SOCL 302 Final

What is social science?

The use of scientific methods to investigate individuals, societies, and social processes; the knowledge produced by these investigations.

What is the focus of Sociology?

The study of human society, social behavior, and the relationships between individuals and social structures.

What is deductive research?

The type of research in which a specific expectation is deduced from a general premise and is then tested.

What is descriptive research?

Research in which social phenomena are defined as described.

What is inductive research?

The type of research in which general conclusions are drawn from specific data.

What is qualitative data collection?

Techniques used to search and code textual, aural, and pictorial data and to explore relationships among the resulting categories.

What is quantitative data collection?

Statistical techniques used to describe and analyze variation in quantitative measures.

What is an Independent variable?

A variable that is hypothesized to cause, or lead to, variation in another variable.

What is a Dependent variable?

A variable that is hypothesized to vary depending on or under the influence of another variable.

What are the three basic ethical principles in the Belmont Report?

Respect for persons, beneficence, and justice.

What does 'respect for persons' entail?

Treating persons as autonomous agents and protecting those with diminished autonomy.

What is beneficence in research ethics?

Minimizing possible harms and maximizing benefits.

What does justice refer to in research ethics?

Distributing benefits and risks of research fairly.

What is informed consent?

Consent must be given by persons who are competent, voluntary, fully informed, and comprehending of what they are told.

What is reliability in research?

A measurement procedure that yields consistent scores when the phenomenon being measured is not changing.

What is validity in research?

The state that exists when statements or conclusions about empirical reality are correct.

What is probability sampling?

Sampling methods that rely on a random selection method so that the probability of selection of population elements is known.

What is nonprobability sampling?

Sampling methods in which the probability of selection of population elements is unknown.

What is random sampling and why is it important?

A method of sampling that gives every element of the sampling frame a known probability of being selected; it's important for accurately representing the entire population.

What are threats to internal validity?

selection bias, mortality, instrument decay, testing, maturation, and regression

What are threats to external validity?

History, which includes factors outside the experiment that can influence the results.

What are the three things required to establish causality?

1) Empirical association 2) Temporary priority of independent variable 3) Nonspuriousness.

What is correlation?

A statistical relationship or association between two variables that does not mean that one causes the other.

What is causation?

When one variable directly produces a change in another, requiring strong evidence to establish.

Why choose a longitudinal study over a cross-sectional study?

To collect data that can be ordered in time rather than just once.

What are the levels of measurement?

Nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio

What makes a good survey question?

Clarity, neutrality, specificity, relevance, and balanced options.

What makes a bad survey question?

Vagueness, leading language, double-barreled, overly complex, and unbalanced options.

Why is response rate important in surveys?

A high response rate shows that the results are representative and reliable.

How can you increase response rates?

By offering incentives, personalizing invitations, and sending reminders.

Which survey administration method usually has a strong response rate?

In-person and telephone surveys

How does a focus group differ from an interview?

A focus group involves several participants discussing a topic, while an interview is a one-on-one conversation for deeper insights.

What is the saturation point in qualitative methods?

When collected data no longer yields new themes, insights, or patterns.