Key Concepts in Social Science Research

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary terms and definitions related to social science research methodologies and concepts.

Variable

Factors that vary within a study, taking on different values.

Independent Variable

The variable that the researcher believes causes changes in the dependent variable.

Dependent Variable

The variable that the researcher is interested in explaining; the outcome influenced by the independent variable.

Causality

The relationship where one variable directly leads to a change in another variable.

Correlation

Indicates that two variables go together or are related, but does not imply causation.

Spuriousness

When it appears one variable is causing changes in another, but it's actually an unmeasured third variable.

Unit of Analysis

The level at which the research is conducted and the type of entity being studied.

Triangulation

Looking at the same set of variables from multiple perspectives to clarify cause and effect.

Ecological Fallacy

Drawing incorrect conclusions about individuals based on group-level research.

Scientific Method

A systematic process used by social scientists to study behavior patterns among large groups.

Operationalization

The process of turning vague concepts into measurable entities.

Selection Effect

Occurs when the characteristics of the groups explain the observed relationship instead of the variable of interest.

Monocausation

The trap of assuming a phenomenon has only one cause.

Levels of Measurement

Categorization of variables based on the nature of their values and applicable mathematical operations.

Nominal Level

Categories with no particular rank or order.

Ordinal Level

Categories with an order or rank, but non-uniform distance between ranks.

Interval Level

Variables with a set interval between categories but no meaningful zero point.

Ratio Level

Variables with a meaningful zero point allowing for ratio calculations.

Continuous Measure

A variable that can take on any value, including fractions.

Discrete Measure

A variable that is only measured in whole numbers.