Test 1 (Lecture 2 Reading)

Question 1

What is ideology?

Answer 1

a closed system of beliefs and values that shapes the understanding and behaviour of those who believe it. Not open to questioning. (eg. conservative)

Question 2

What is a paradigms?

Answer 2

a fundamental model or scheme that organizes our observations and makes sense of them - more open to questioning than ideologies (eg. positivism).
While we often think of science as developing gradually over time, it is actually typical for paradigms to become entrenched, resisting any substantial change, eventually its shortcomings become obvious and a new paradigm emerges to supplant the old one.
the scientific method itself is a paradigm (though which “science” views the world: a traditional Western, empirical, quantitative approach to studying things). Another example of a paradigm is the theory of evolution.

Question 3

Naïve realism?

Answer 3

the belief or assumption that one’s sense perceptions provide direct knowledge of external reality

Question 4

What is Critical Social Science?

Answer 4

• Empowerment / advocacy paradigm
  
  • Views social life as a struggle among competing individuals and groups
  • A competition between the “haves” and the “have nots” (class struggle).
• Commitment to using research procedures to empower oppressed groups

Question 5

What is the difference between a theory and a paradigm?

Answer 5

paradigm is a general framework for looking at life - theory is a systemic set of interrelated statements intended to explain some aspects of life or enrich our sense of how people conduct and find meaning in their daily lives

Question 6

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 6

predicts something that ought to be observed in the real world if a theory is correct.

Question 7

What is a hypothesis composed of?

Answer 7

variables & attributes that compose those variables.

Question 8

What is a variable?

Answer 8

Variables can be defined as any aspect of a theory that can vary or change as part of the interaction within the theory.

Question 9

What is an independent variable?

Answer 9

A variable that explains or causes something.

Question 10

What is a dependent variable?

Answer 10

The variable which is effected

Question 11

What are attributes?

Answer 11

The characteristics or qualities that describe something or someone

Question 12

Regarding attributes and variables: Male and female are the _____ and gender is the ______.

Answer 12

Male and female are the attributes - and gender is the variable.

Question 13

What is deductive research?

Answer 13

1. Researchers begin with a theory then derive one or more hypothesis from it for testing
2. Researcher defines the variables in each hypothesis and the operations to be used to measure them in specific, observable terms
3. The researcher implements the specified measurements, thus observing the way things really are and seeing if those observations confirm or fail to confirm the hypotheses (conducting experiments, interviews, ect)

Question 14

What does each letter of Y = f(X) represent?

Answer 14

Y = outcome, f = is in some way effected by, X = input.
- Eg. Family dysfunction explaining why adolescents run away
Y (runaway episodes) is a function of (is in some way affected by) X (family dysfunction).

Question 15

How does the induction approach work?

Answer 15

starts with observations - then theories are proposed towards the end

Question 16

What is probabilistic knowledge?

Answer 16

When explaining or predicating human behaviour, we speak in terms of probability not certainty - because - for example being poor contributes to homelessness - but being poor alone does not cause homelessness.

Question 17

What is an idiographic model?

Answer 17

(Micro approach) when we try to explain a person’s behaviour by looking at them holistically - looking at the many different factors at play.

Question 18

What is a nomothetic model?

Answer 18

(Macro approach) rather than seeking to understand a particular person fully as possible, we try to understand a general phenomenon partially.
- The nomothetic approach involves trying to make generalizations about the world and understand large-scale social patterns. The idiographic approach involves trying to uncover a great deal of detailed information about a narrower subject of study.