exam 2 ajs Flashcards
pre-testing
The measurement of the dependent variable among subjects.
post testing
The remeasurement of a dependent variable among subjects after they’ve been exposed to an independent variable
experimental group
in experimentation, a group of subjects to whom an experimental stimulus is administered
Control group
in experimentation, a group of subjects to whom no experimental stimulus is administered and who should resemble the experimental group in all other respects. A comparison of the control group and experimental group at the end of the experiment points to the effect of the experimental stimulus
double-blind experiment
An experimental design in which neither the subjects nor the experimenters know which is the experimental group andwhich is the control group
randomization
A technique for assigning experimental subjects to experimental and control groups randomly.
matching
in connection with experiments, the procedure whereby pairs of subjects are matched on the basis of their similarities on one or more variables, and one member of the pair is assigned to the experimental group and the other to the control group.
internal invalidity
refers to the possibility that the conclusions drawn from experimental results may not accurately reflect what went on in the experiment itself.
external invalidity
refers to the possibility that conclusions drawn from experimental results may not be generalizable to the “real” world.
respondent
A person who provides data for analysis by responding to her survey questionnaire.
questionnaire
A document containing questions and other types of items designed to solicit information appropriate for analysis. Questionnaires are used primarily on survey research but also in experiments, field research, and other modes of observation.
Open ended questions.
questions for which the respondent is asked to provide his or her own answers. In-depth, qualitative interviewing relies almost exclusively on open ended questions.
closed ended questions
Survey questions in which the respondent is asked to select an answer from among a list provided by the researcher. Popular in survey research because they provide a greater uniformity of responses and are more easily processed then open ended questions.
bias
that quality of a measurement device that tends to result in a misrepresentation of what is being measured in a particular direction. For example, the questionnaire item ‘‘Don’t you agree that the president is doing a good job?’’ would be biased in that it would generally encourage more favorable responses.
contingency question
a survey question intended for only some respondents, determined by their responses to some other question. For example, all respondents might be asked whether they belong to the cosa nostra, and only those who said yes would be asked how often they go to company meetings and picnics. The latter would be a contingency question.
matrix questions
offer an efficient format for presenting a set of closed- ended questionnaire items that have the same response categories.
response rate
the number of people participating in a survey divided by the number selected in the sample, in the form of a percentage.This is also called the the completion rate or, in self- administered surveys, the return rate: the percentage of questionnaires sent out that are returned.
interview
A data- collection encounter in which one person ( an interviewer) asks questions of another ( a respondent). Interviews may be conducted face-to face- or by telephone.
probe
a technique employed in interviewing to solicit a more complete answer to a question. It is a nondirective phrase or question used to encourage a respondent to elaborate on an answer. Examples include ‘’ Anything more?’’ and ‘’ How is that?’’
random-digit dialing
a sampling technique in which random numbers are selected from within the ranges of numbers assigned to active telephones.
computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI)
A data- collection technique in which a telephone- survey questionnaire is stored in a computer, permitting the interviewer to read the questions from the monitor and enter the answers on the computer keyboard.
secondary analysis
a form of research in which the data collected and processed by one researcher are reanalyzed- often for a different purpose- by another. This is especially appropriate in the case of survey data. Data archives are repositories or libraries for the storage and distribution of data for secondary analysis.
reactivity
the problem that the subjects of social research may react to the fact of being studied, thus altering their behavior from what it would have been normally.
naturalism
an approach to field research based on the assumption that an objective social reality exists and can be observed and reported accurately.
ethnography
a report on social life that focuses on detailed and accurate description rather than explanation.
ethnomethodology
an approach to the study of social life that focuses on the discovery of implicit, usually unspoken assumptions and agreements; this method often involves the intentional breaking of agreements as a way of revealing their existence.
grounded theory
An inductive approach to the study of social life that attempts to generate a theory from the constant comparing of unfolding observations. This is very different from hypothesis testing, in which theory is used to generate hypotheses to be tested through observations.
case study
The in-depth examination of a single instance of some social phenomenon, such as a village, a family, or a juvenile gang.
extended case method
a technique developed by Michael Burawoy in which case study observations are used to discover flaws in and to improve existing social theories.
institutional ethnography
a research technique in which the personal experiences of individuals are used to reveal power relationships and other characteristics of the institutions within which they operate.
participatory action research (PAR)
an approach to social research in which the people being studied are given control over the purpose and procedures of the research; intended as a counter to the implicit view that researchers are superior to those they study.
emancipatory research
research conducted for the purpose of benefiting disadvantaged groups.
rapport
an open and trusting relationship; especially important in qualitative research between researchers and the people they’re observing.
qualitative interview
contrasted with survey interviewing, the qualitative interview is based on a set of topics to be discussed in depth rather than based on the use of standardized questions.
focus group
a group of subjects interviewed together, prompting a discussion. The technique is frequently used by market researchers, who ask a group of consumers to evaluate a product or discuss a type of commodity, for example.
evaluation research
research undertaken for the purpose of determining the impact of some social intervention, such as a program aimed at solving a social problem.
needs assessment studies
studies that aim to determine the existence and extent of problems, typically among a segment of the population, such as the elderly.
cost benefit studies
studies that determine whether the results of a program can be justified by its expense (both financial and other)
monitoring studies
studies that provide a steady flow of information about something of interest, such as crime rates or the outbreak of an epidemic.
program evaluation/ outcome assessment
the determination of whether a social intervention is producing the intended result.
quasi experiments
Non-rigorous inquiries somewhat resembling controlled experiments but lacking key elements such as pre- and post-testing and/or control groups.
time-series design
a research design that involves measurements made over some period, such as the study of traffic accident rates before and after lowering the speed limit.
nonequivalent control group
a control group that is similar to the experimental group but is not created by the random assignment of subjects. This sort of control group differs significantly from the experimental group in terms of the dependent variable or variables related to it.
multiple time- series designs
The use of more than one set of data that were collected over time, as in accident rates over time in several states or cities, so that comparisons can be made.
social indicators
Measurements that reflect the quality or nature of social life, such as crime rates, infant mortality rates, number of physicians per 100,000 population, and so forth. Social indicators are often monitored to determine the nature of social change in a society.
experiments involve what
taking action and observing consequences of that action
what types of projects are experiments good for
they are well suited for projects involving limited and well defined concepts and propositions. Such as hypothesis testing, better suited for explanatory than descriptive, and good for small group interaction.
what are the three major components of a classical experiment.
- independent and dependent variables. 2. pre testing and post testing. 3. experimental and control groups.
independent variable
cause in the case of experiments we refer to this as the stimulus ( present or not present)
dependent variable
the effect.