SOWK3018 Social Research

Question 1

‘Empirical’ Definition

Answer 1

Based on observation

Question 2

‘Systematic’ Definition

Answer 2

Follow Behaviours and Rules

Question 3

‘Theory-driven’ Definition

Answer 3

Testing a theory

Question 4

‘Provisional’ Definition

Answer 4

Can be altered with new evidence

Question 5

‘objective’ Definition

Answer 5

Free from bias

Question 6

Ex-post facto hypothesizing

Answer 6

The practice of forming hypotheses or conclusions after the fact in order to explain away unexpected findings and stop there

Question 7

Central Limit Theorem

Answer 7

States that with a large enough sample, the sample mean will be normally distributed.

A normally distributed sample mean is necessary to apply the t-test

Question 8

Control Group

Answer 8

Test subjects randomly assigned to not receive the experimental treatment.

Question 9

Control Variable

Answer 9

• aka constant variable
• Any variable that does not change during an experiment

Question 10

Dependent Variable

Answer 10

• aka Dependent Measure or Responding Variable
• responds to the independent variable
• is the one being measured in the experiment

Question 11

Double-Blind

Answer 11

Workers / Participants don’t know the identities within the interview, whether they are in control group or variable group

Question 12

Experimental Group

Answer 12

Test subjects randomly assigned to receive the experimental treatment.

Question 13

Extraneous Variable

Answer 13

• Extra variables that may influence an experiment but are not accounted for or measured or are beyond control.
• e.g. factors that you consider unimportant

Question 14

Hypothesis

Answer 14

a statement that
- predicts something that ought to be observed in the real world if a theory is correct
- how changes in one thing are expected to explain changes in something else

Question 15

Independent Variable

Answer 15

• manipulated or changed by the researcher.
• explains or causes something else

Question 16

p < 0.05

Answer 16

• An indication of how often chance alone could account for the effect of the experimental treatment.
• means that five times out of a hundred, you could expect this difference between the two groups purely by chance

Question 17

Placebo

Answer 17

A fake treatment that should have no effect outside the power of suggestion.

Question 18

Single-Blind

Answer 18

• Either the experimenter or subject is unaware whether the subject is getting the treatment or a placebo.
• Researcher –> prevent biases when results are analyzed
• Subjects –> prevent biased reaction

Question 19

Key feature of Social Research

Answer 19

Open Mind, Empirical, Objectivity, Replication

Question 20

What does a scientific theory describes?

Answer 20

the logical relationships that appear to exist among parts of the world, and research offers means for observing whether those relationships exist in the real world.

Question 21

Idiographic Model of Explanation

Answer 21

• to describe a peculiarity
• try to explain a person’s behavior by enumerating the many reasons for it which might be unique to that individual.

Question 22

Nomothetic Causal Models Of Explanation

Answer 22

• ‘to lay down the law’
• concern about the general tendency of the cases
• explain objective phenomena iin general

Question 23

The Nomothetic Fallacy

Answer 23

The belief that naming a problem effectively solves it.
→ leads to neglect of unique circumstances of the cases

Question 24

Epistemology

Answer 24

The science of Knowing

Question 25

Methodology

Answer 25

The science of finding out

Question 26

5 Types of social research

Answer 26

Exploration, Description, Explanation, Evaluation, Constructing Measurement Instrument

Question 26

Tautology

Answer 26

Repeating what is said