I still hate soc midterm 4-6

damn

aggregation

The process of counting or averaging individual-level data in some context to capture individual-level concepts at the group level

artifact count/assessment

The process of cataloging social artifacts and objects, qualitatively or quantitatively

attrition

The loss of sample members over time, usually to death or dropout

categorical variables

Variables that have a finite set of possible values that are fixed and distinct from one another with unknown differences between them

closed-ended question

A focused interview question to which subjects can respond only in preset ways

concept

An idea that can be named, defined, and eventually measured in some way

conceptualization

The process of precisely defining ideas and turning them into variables

continuous variables

Variables that could have an infinite set of possible values that exist on a continuum from low to high with meaningful and identifiable differences between them

control group

The group that is not exposed to the manipulation of the independent variable

cross-sectional study design

A study in which data are collected at only one time point

dimension

A component of a concept that represents a particular manifestation, angle, or unit

ecological fallacy

A mistake that researchers make by drawing conclusions about the micro level based on some macro-level analysis

exhaustive

Preset response categories that give all subjects at least one accurate response

experimental group

The group that is exposed to the experimental manipulation

indicator

The value assigned to a variable

interval variables

Variables with a continuum of values with meaningful distances (or intervals) between them but no true zero

longitudinal study design

A study in which data are collected at multiple time points

manipulation

Something that is done to some subjects of an experiment but not others so that the outcomes of the two groups can be compared

mutually exclusive

Preset response categories that do not overlap with one another, ensuring that respondents select the single category that best captures their views

nominal variables

Variables with states or statuses that are parallel and cannot be ranked or ordered

observation

The process of seeing, recording, and assessing social phenomena

open-ended question

A broad interview question to which subjects are allowed to respond in their own words rather than in preset ways

operationalization

The process of linking the conceptualized variables to a set of procedures for measuring them

ordinal variables

Variables with categories that can be ordered in some way but have unknowable differences between them

panel design

A type of longitudinal study in which data are collected on the same subjects at multiple time points

ratio variables

Variables with a continuum of values with meaningful distances (or intervals) between them and a true zero

reductionism

A mistake that researchers make by drawing conclusions about the macro-level unit based on analyses of micro-level data

reliability

A quality of a measure concerning how dependable it is

repeated cross-sectional study design

A type of longitudinal study in which data are collected at multiple time points but from different subjects at each time point

report

Direct feedback, written or verbal, from people

response categories

The preset answers to questions on a survey

social artifact

A concrete aspect of social life that can be counted, such as a newspaper article, tombstone, or te t message

unit of analysis

The level of social life about which we want to generalize

validity

A quality of a measure concerning how accurate it is

variables

Representations that capture the different dimensions, categories, or levels of a concept

Cohen’s kappa (K)

A calculation that measures intercoder reliability based on agreement between coders on a set of items

composite variable

A variable that averages a set of items (typically from a survey) to measure some concept

concurrent validity

A dimension of validity concerning how strongly a measure correlates with some preexisting measure of the construct that has already been deemed valid

construct validity

A dimension of validity concerning how well multiple indicators are connected to some underlying factor

content validity

A dimension of validity concerning how well a measure encompasses the many different meanings of a single concept

convergent validity

A dimension of validity gauging whether concepts that should be associated with each other are

criterion-related validity

A dimension of validity concerning how closely a measure is associated with some other factor

discriminant validity

A dimension of validity gauging whether concepts that should not be associated with each other are not

external validity

A dimension of validity concerning the degree to which the results of a study can generalize beyond the study

face validity

A dimension of validity concerning whether a measure looks valid

intercoder reliability

A type of reliability that reveals how much different coders or observers agree with one another when looking at the same data

internal reliability

The degree to which the various items in a composite variable lead to a consistent response and, therefore, are tapping into the same concept

internal validity of a measure

The degree to which a measure truly and accurately measures the defined concepts

internal validity of a study

The degree to which a study establishes a causal effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable

manipulation

Something that is done to some subjects of an experiment but not others so that the outcomes of the two groups can be compared

pilot testing

The process of administering some measurement protocol to a small preliminary sample of subjects as a means of assessing how well the measure works

precision

A quality of measurement referring to how detailed and specific it is

predictive validity

A dimension of validity concerning how strongly a measure correlates with a measure that it should predict

reliability

A quality of a measure concerning how dependable it is

robustness

A quality of an operational protocol referring to how well it works

split-half method

A method of testing robustness in which the similarity of results is assessed after administering one subset of an item to a sample and then another subset

test-retest method

A method of testing robustness in which the similarity of results is assessed after administering a measure to the same sample at two different times

vignette

A short description of characters or situations that is presented to respondents in order to elicit a response

