them.

Question 28

Galton’s problem

Answer 28

: a problem in comparative research that emerges when the units under observation are not independent of one another.

Question 29

Most-different-systems design

Answer 29

: a comparative research design in which the researcher compares very different systems in an attempt to explain similarities between them.

Question 30

Most-similar-systems design

Answer 30

: a comparative research design in which the researcher compares very similar systems in an attempt to explain differences between them.

Question 31

Process tracing

Answer 31

: a research method that generates causal pathways between the independent and dependent variables of a case by connecting a series of observations.

Question 32

Scope conditions

Answer 32

: the limits to which particular research can make valid claims.

Question 33

Successful least-likely case.

Answer 33

: a case that is expected to refute the operating assumptions of a particular theory but in practice confirms them

Question 34

Theory testing case study

Answer 34

: research that seeks to modify an existing theory or generate a new theory.