What is a valid sociological topic?
Any form of human behavior, whether ordinary, controversial, respectable, or disreputable.
Why can’t common sense replace sociological research?
Common sense is often biased, incomplete, or incorrect, while research systematically tests ideas using evidence.
What is the first step of the research model?
Selecting a topic.
What is the second step of the research model?
Defining the problem.
What is the third step of the research model?
Reviewing the literature.
What is the fourth step of the research model?
Formulating a hypothesis.
What is a variable?
A factor that can change and may influence behavior.
What is a hypothesis?
A testable statement predicting the relationship between variables.
What is the seventh step of the research model?
Analyzing the results.
What is an operational definition?
The specific way a researcher measures a variable.
What is the sixth step of the research model?
Collecting the data.
What is the eighth step of the research model?
Sharing the results.
What is the fifth step of the research model?
Choosing a research method.
What is reliability?
The extent to which research produces consistent results when repeated.
What is a random sample?
A sample in which everyone in the population has an equal chance of being selected.
What is a stratified random sample?
A sample taken from specific subgroups in which each member has an equal chance of being selected.
What is validity?
The extent to which a measure actually measures what it is intended to measure.
What is a sample?
A smaller group selected to represent the population.
What is a population?
The entire group a researcher wants to study.
What is generalizability?
The extent to which findings from a sample can be applied to a larger population.
What is a survey?
A research method that collects data through questionnaires or interviews.
What is secondary analysis?
The analysis of data that were collected by other researchers.
What is participant observation (fieldwork)?
Research in which the sociologist participates in and observes a social setting.
What is a case study?
An in-depth analysis of a single event, situation, or individual.
