Chapter 2 - Sociological Investigation
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Created by:
sweetangel4507 on April 28, 2010
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32 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 science | the study of society based on systematic observation of social behavior |
| empirical evidence | information we can verify with our senses |
| scientific sociology | the study of society based on systematic observation of social behavior |
| concept | a mental construct that represents some part of the world in a simplified form |
| variable | a concept whose value changes from case to case |
| measurement | a procedure for determining the value of a variable in a specific case |
| operationalize a variable | specifying exactly what is to be measured before assigning a value to a variable |
| reliability | consistency in measurement |
| validity | actually measuring exactly what you intend to measure |
| cause and effect | a relationship in which change in one variable causes change in another |
| independent variable | the variable that causes the change |
| dependent variable | the variable that changes |
| correlation | A relationship in which two (or more) variables change together |
| spurious correlation | An apparent but false relationship between two (or more) variables that is caused by some other variable |
| control | holding constant all variables except one in order to see clearly the effect of that variable |
| objectivity | personal neutrality in conducting research |
| replication | repetition of research by other investigators |
| interpretive sociology | the study of society that focuses on the meanings people attach to their social world |
| critical sociology | the study of society that focuses on the need for social change |
| gender | the personal traits and social positions that members of a society attach to being female or male |
| research method | a systematic plan for doing research |
| experiment | a research method for investigating cause and effect under highly controlled conditions |
| hypothesis | a statement of a possible relationship between two (or more) variables |
| Hawthorne effect | a change in a subject's behavior caused simply by the awareness of being studied |
| survey | a research method in which subjects respond to a series of statements or questions in a questionnaire or an interview |
| population | the people who are the focus of research |
| sample | a part of a population that represents the whole |
| questionnaire | a series of written questions a researcher presents to subjects |
| interview | a series of questions a researcher asks respondents in person |
| participant observation | a research method in which investigators systematically observe people while joining them in their routine activities |
| inductive logical thought | reasoning that transforms specific observations into general theory |
| deductive logical thought | reasoning that transforms general theory into specific hypotheses suitable for testing |
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