Chapter Fifteen

Question 1

Interpretivism

Answer 1

An epistemological position that requires the social scientist to grasp the subjective meanings that people attach to their actions and behaviours.

Question 2

Multi-srategy Research

Answer 2

Research that combines quantitative and qualitative approaches.

Question 3

Objectivism

Answer 3

An ontological position according to which social phenomena have an existence independent of social actors or their perceptions.

Question 4

Analytic Induction

Answer 4

An approach to the analysis of qualitative data in which the collection of data continues and the hypothesis is modified until no cases inconsistent with it are found.

Question 5

Experiment

Answer 5

A research design that rules out alternative explanations of findings deriving from it (in other words, that possesses internal validity) because it involves (a) both an experimental group, which is exposed to a treatment, and a control group, which is not, and (b) random assignment to the two groups.

Question 6

Reactivity

Answer 6

The effect on research participants of knowing that they are being studied, which may result in atypical or inauthentic behaviour.