Cronbach’s alpha (α)

A calculation that measures a specific kind of reliability for a composite variable

administrative records

Data collected by government agencies or corporations as part of their own record-keeping

big data

Data sets with billions of pieces of information, typically created through individuals’ interactions with technology

case-oriented research

Research in which social scientists immerse themselves in an enormous amount of detail about a small number of cases, or even just a single case

census

A study that includes data on every member of a population, as opposed to only a sample

cluster sampling

A probability sampling strategy in which researchers divide up the target population into groups, or “clusters,” first selecting clusters randomly and then selecting individuals within those clusters

confidence interval

A range of possible estimates in which researchers can have a specific degree of confidence; includes the population parameter

confidence level

The probability that a confidence interval includes the population parameter

convenience sample

A sample that selects observations based on what is cheapest or easiest

deviant case

A case that is unusual, unexpected, or hard to explain given what we currently understand

key informant

A person who is usually quite central or popular in the research setting and who shares his or her knowledge with the researcher or a person with professional or special knowledge about the social setting

margin of error

The amount of uncertainty in an estimate; equal to the distance between the estimate and the boundary of the confidence interval

nonprobability sample

A sample that is not drawn using a method of random selection.

oversample

A group that is deliberately sampled at a rate higher than its frequency in the population

population parameter

A number that characterizes some quantitative aspect of a population

postsurvey weighting

When a sample is weighted to match known characteristics of the population from which it is drawn

probability sample

A sample in which (a) random chance is used to select participants for the sample, and (b) each individual has a probability of being selected that can be calculated

purposive sampling

A sampling strategy in which cases are deliberately selected on the basis of features that distinguish them from other cases

sample

A subset of a population selected for a study

sampling

The process of deciding what or whom to observe when you cannot observe and analyze everything or everyone

sampling distribution

A set of estimates that would be observed from a large number of independent samples that are all the same size and drawn using the same method

sampling error

The difference between the estimates from a sample and the true parameter that arise due to random chance

sampling for range

A purposive sampling strategy in which researchers try to ma imize respondents’ range of e periences with the phenomena under study

sampling frame

A list of population members from which a probability sample is drawn

saturation

When new materials (interviews, observations, survey responses) fail to yield new insights and simply reinforce what the researcher already knows

sequential sampling

A flexible sampling strategy used in case-based research in which researchers make decisions about what additional data to collect based on their findings from data they’ve already collected

simple random sample

A type of probability sample in which each individual has the same probability of being selected and in which each pair of individuals has the same probability of being selected

snowball sampling

A sampling strategy in which the researcher starts with one respondent who meets the requirement for inclusion and then asks the respondent to recommend another person to contact (who also meets the requirement for inclusion)

strata

Subgroups that a population is divided into for the purposes of drawing a sample. Individuals are drawn from each stratum

stratified sampling

A probability sampling strategy in which the population is divided into groups, or strata, and sample members are selected in strategic proportions from each group

systematic error

A flaw built into the design of the study that causes a sample estimate to diverge from the population parameter

systematic sample

A probability sampling strategy in which sample members are selected by using a fixed interval, such as taking every fifth person on a list of everyone in the population

target population

A group about which social scientists attempt to make generalizations

typical

When a case’s features are similar in as many respects as possible to the average of the population it is supposed to represent, and when nothing makes it stand out as unusual

unbiased

A sample estimate that is the same as the population parameter except for the difference caused by random chance

variable-oriented research

Research in which social scientists study a large number of cases, such as undergraduates or employment discrimination lawsuits, but only with information organized into variables about each case

weighted

Samples in which some cases should be counted more or less than others in producing estimates