Midterm 1

Question 1

What are the five steps of the scientific method?

Answer 1

1. Observe some aspect of the universe (in this case, something
   related to politics)
2. Generate a hypothesis about some causal relationship: a
   tentative one that explains what you observed
3. Use the hypothesis to make predictions
4. Test those predictions by experiments or further observation
   or data collection
5. Repeat: replicate, question, and redesign

Question 2

Inductive Reasoning

Answer 2

reasoning from the data

Question 3

Deductive Reasoning

Answer 3

reasoning from general principles

Question 4

Systematic:

Answer 4

methodical, organized, orderly; follows a clear
and justifiable series of steps

Question 5

Empirical

Answer 5

how the world works (causal questions)

Question 6

Factual/procedural

Answer 6

– Describes the facts of the world

Question 7

Hypothetical

Answer 7

– what might be in the future

Question 8

Normative

Answer 8

– How the world should be

Question 9

What are the four key components of a theory?

Answer 9

1. expectation (or prediction or hypothesis)
2. causal mechanism
3. assumptions
4. scope conditions

Question 10

Hypthesis/ expectation

Answer 10

What is the basic prediction of your theory?
– What is the relationship between the key variables you are
interested in?

Question 11

Dependent Variable (Y)

Answer 11

Relies on the independent variable (Y)

Question 12

Independent Variable (X)

Answer 12

Variable that affects/causes the DV

Question 13

Causal Mechanism

Answer 13

The chain of events leading from the IV to the DV

Question 14

Assumptions

Answer 14

Factors that are assumed to be true/false in your theory

Question 15

Scope Conditions

Answer 15

When/ Where your theory is applicable

Question 16

Observable Implication

Answer 16

Things that you would expect to be
true (or to see) if your theory is correct

Question 17

Unit of Analysis

Answer 17

The cases or entities you study, the unit of
observation

Question 18

Ecological fallacy (also known as aggregation bias)

Answer 18

failure in reasoning that arises when you draw an inference
about an individual based on aggregate data for a group

Question 19

bivariate

Answer 19

2 variables (X causes Y)

Question 20

multivariate

Answer 20

More than 2 variables (X and Z cause Y)

Question 21

Correlation

Answer 21

an association between two variables

Question 22

4 hurdles to establishing a causal relationship

Answer 22

1. Is there a correlation between X and y?
2. Can we rule out reverse causation?
3. Is there a credible causal mechanism?
4. Have we controlled for all confounding variables?

Question 23

Reverse causation:

Answer 23

the possibility that Y could cause X

Question 24

Confounding variable

Answer 24

a variable (Z) that is correlated with both the IV (X) and the DV (Y) and that somehow alters the
relationship between the two

Question 25

What are the four hurdles for causal relationships.

Answer 25

1. Is there a correlation between X and Y
2. Reverse causation
3. Is there a credible causation relationship
4. Control for Confounding variables

Question 26

test-retest

Answer 26

can the experiment be repeated by another person and get simular results

Question 27

internal consistancy

Answer 27

Is there agreement among the questions asked?

Question 28

intercode reliability

Answer 28

Will different observers get the same results?

Question 29

convergent validation

Answer 29

Comparison of your measure compared to others that study the same thing

Question 30

Construct validation

Answer 30

Does the measure correspond
theoretically to what you are trying to measure?

Question 31

Conceptualization

Answer 31

How would you know it if you saw it/ What do the IV and DV mean

Question 32

Operationalizing

Answer 32

How would you recognize it (observable features)

Question 33

Substantive Intepretation

Answer 33

for every change in X, what changes in Y

Question 34

r^2

Answer 34

How well the model fits the data- higher is a better fit

Question 35

N

Answer 35

How many were measured of the Unit of analysis

Question 36

sampling statistic

Answer 36

single measure of some attribute of a sample

Question 37

sampling error

Answer 37

Difference between what is true and what is estimated (cannot know)

Question 38

standard error

Answer 38

Average sampling error for sampling size

Question 39

Beta Coefficient

Answer 39

the slope of the lineX/Y