Midterm

Question 1

Goals for exploration

Answer 1

• Satisfy curiosity
• Test feasibility of a more extensive study
• Develop methods for future studies

Question 2

Goals for Description

Answer 2

• Find out what, when, where, how
• qualitative

Question 3

Goal for explanation

Answer 3

Answer the “why”

Question 4

Idiographic Explanation

Answer 4

an exhaustive understanding of causes leading to an event or phenomenon

Question 5

Idiographic Analysis

Answer 5

Is complete when
- Explanatory factors make an event inevitable
- Absence of one factor may prevent an event from happening

Question 6

Nomothetic Explanation

Answer 6

Is open to misunderstandings and misinterpretation
○ Variables must correlate
○ Cause takes place before effect
○ Variables are nonspurious (correlation cannot
be explained by some random third variable)

Question 7

Unit of Analysis

Answer 7

things we examine in order to
create summary descriptions and explain differences

Question 8

Key Elements of Research Projects

Answer 8

Getting Started
- Read up on the topic that you are most interested in researching
- Define the purpose of your project
- Conceptualization
- Choice of Research Method
- Operationalization
- Population and Sampling
- Observations
- Data Processing
- Analysis
- Application

Question 9

Conceptualization

Answer 9

the process of
specifying observations and measurements
that give concepts definite meaning for the
purpose of a research study.

Question 10

Key Elements of Research Proposals

Answer 10

• Problem or Objective
• Literature Review
• Subjects for Study
• Measurement
• Data-Collection Methods
• Analysis
• Schedule
• Budget
• Institutional Review Board

Question 11

Operationalization

Answer 11

the development of
specific research procedures (operations)
that will result in empirical observations
representing those concepts in the real
world.

Question 12

Precision and Accuracy

Answer 12

• As a general rule,
  precise measurements are superior to
  imprecise ones, as common sense suggests.
• The less precise description, in this instance,
  is more accurate/a better reflection of the
  real world.

Question 13

Reliability

Answer 13

a matter of whether a particular
technique, applied repeatedly to the same object,
yields the same result each time.
how consistent or dependable a measurement is

Question 14

Validity

Answer 14

how well a measurement or test actually reflects what it’s supposed to measure

Question 15

Scale

Answer 15

measures how well connected parts reflect what’s being studied and gives a score based on response patterns.

Question 16

index

Answer 16

Adds up results from different questions or
indicators for an overall result.

Question 17

Bogardus Social Distance Scale

Answer 17

Determines the willingness of people to participate in social relations with people different from them.

Question 18

Thurstone Scales

Answer 18

A group of assigned “judges” estimate how strong an indicator of a variable each item is by assigning it a score.
* Not commonly used to date

Question 19

Guttman Scale