Nature of Science and the Scientific Process

Question 1

Nature of Science?

Answer 1

The aim of science is to produce knowledge, to understand and explain some aspect of the world around us.

Question 2

Types of Research Studies?

Answer 2

Exploratory/Descriptive
	“What way are things?”
Explanatory
	“Why are things the way they are?”
Evaluation
	“Did the program/policy meet its objectives?”

Question 3

Units of analysis?

Answer 3

What or who is to be described or analyzed. The study cases or respondents.
Ex: Individuals
Dyads (đôi, cặp)
Groups
Families
Organizations
Cities

Question 4

Type of variables?

Answer 4

Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Intervening Variable
Modifying Variable
Confounding Variable
Control Variable
Antecedent Variable
Explanatory variables

Question 5

Scientific Knowledge

Answer 5

Description
Explanation and Prediction
Understanding

Question 6

Key Principles Underlying Scientific Research

Answer 6

Empiricism
Objectivity
Control

Question 7

Scientific Process

Answer 7

Deductive: Theories -> Hypotheses -> Observations (Usually quantitative Research) suy diễn
Inductive: Observations -> Empirical generalizations -> Theories (Usually quantitative Research) quy nạp

Question 8

Scientific vs. Nonscientific Question

Answer 8

Depends on whether the question can be verifiable by observation
Philosophical questions about essence, existence, or morality can not be answered by scientific research
Scientific questions:
Why do some persons read pornographic literatures?
Nonscientific questions:
Is pornography morally wrong?

Question 9

Other Sources of Knowledge

Answer 9

Authority
Tradition
Common sense
Experience

Question 10

Ex: Other Source of Knowledge

Answer 10

Observation: Youth who smoke cigarettes tend to be friends with other youth who smoke cigarettes
Assumption: Friends pressure each other to smoke
Conclusion: Peer influence is a major determinant of adolescent cigarette smoking

Question 11

Example: Scientific Knowledge

Answer 11

Research question: What accounts for the similarity between friends in cigarette smoking?
Hypotheses: (1) Adolescent non-smokers with friends who smoke will be more likely to become smokers than adolescent non-smokers without friends who smoke. (2) Adolescents non-smokers will be more likely than smokers to select other adolescent non-smokers as friends
Research evidence: The similarity between friends in cigarette smoking is due more to friendship selection than to influence.

Question 12

Formulating a Research Study

Answer 12

Who is to be studied?
What are the domains of interest?
What relationships will be examined?

Question 13

Fallacies Related to Mixing Units of Analysis (Ngụy biện liên quan đến các đơn vị phân tích hỗn hợp)

Answer 13

Ecologic fallacy: Ngụy biện sinh thái

Individualistic fallacy: Ngụy biện cá nhân