IGCSE CIE Sociology 1: Theory and Methods | Quizlet

Bias

Prejudice that distorts the truth when research is influenced by the values of the researcher or by decisions taken about the research, such as the sampling method used.

Case Study

A detailed in-depth study of one group or event.

Causation

Where a strict link can be proved between variables in a time sequence; such as, heating water to 100℃ causes it to boil. Causation is hard to find in sociology.

Comparative Study

In research, looking at two or more different groups or events in terms of their similarities and differences.

Conflict

Disagreement between groups with different interests.

Consensus

Basic agreement on a set of shared values.

Content Analysis

A method of studying communication and the media, which involves classifying the content and counting frequencies.

Correlation

When two variables are related to each other but causation cannot be proved; for example, ill-health is related to poverty. This is not a causal relationship because some sick people are not poor and some poor people are not sick.

Covert Participant Observation

Covert means 'hidden'; in such research the group being studied is unaware of the research and is deceived into thinking the researcher is a real member of the group.

Ethical Issues

Issues that have a moral dimension, such as when harm or distress may be caused to the participants.

Field Experiments

Experiments that take place in the natural setting of the real world rather than in a laboratory.

Focus Group

A group brought together to be interviewed on a particular topic (the focus); a special type of group interview.

Generalizability

When the findings about a sample can be said to apply to a larger group of people sharing their characteristics.

Group Interview

Any interview involving a group interviewed together.

Hawthorne or Observer Effect

The unintended effects of the researcher's presence on the behavior or responses of participants.

Historical Documents

A wide range of documents from the past used as sources of information by sociologists.

Hypothesis

A theory or explanation at the start of research that the research is designed to test.

Identity

How a person sees themselves, and how others see them, for example as a girl and a student.

Interpretivism

Approaches that start at the level of the individual, focusing on small-scale phenomena and usually favoring qualitative methods.

Interviewer Bias

Intentional or unintentional effect of the way that the interviewer asks questions or interprets answers.

Interviewer Effect

Ways in which an interviewer may influence participants' responses, by their characteristics or appearance or by verbal cues such as facial expressions and tone of voice.

Laboratory Experiments

Experiments taking place in a laboratory, that is, an artificial setting created for the research where external variables are excluded as far as possible.

Longitudinal Survey

A survey taking place at intervals over a long period.

Macro/Micro approaches

Macro approaches focus on the large scale of whole societies, micro approaches on small-scale social interaction.

Non-participant Observation

When the researcher observes a group but does not participate in what it is doing.

Objectivity

Absence of bias; the researchers do not allow their values of feelings to influence the research.

Official and Non-official Statistics

Official statistics are produced by government and official agencies, non-official statistics are produced by other organizations, such as charities and think tanks.

Open, Closed and Pre-coded Questions

Closed or pre-coded questions are those where the researcher has set out which responses can be recorded. In open questions the respondent can reply freely in their own words to give their responses.

Overt Participant Observation

When the group being studied is aware that research is taking place and of who the researcher is.

Perspectives

Ways of viewing social life from different points of view.

Plot Study

A small-scale test of a piece of a research project before the main research.

Positivism

An approach to sociology based on studying society in a scientific manner.

Postal Questionnaires

Self-completion questionnaires that are sent out and returned by post.

Primary Data

Information collected by the sociologist at first hand.

Qualitative Data

Information and facts (like attitudes or kinds of actions) that are not able to be presented in numerical form.

Quantitative Data

Information and facts that take a numerical form.

Questionnaires

A standardized list of questions used in social surveys.

Quota Sampling

Deciding in advance how many people with what characteristics to involve in the research and then identifying them.

Random Sampling

When each person has an equal chance of being selected.

Reliability

When the research can be repeated and similar responses will be obtained.

Representativeness

The degree to which research findings about one group can be applied to a larger group or similar groups.

Respondent

Someone who provides information to researchers, usually used for surveys and interviews rather than other methods.

Response Rate

The proportion of responses obtained out of a sample.

Sampling Frame

A list of members of the populations from which the sample is chosen.

Sampling Methods

The different ways in which samples can be created.

Secondary Data

Information collected earlier by others and used later on by a sociologist.

Self-completion Questionnaires

Questionnaires that are completed by the respondent on their own, with the researcher present or not.

Semi-structured Interview

An interview with some standardized questions but allowing the researcher some flexibility on what is asked in what order.

Snowball Sampling

When one respondent puts the researcher in contact with others.

Social Surveys

The systematic collection of information from a sample, usually involving a questionnaire or structured interview.

Stratified Sample

When the sampling frame is divided, for example, by gender or age.

Structuralism

An approach focusing on the large-scale social structures in which people play defined roles.

Structured Interview

An interview in which the questions are standardized (the same questions asked in the same order) and the replies codified to produce quantitative data.

Subjectivity

Lack of objectivity; the researcher's view influences the approach taken.

Survey Population

All those to whom the findings of the study will apply and from which a sample is chosen.

Telephone Questionnaires

When the researcher reads the questions to a respondent over the telephone and records their answers.

Trends

A general direction in which something is developing or changing.

Triangulation

Use of two or more methods in the same research project.

Unstructured Interview

An interview without set questions that usually involves probing into emotions and attitudes, leading to qualitative data.

Validity

When the findings accurately reflect the reality that it is intended to capture.