Social Research Methods > Midterm > Flashcards

Midterm Flashcards

(61 cards)

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1
Q

Macrosociology

A

Study of broad social systems and structures

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2
Q

Microsociology

A

Study of personal concerns and interpersonal relationships/interactions

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3
Q

Generalizability

A

The extent to which some finding will be true to the whole sampling frame (external validity)

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4
Q

Basic research

A

Typically academic research done to add to theory or answer theoreticallly informed question

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5
Q

Applied research

A

Done to answer or solve a concrete problem in world, used to inform policy

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6
Q

Quantitative vs Qualitative

A

Quantitative research finds data that can be represented mathematically

Qualitative research findings can provide rich explanation and descriptions

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7
Q

Mixed methods

A

Research that uses both qualitative and quantitative methods (for ex. surveys and interviews)

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8
Q

Cross sectional research design

A

Is conducted at one point in time

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9
Q

Longitudinal design

A

Conducted over at multiple points in time, measures trends or changes

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10
Q

What is triangulation?

A

Can be achieved with mixed-methods. Means that both methods find the same results

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11
Q

What are types of longitudinal designs?

A
  • repeated cross-sectional (multiple points in time but not same sample)
  • panel (multiple points in time from same sample)
    -cohort (multplie points in time from a particular cohort, but not same subjects)
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12
Q

Unit of analysis

A

Level of social life that we want to generalize

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13
Q

Ecological fallacy

A

When researchers draw conclusions about micro level based on a macro analysis

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14
Q

Types of research (purpose)

A

Descriptive, exploratory, explanatory

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15
Q

Scientific method

A
  1. Identify important question (social, relevance, feasibility)
  2. construct hypothesis
  3. gather data
  4. analyze data
  5. report findings
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16
Q

Micro/Meso/Macro levels

A

Macro (Analysis of broad structures)
Meso (Organizations and physical settings that link individuals to society)
Micro (face to face interactions and small group processes

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17
Q

Inductive vs Deductive

A

Inductive starts from observations and then comes up with a theory

Deductive starts with a theory and then observes to see if its right

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18
Q

Sociological paradigms

A
  • positivism
  • structural functionalism
  • conflict
  • symbolic interactionist
  • rational choice is a bonus theory
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19
Q

Theories must be:

A
  • testable
  • falsifiable
  • generalizable
  • probabilistic
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20
Q

Concepts

A

Idea that can be named, defined and later measured in some way

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21
Q

Variables

A

Measurable representation of a concept

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22
Q

Hypotheses

A

Prediction of relationship, cannot be proven only disproven

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23
Q

Types of hypotheses

A
  • null hypothesis (opposite)
  • hypothesis of difference (testable statement about group differences in some concept)
  • hypothesis of association (statement that two variables will increase or decrease together)
  • causal hypothesis (statement that the relationship between two concepts is the result of cause and effect
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24
Q

Literature Review

A

Reading of existing body of literature about a topic

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25
Conceptualization
Process of turning a concept into a variable concept -> dimension -> variable -> indicator
26
Operationalization
Process of linking variables into a set of procedures for measuring them
27
Dimensions
Components of a concept
28
Categorical/Discrete variables
Nominal and ordinal
29
Continuous variables
interval and ratio
30
Variable indicators
Values assigned to a variable to provide the blueprint for measurement
31
What do questions in a survey need to be?
Exhaustive (all possible answer categories) Mutually Exclusive (Could not answer more than one at a time)
32
Reliability vs Validity
Reliability is how consistently a measure produces the same result Validity is how accurately the measure captures the phenomenon that is being studied
33
Reductionism
When researchers draw conclusions about macro-level based on micro-level
34
Composite variables
Variables that average a set of items to measure the same concept
35
Methods of measurement
- reports - observation - artifact counts - manipulation
36
Internal reliability (method of calculation
Degree to which the various items in a composite variable lead to consistent response (crombach's alpha)
37
robustness
How well the operationalization works
38
Tests of robustness
- split-half - test-retest - pilot testing
39
How to be Reliable
Good conceptualization is the best prep for good reliability Precision
40
face validity
If a measure looks valid
41
random vs systematic error
random: there will always be some people that don't respond to survey systematic: occurs if an item is biased against some group
42
Internal validity
degree to which the study establishes a causal effect
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content validity
How well a measure encompasses many different meanings of single concept
44
criterion validity
How closely a measure is associated with other factor - concurrent (how closely the measure is consistent with existing measure) - predictive (is it properly correlated with another factor it should be correlated with?)
45
construct validity
how well multiple indicators are connected to underlying factor
46
probability vs. non-probability sampling
Sample chosen via random selection (every individual has a chance of being selected that can be calculated) vs. sample chosen based on another criteria
47
Benefits and limitations of prob. sampling
- estimates are unbiased - generalizable - difference between true parameter and sample is due to chance - less convenient - not easy to access everyone this way
48
Benefits and Limitations of non-prob sampling
- good to estimate causal - gather richer info use similarities to control for stuff - cannot generalize outside of group
49
Types of probability sampling
- simple random (everyone has same prob. of being sampled, each pair has same prob.) - systematic simple (sample members picked using fixed interval, each pair does not have equal chance of selection) - cluster sampling (target pop divided into groups and then individuals randomly chosen within those groups) - stratified sampling (population divided and then some members from every group are chosen)
50
What might case-oriented research focus on?
- typicality of a case - extremity of a case - deviant cases -contrasting cases-
51
target population
Who you want to generalize about
52
population parameter
number that characterizes some quantitative aspect of a population
53
confidence level
probability that an estimate includes the population parameter, range implied by margin of error
54
margin of error/confidence interval
amount of uncertainty in an estimate aka how close it comes to population parameter
55
sampling frames
Set of estimates observed from a large number of independent sample that are all the same size and drawn using the same method
56
strengths of surveys
- use of demographic questions to map key characteristics - can be brief single topic polls or omnibus surveys
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Modes of survey administration
- face to face (much more expensive and timely, higher rates of response and better understanding of questions though) - online (less expensive, works better for skip patterns, not everyone has access to tech, lower response rate) -telephone (moderately expensive, higher response rates)
58
interviewer effects
People might answer differently based on their interviewer (social desirability bias as well)
59
Acquiescence bias
Some people are likely to agree with any statement, so that is why some suggest not using agree-disagree scale answers
60
Response set
When people get bored so they just keep answering the same category (agree agree agree etc..)
61
Order effects
The way that the ordering of the questions affects the respondent
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