Midterm Flashcards
Sources of knowledge
- personal experience
- reason and intuition
- authority
- tradition
- systematic inquiry
The Global Achievement Gap
The seven survival skills
- critical thinking and problem solving
- collaboration across networks and leading by influence
- agility and adaptability
- initiative and entrepreneurialism
- effective oral and written communication
- accessing and analyzing information
- curiosity and imagination
Knowledge Representation
Knowledge is typically presented in the form of THEORIES. A theory is a means for simplifying and understanding complex realities–it is a model we use to explain what we observe
*all models are wrong, but some are useful
Theory
A theory is a means for simplifying and understanding complex realities–it is a model we use to explain what we observe
Hypothesis
Is a clear and concise testable statement, it is declarative
“Vanderbilt will win their game this weekend”
- a hypothesis is generated from a theory
- if the hypothesis is true, the theory is supported
Research Designs
Quantitative: Non-Experimental - descriptive - comparative - correlational - ex post facto Experimental - quasi-experimental - true experimental - single subject
Qualitative:
- case study
- ethnography
- phenomenology
- grounded theory
Descriptive research design
Information about the frequency or amount of something
- research that describes what things are
- average score on the exam
Comparative research design
Descriptions of the differences between groups
- differences between men and women on their exam scores
Correlational research design
Description of the relationship between or among variables
- one group and two variables
- any two variables are correlated
- correlations are all about predictions*
Ex Post Facto- After the Fact (not experimental)
There are some circumstances where it is impractical, unethical, or illegal to conduct an experiment to determine cause and effect, Ex Post Facto is used when this occurs.
- Ex Post Facto is a “reverse experiment” –after the fact subjects are assigned to “experimental” and “control” conditions using a PAIR-WISE matching procedure on independent variables that matter
Smoking and Birth Defects
- Birth defects is the dependent variable since it is an effect of some cause (independent variable)
- Identify independent variables that are likely to have an effect on the dependent variable!
(age, alcohol, drugs)
- Select a representative sample
- Split them into two groups based on smoking status and then pair-wise match them
- Count the number of babies with birth defects in each group
Single Subject (experimental)
Single-subject provides evidence for cause and effect relationship for a single individual
- is not about building theory but is conducted in order to determine if a treatment actually works for a person
Characteristics:
- ABAB
A- indicates baseline condition (w/o treatment)
B- indicates the treatment condition
Single Subject Design Requirements:
- Reliable measurement (multiple measures)
- Repeated measurement
- Clear description of the conditions - describe subjects carefully
- Baseline and treatment conditions
- One variable at a time is investigated
Experimental research design
an investigation categorized by the direct manipulation of one variable (the cause) so its effect can be seen on another variable (the effect) while controlling for other extraneous variables
Case Study (qualitative)
Exploration of a bounded system (a group, individual, setting, or event)
Ex: Obama
Ethnography
The study of culture (people who share behaviors and beliefs)
Ex: Chinese foot binders
Phenomenology
The study of a phenomenon (that transcends time, location, and culture)
Ex: slavery
Grounded Theory
Using inductive logic to generate a model or theory to explain what is observed
Quantitative and Qualitative Research: Similarities
- Systematic ways to investigate the world
- Use of subjects/participants
- Formal and agreed upon research methods
- Formal and agreed upon reporting formats
- Attempt to reduce bias or error
- Subject to IRB
- Results are tentative
Conceptual Definition
Tells you what the concept means
Operational Definition
Tells you how to measure it
Scales of Measurement
Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, and Ratio
Nominal (categorical)
Named categories:
race, gender, religion
Ordinal (categorical)
Ordered categories (group in buckets): rank in the military, first grade, SES, Likert scale
Interval (continuous)
Equal Intervals:
temperature in F and C
Ratio (continuous)
Equal intervals with absolute zero:
height, weight, time, scores, income
