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Chapter 2 SOCL120 OER WITH WORKBOOK

Terms in this set (33)

Causality
when one event, behavior, or belief will result in the occurrence of another, subsequent event, behavior, or belief
Content Analysis
a research method which applies a systematic approach to record and value information gleaned from secondary data as they relate to the study at hand
Control Group
research subjects in an experiment who are not exposed to the variable being studied
Convenience Sample
a nonrandom sample that is available quickly and inexpensive to use
Correlation
when there is a relationship between variables, they are correlated
Dependent Variable
the variable that is affected by the independent variable
Empirical Evidence
evidence that comes from direct experience, scientifically gathered data, or experimentation
Experimental Group
research subjects in an experiment who are exposed to the variable being studied
Experiments
are the primary form of research in the natural and physical sciences, but in the social sciences they are for the most part found in psychology
Generalizations
general statements regarding trends among various dimensions of social life
Hypothesis
a statement of the relationship between two variables concerning the units of analysis the researcher is studying
Independent Variable
the variable that affects the dependent variable
Mean
a measure of central tendency in which you add the value of all responses on a given variable and then divide that number by the total number of responses
Measures of Central Tendency
calculations that tell us what the most common, or average, response is on a question
Median
the middle point in a distribution of responses
Meta-analysis
a technique in which the results of virtually all previous studies on a specific subject are evaluated together
Mode
the most common response given to a question
Nonparticipant Observation
a research method in which the the researcher observes a group they are studying but does not participate in the group
Nonrandom Sample
members of the population do not have the same chance of being included in the study
Participant Observation
the researcher is part of the group they are studying
Public Sociology
a branch of sociology that strives to bring sociological dialogue to public forums in order to increase understanding of the social factors that underlie social problems and assist in finding solutions
Qualitative Data
non-numerical data that is analyzed for what people say and do
Quantitative Data
survey data that is collected numerically
Quota Sample
nonrandom sample where the researcher tries to ensure that the makeup of the sample resembles one or more characteristics of the population as closely as possible
Random Sample
a sample that gives everyone in the population an equal chance of being in the study
Response Rate
percentage of all people in the sample who agree to be interviewed
Sample
a subset of the population of people in whom the researcher is interested
Secondary Data Analysis
analysis of existing data
Scientific Method
a process that involves several research steps, including observation, hypothesis testing, analysis of data, and drawing conclusions
Spurious Relationships
a relationship between an independent variable and dependent variable when a third variable accounts for the relationship
Survey
collection of data from questionnaires
Unit of Analysis
refers to the type of entity a researcher is studying
Variable
any feature or factor that may differ among the units of analysis that a researcher is studying, such as age, gender, social class, race-ethnicity, attitudes or behaviors
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