QUIZ 1

Question 1

What is theory & what are the 3 main components of a theory?

Answer 1

A theory is an explanation of observed regularities or patterns
Common components include definitions, descriptions, and relational statements (could be deterministic or probabilistic)

Question 2

Middle Range vs Grand Theories

Answer 2

Middle-range theories are limited in scope and can be testable, whilst grand theories are usually more abstract and general

Question 3

Deductive Approach

Answer 3

Most common approach, where theory leads to observation and findings (theory leads to research)
Based on a hypothesis that is followed by a search for empirical data (observation)

Question 4

Inductive Approach

Answer 4

Observation & findings first, and come up with a theory after

Question 5

Grounded Theory

Answer 5

Similar to the inductive approach; deriving a theory from observations. Often used by qualitative researchers.

Question 6

Epistemological Considerations

Answer 6

Three main positions on epistemology - positivism, interpretivism, & critical approaches

Question 7

Positivism

Answer 7

Mainly uses deductive research approaches
Follows the natural sciences & uses the principle of empiricism (use of senses for knowledge); values scientific statements

Question 8

Interpretivism

Answer 8

Critiques positivism; the goal is to grasp the subjective meaning of people’s lives. People interpret their lives in their own ways; empathetic understanding & interpretation of existence)

Question 9

Critical Approaches

Answer 9

Use all kinds of research methods; mainly anti-oppressive in practice & political in nature. Involves praxis (putting one’s theories into practice)

Question 10

What are the two ontological debates & how do they relate to social research?

Answer 10

Objectivist Perspective & Constructionist Perspective
Ontological assumptions about reality affect research question formulation and the way research is carried out

Question 11

Objectivist Perspective

Answer 11

Social phenomena have an objective reality, independent of our perceptions

Question 12

Constructionist Perspectives (Hard & Soft)

Answer 12

Hard - reality is merely a set of mental constructions
Soft - there is an objective social reality that is marred by human interpretation

Question 13

Qualitative vs Quantitative Research

Answer 13

Qualitative - uses words and other non-numeric symbols
Quantitative - uses numbers and statistics in the collection and analysis of data

Question 14

Reflexivity as an Influence on the Conduct of Research

Answer 14

Researchers’ awareness that their values and decisions have an impact on the research can affect the research
Personal bias can affect the research

Question 15

Positions on Values in Social Research (3)

Answer 15

1. Research should be value-free
2. Research cannot be value-free, but researchers should be open and explicit about their values
3. Researchers should use their values to direct and interpret

Question 16

6 Properties of a Research Questions

Answer 16

1. Should be clear
2. Shouldve be responsible
3. Should relate to established theory and research
4. Should be linked/related to one another
5. Should allow the researcher to make a contribution to existing knowledge
6. Should neither be too broad nor too narrow

Question 17

Research Design

Answer 17

A framework for the collection & analysis of data

Question 18

Nomothetic Explanations

Answer 18

About generalization; the main goal is to be able to generalize and apply your findings to the whole society.
Involve quantitative & cause-and-effect attributions
Have to satisfy three criteria: correlation, time order, and non-spuriousness.

Question 19

Idiographic Explanations

Answer 19

Involve rich descriptions and are typically combined with qualitative research methods. Focus on specific cases & empathetic understanding.

Question 20

Experimental Design (2 Types)

Answer 20

Field experiments (real-life surroundings) and laboratory experiments (artificial experiments - easier to replicate & assign subjects, hence, enhanced internal validity)

Question 21

Independent & Dependent Variables

Answer 21

Dependent is the outcome, and independent is the manipulated variable. Independent variables are manipulated to see if they have an impact on dependent variables

Question 22

Benefits or Research Design

Answer 22

It gives the researchers the ability ti establish relationships between casual variables and enables them to generalize their findings beyond one particular situation

Question 23

Experimental or Treatment Group (Experiments)

Answer 23

Receives a treatment or manipulation of some kind

Question 24

Control Group (Experiments)

Answer 24

Does not get the treatment or manipulation

Question 25

How are participants assigned their roles in experiments?

Answer 25

Participants are placed in the experimental or control group randomly

Question 26

Classic Experimental Design - How does it work?

Answer 26

Independent & dependent variables are identified, the determined variable is measured in both treatment and control groups, and gets recorded both pre and post-test

Question 27

Internal Validity

Answer 27

Concerned with the issue of whether causation has been established by a particular study

Question 28

Measurement Validity

Answer 28

Are you measuring what you actually want to measure?

Question 29

External Validity (3)

Answer 29

1. Can your findings be generalized to different settings?
2. Are the findings applicable to situations outside the research environment?
3. Can the findings be generalized beyond the people or cases studied?

Question 30

Replicability

Answer 30

Would other researchers get reasonably similar findings if they did all the same things? Would they reach similar conclusions?

Question 31

Laboratory Experiments

Answer 31

Greater control over environment & it is easier to assign participants randomly to conditions
Limitations include low external validity

Question 32

Quasi-Experiments

Answer 32

Research design that lacks some of the components of the true experimental design
Internal validity (causality) is harder to establish

Question 33

Natural Experiments

Answer 33

Experiment-like conditions are produced by naturally occurring phenomena or changes brought about by people not doing research
Lack clear causation

Question 34

Cross-Sectional Design

Answer 34

Cross sectional designs involve taking observations at one point in time (no “before” and “after” comparisons)
They do not include a manipulation of the independent variable (no “treatment” is given)
Two or more variables are measured in order to detect patterns of association
Often occurring issues with internal validity, specifically establishing the direction of causation
To have external validity, it helps if
some random method is used to select participants for the
study

Question 35

Longitudinal Design

Answer 35

Cases are examined at a particular time (T1), and again at a later time or times (T2, T3, etc.)
These designs provide information about the time-order of changes in certain variables, which helps establish the direction of causation

Question 36

Panel vs Cohort Longitudinal Design

Answer 36

Panel study: The same people, households, organizations, etc. are studied at different times
Cohort study: People sharing the same experience are studied at different times, but different people may be studied at each time

Question 37

Longitudinal Design Limitations (3)

Answer 37

Attrition over time
It may be difficult to determine when subsequent waves of the study should be conducted
Panel conditioning: People’s attitudes and behaviours may change as a result of participating in a panel

Question 38

Case-Study Design

Answer 38

A basic case study involves an in-depth study of a single case
A single case can be a person, family, organization, event,
country, etc.
It can involve qualitative and/or quantitative research methods

Question 39

Types of Cases (3)

Answer 39

The critical case: illustrates the conditions under which a
certain hypothesis holds or does not hold
The extreme (or unique) case: illustrates unusual cases, which
help in understanding the more common ones
The revelatory case: examines a case or context never before
studied