LDST 102 Midterm

Descriptive research –

focuses on describing what is happening, not explaining why it happens.

Causal research –

looks for cause

Causal relationship –

when one thing directly causes a change in another.

Concepts –

big ideas we study, like leadership or trust.

Variables –

things that can change or vary in a study.

Independent variable –

the cause or what you change or control.

Dependent variable –

the effect or what changes because of the independent variable.

Qualitative data –

descriptive information like words, interviews, or observations.

Quantitative data –

numerical information like numbers, statistics, or measurements.

Leadership –

the process of guiding and motivating people toward a shared goal.

Social influence –

how people affect each other’s attitudes, behaviors, or decisions.

Internal validity –

how well a study shows that one thing truly causes another within the study.

External validity –

how well the results can apply to other people, settings, or situations.

Double blind peer review –

when both the author and reviewer don’t know who each other are, to keep reviews fair and unbiased.

Collective action –

when people work together to achieve a shared goal.

Collective good –

something everyone benefits from, whether or not they helped, like clean air.

Collective action problems –

when people want the benefit of a collective good but don’t want to help create it.

Free riding –

getting the benefits of others’ work without contributing.

Prisoner’s dilemma –

a situation where people might act in their own self interest even though cooperation would help everyone more.

Tragedy of the commons –

when people overuse a shared resource because each person acts selfishly.

Selective incentives –

rewards or punishments used to encourage people to contribute, like giving members extra benefits.

Strategies for solving collective action problems –

creating trust, communication, rules, or selective incentives to encourage cooperation.

Situational leadership –

changing your leadership style based on what your followers need or the situation.

Institutional leadership –

leading by shaping or maintaining systems, values, or institutions like schools or organizations.

Task oriented leadership –

focused on getting work done efficiently.

Relationship oriented leadership –

focused on people’s needs, trust, and teamwork.

Social network analysis (SNA) –

a method for studying how people are connected and how information or influence flows between them.

Nodes –

the people or organizations in a network.

Edges –

the connections or relationships between the nodes.

Centrality in a network –

how important or well connected a person (node) is within the network.

Informed consent –

when participants agree to join a study knowing what it involves and any risks.

Dominance –

gaining influence through power or control.

Prestige –

gaining influence through respect and admiration.

Social influence and status –

how a person’s position or reputation in a group affects how much they can influence others.

Persuasion-

Your goal is now my goal too, I am moved to act independently according to it

Compliance-

I don’t care about/don’t share your goals – but I will do what you’re asking me to do

Obedience-

I disagree with your goal but will obey because I recognize your right to order me

Formal Leadership- 

A leader holds a designated position

Informal leadership-

No designated position, spontaneous