SOCIOLOGY 210 - SOCIAL
RESEARCH METHOD MIDTERM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Experiential Reality - ANSWER-The things we know from direct experience
Example: Seeing something happen
Example: Snow feels cold (other people may not know this)
Agreement Reality - ANSWER-Things we consider real because we have been told
they are real, and the majority seem to agree
Example: the old belief that the Earth rotates the sun (this may cause problems
because some realities are not true)
This is through tradition and/or authority
Tradition: things that are known through an accumulated body of knowledge. These
are the things that everyone knows and the ways that things have been done.
Therefore it is difficult to challenge what these explanations are
Example of tradition: Use of confession within the Catholic religion. It cannot be
empirically proven that it works, but within the Catholic community there is an
understanding that it does
Authority: trusting the judgement of someone believed to have special expertise.
This person is in a position of directing others
Examples of authority: politics, police officers and celebrities pitching new products
What does the term empirical mean in research? - ANSWER-Based on, concerned
with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic
This is a fact based on observation (not based on theory)
What is causation? - ANSWER-Attributes on one variable are expected to cause or
encounter a particular attribute on another variable
One variable causes a reaction/change in the other
The IV causes a change in the DV
Used for explanatory research
What are units of analysis - ANSWER-Individuals
, - When data collection is focused on facts from individual persons
Groups
- When data collection is focused on facts from collections of persons with some
desired characteristics
Example: Differences between gangs
Can gather information from the individual to understand the group
Organizations
- When data collection is focused on facts from formal groups with established rules
Examples: hospitals, universities
Social Artifacts
- When data collection is focused on facts from products of social beings and their
behaviour
Examples: songs, movies, books
What is Ecological Fallacy? - ANSWER-Occurs when we use aggregate data about
some collective unit of analysis and think that this evidence tells us something about
the individual that compose the aggregate data
In simple terms, knowing something about a group and thinking it says something
about the individual
What is the Belmont Report? - ANSWER-From 1979
A brief, but comprehensive set of ethical principles for protecting human subjects
Focuses on the respect for persons, beneficence, and Justice
What does spurious mean? - ANSWER-Another variable is affecting the relationship
between the IV and the DV
The relationship does not actually exist
Example: high ice creams sales and drownings (the other variable is summer)
What is Exception Fallacy? - ANSWER-When individualist evidence is used to
counter aggregate findings
The opposite of ecological
What are Cross-Sectional Studies - ANSWER-Data collected at only one point in
time
Least costly way to conduct research
RESEARCH METHOD MIDTERM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Experiential Reality - ANSWER-The things we know from direct experience
Example: Seeing something happen
Example: Snow feels cold (other people may not know this)
Agreement Reality - ANSWER-Things we consider real because we have been told
they are real, and the majority seem to agree
Example: the old belief that the Earth rotates the sun (this may cause problems
because some realities are not true)
This is through tradition and/or authority
Tradition: things that are known through an accumulated body of knowledge. These
are the things that everyone knows and the ways that things have been done.
Therefore it is difficult to challenge what these explanations are
Example of tradition: Use of confession within the Catholic religion. It cannot be
empirically proven that it works, but within the Catholic community there is an
understanding that it does
Authority: trusting the judgement of someone believed to have special expertise.
This person is in a position of directing others
Examples of authority: politics, police officers and celebrities pitching new products
What does the term empirical mean in research? - ANSWER-Based on, concerned
with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic
This is a fact based on observation (not based on theory)
What is causation? - ANSWER-Attributes on one variable are expected to cause or
encounter a particular attribute on another variable
One variable causes a reaction/change in the other
The IV causes a change in the DV
Used for explanatory research
What are units of analysis - ANSWER-Individuals
, - When data collection is focused on facts from individual persons
Groups
- When data collection is focused on facts from collections of persons with some
desired characteristics
Example: Differences between gangs
Can gather information from the individual to understand the group
Organizations
- When data collection is focused on facts from formal groups with established rules
Examples: hospitals, universities
Social Artifacts
- When data collection is focused on facts from products of social beings and their
behaviour
Examples: songs, movies, books
What is Ecological Fallacy? - ANSWER-Occurs when we use aggregate data about
some collective unit of analysis and think that this evidence tells us something about
the individual that compose the aggregate data
In simple terms, knowing something about a group and thinking it says something
about the individual
What is the Belmont Report? - ANSWER-From 1979
A brief, but comprehensive set of ethical principles for protecting human subjects
Focuses on the respect for persons, beneficence, and Justice
What does spurious mean? - ANSWER-Another variable is affecting the relationship
between the IV and the DV
The relationship does not actually exist
Example: high ice creams sales and drownings (the other variable is summer)
What is Exception Fallacy? - ANSWER-When individualist evidence is used to
counter aggregate findings
The opposite of ecological
What are Cross-Sectional Studies - ANSWER-Data collected at only one point in
time
Least costly way to conduct research
