HDFS research methods exam 1
1. Three purposes of social research: Explore, describe explain
2. Descriptive: to observe and record behavior, describing the state of social affairs ex. What is
the unemployment rate
3. Exploratory: mapping out a topic that may warrant further study later ex. Looking
into a new cause of cancer
4. Explanatory: Providing reasons for phenomena, in terms of causal relationships
ex. Why do some cities have higher unemployment rates than others?
5. basic science: science that seeks to expand knowledge regardless of the short-term
application of that knowledge
knowledge for knowledge sake
6. Applied research: scientific study that aims to solve practical problems, asking questions,
conducting research to help people
7. scientific inquiry: Uses the scientific method, as opposed to non-scientific in- quiry which is
just everyday asking questions
8. Errors made in human inquiry: inaccurate observations, overgeneralization, illogical
reasoning
9. premodern view of reality: all knowledge was based on knowledge revealed by authority
figures (like religious leaders)
10.modern view of reality: knowledge based on empiricism and logic
11.postmodern view of reality: There is no objective reality, all perspective
12.two pillars of social science: logic (must make sense) and observation (must correspond to
what we observe)
13.methodology: Science of finding out
14.Epistemology: Science of knowing
15.Components of a research article: Abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion,
references
16.Idiographic approach to explanation: An approach in which we seek to ex- haustthe
idiosyncratic causes of a particularcondition or event.• Imagine trying to list all the reasons
youchose to attend UConn
17.Nomothetic approach to explanation: An approach to explanation in which we seek to identify
a few causal factors that impact a class of conditions or events.•
ex Imagine the two or three key factors that determine why you came to UConn
18.Theory vs. Hypothesis !: Theory is broad which leads to hypothesis-single prediction
(written in a way that's testable
19.inductive theory: Proceeds from concrete observations from which general conclusions
are inferred through a process of reasoning.
1/
, HDFS research methods exam 1
specific observations to more general
- The logical model in which general principles are developed from specific obser- vations
20.Deductive theory: Proceeds from general ideas, knowledge, or understanding of the social
world from which specific hypotheses are logically deduced and tested.
theory—> data
The logical model in which general principles are developed from specific observa- tions
21.Conceptualization: the process of specifying what we mean by a term
ex. Wellbeing- mental health, physical health, etc
22.Operationalization: the process of assigning a precise method for measuring a term being
examined for use in a particular study
specific questions to measure the concept
23.Observation: Collecting data
24.Variables: factors that can change in an experiment, more broad
ex. Age
25.Attributes: A quality or feature regarded as a characteristic or inherent part of someone or
something, more specific
ex. Young, old
26.Independent variable: The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect
is being studied.
27.Dependent variable: The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to
manipulations of the independent variable.
28.Participant variable: The individual characteristics of research subjects - age, personality,
health, intelligence, etc.
29.Situational variable: a characteristic that differs across environments or stimuli things
happening in the environment
30.Mediating variable: a variable that helps explain the relationship between two other
variables
Ex. Covid -> low consumption -> savings
2/
1. Three purposes of social research: Explore, describe explain
2. Descriptive: to observe and record behavior, describing the state of social affairs ex. What is
the unemployment rate
3. Exploratory: mapping out a topic that may warrant further study later ex. Looking
into a new cause of cancer
4. Explanatory: Providing reasons for phenomena, in terms of causal relationships
ex. Why do some cities have higher unemployment rates than others?
5. basic science: science that seeks to expand knowledge regardless of the short-term
application of that knowledge
knowledge for knowledge sake
6. Applied research: scientific study that aims to solve practical problems, asking questions,
conducting research to help people
7. scientific inquiry: Uses the scientific method, as opposed to non-scientific in- quiry which is
just everyday asking questions
8. Errors made in human inquiry: inaccurate observations, overgeneralization, illogical
reasoning
9. premodern view of reality: all knowledge was based on knowledge revealed by authority
figures (like religious leaders)
10.modern view of reality: knowledge based on empiricism and logic
11.postmodern view of reality: There is no objective reality, all perspective
12.two pillars of social science: logic (must make sense) and observation (must correspond to
what we observe)
13.methodology: Science of finding out
14.Epistemology: Science of knowing
15.Components of a research article: Abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion,
references
16.Idiographic approach to explanation: An approach in which we seek to ex- haustthe
idiosyncratic causes of a particularcondition or event.• Imagine trying to list all the reasons
youchose to attend UConn
17.Nomothetic approach to explanation: An approach to explanation in which we seek to identify
a few causal factors that impact a class of conditions or events.•
ex Imagine the two or three key factors that determine why you came to UConn
18.Theory vs. Hypothesis !: Theory is broad which leads to hypothesis-single prediction
(written in a way that's testable
19.inductive theory: Proceeds from concrete observations from which general conclusions
are inferred through a process of reasoning.
1/
, HDFS research methods exam 1
specific observations to more general
- The logical model in which general principles are developed from specific obser- vations
20.Deductive theory: Proceeds from general ideas, knowledge, or understanding of the social
world from which specific hypotheses are logically deduced and tested.
theory—> data
The logical model in which general principles are developed from specific observa- tions
21.Conceptualization: the process of specifying what we mean by a term
ex. Wellbeing- mental health, physical health, etc
22.Operationalization: the process of assigning a precise method for measuring a term being
examined for use in a particular study
specific questions to measure the concept
23.Observation: Collecting data
24.Variables: factors that can change in an experiment, more broad
ex. Age
25.Attributes: A quality or feature regarded as a characteristic or inherent part of someone or
something, more specific
ex. Young, old
26.Independent variable: The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect
is being studied.
27.Dependent variable: The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to
manipulations of the independent variable.
28.Participant variable: The individual characteristics of research subjects - age, personality,
health, intelligence, etc.
29.Situational variable: a characteristic that differs across environments or stimuli things
happening in the environment
30.Mediating variable: a variable that helps explain the relationship between two other
variables
Ex. Covid -> low consumption -> savings
2/
