Sociology chapter 3

analysis of existing data:

Type of unobtrusive research that relies on data gathered earlier by someone else for some other purpose

content analysis:

Form of unobtrusive research that studies the content of recorded messages, such as books, speeches, poems, songs, television shows, websites, and advertisements

dependent variable:

Variable that is assumed to be caused by, or to change as a result of, the independent variable

empirical research:

Research that operates from the ideological position that questions about human behavior can be answered only through controlled, systematic observations in the real world

experiment:

Research method designed to elicit some sort of behavior, typically conducted under closely controlled laboratory circumstances

field research:

Type of social research in which the researcher observes events as they actually occur

historical analysis:

Form of social research that relies on existing historical documents as a source of data

hypothesis:

Researchable prediction that specifies the relationship between two or more variables

incorrigible proposition:

Unquestioned cultural belief that cannot be proved wrong no matter what happens to dispute it

independent variable

Variable presumed to cause or influence the dependent variable

indicator:

Measurable event, characteristic, or behavior commonly thought to reflect a particular concept

moral entrepreneurs:

Groups that work to have their moral concerns translated into law

nonparticipant observation:

Form of field research in which the researcher observes people without directly interacting with them and without letting them know that they are being observed

participant observation:

Form of field research in which the researcher interacts with subjects, sometimes hiding his or her identity

probabilistic:

Capable only of identifying those forces that have a high likelihood, but not a certainty, of influencing human action

qualitative research:

Sociological research based on nonnumeric information (text, written words, phrases, symbols, observations) that describes people, actions, or events in social life

quantitative research:

Sociological research based on the collection of numeric data that uses precise statistical analysis

reactivity:

A problem associated with certain forms of research in which the very act of intruding into people’s lives may influence the phenomenon being studied

representative:

Typical of the whole population being studied

sample:

Subgroup chosen for a study because its characteristics approximate those of the entire population

self-fulfilling prophecy:

Assumption or prediction that in itself causes the expected event to occur, thus seeming to confirm the prophecy’s accuracy

social construction of reality:

Process through which the members of a society discover, make known, reaffirm, and alter a collective version of facts, knowledge, and “truth”

spurious relationship:

A false association between two variables that is actually due to the effect of some third variable

survey:

Form of social research in which the researcher asks subjects a series of questions verbally, online, or on paper

theory:

Set of statements or propositions that seeks to explain or predict a particular aspect of social life

unobtrusive research:

Research technique in which the researcher, without direct contact with the subjects, examines the evidence of social behavior that people create or leave behind

variable

Any characteristic, attitude, behavior, or event that can take on two or more values or attributes

visual sociology:

Method of studying society that uses photographs, video recordings, and film either as means of gathering data or as sources of data about social life