Chapter 2 Studying Social Life: Sociological Research Methods - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the chapter on sociological research methods.

Quantitative research

Research that translates the social world into numbers and uses statistical analysis to identify patterns, relationships, and possible causal links.

Qualitative research

Research that uses nonnumerical data (texts, field notes, transcripts, images) to describe meanings, experiences, and social processes, often through interpretive analysis.

Operational definition

A clear and precise definition of a variable that makes it observable and measurable.

Variables

Two or more phenomena that a researcher believes are related and will be examined in the study.

Independent variable

The factor predicted to cause a change in another variable.

Dependent variable

The factor that is influenced or changed by the independent variable.

Intervening variable

A third variable that explains or accounts for the relationship between two variables.

Correlation

A relationship between variables where they change together; does not by itself prove causation.

Causation

A relationship where a change in one variable directly produces a change in another.

Spurious correlation

An apparent causal relationship caused by a hidden third variable.

Deductive approach

An approach that starts with a theory or hypothesis and then tests it with data.

Inductive approach

An approach that starts with data collection and then builds theory to explain the data.

Paradigm shift

A major change in the way we understand the world, often triggered by new data or theories.

The Scientific Method

A systematic set of steps used to acquire and verify knowledge, including problem identification, literature review, hypothesis, design, data collection, analysis, and dissemination; aims for replicability.

Ethnography / Ethnography and Participant Observation

A qualitative method involving fieldwork in natural settings to study social life from the inside.

Participant observation

The researcher actively participates in the group while observing its activities.

Thick description

The detailed, context-rich description of interactions and meanings within a cultural setting.

Reflexivity

Awareness that the researcher's identity and actions influence the field setting and data.

Autoethnography

A form of ethnography where the researcher’s own experiences and feelings are central to the study.

Grounded theory

An analytical approach that builds theory from systematically gathered and coded data.

Interviews

Face-to-face conversations used to gather qualitative data, typically with open-ended questions and careful sampling.

Surveys

Questionnaires administered to a sample from a target population, often using closed-ended questions and scales.

Existing sources

Data produced for other purposes (archives, records, media) that researchers use as data for sociological study.

Unobtrusive measures

Research methods that rely on existing sources and do not intrude upon the social setting.