POLS 3001 Midterm (2025) Actual
Exam Questions and Answers A+
Graded
Normative .Research .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-The .question .of .what .ought .to .be
Empirical .Research .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Research .based .on .actual,
."objective" .observation .of .phenomena. .(what .really .is)
Interpretivist .Approach .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-The .understanding .of .the .world .is
.based .on .who .we .are.
Positivist .Approach .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-The .assumption .that .reality .exists,
.reality .is .knowable, .and .reality .is .orderly. .Us .viewing .this .cannot .have .any
.effect .on .what .is.
Assumptions .of .Positivist .Research .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-1. .Reality .Exists
2. .Reality .is .Knowable
3. .Reality .is .Orderly .(Cause-effect)
Purposes .of .empirical .research .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-1. .Describe .reality
.a. .How .many, .how .much, .how .important
2. .Explanation
.a. .Explains .cause .and .effect
.b. .Explanatory .factors
3. .Predict .what .effects .are .caused .by .what
.a. .Can .lead .to .prevention
Overview .of .Scientific .Research .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-1. .Development .of
.research .idea .or .question
2. .Hypothesis .formulation
3. .Research
4. .Decision .based .analysis .of .evidence
5. .Modification .and .extension
**familiarity .with .the .overall .process**
Grand .theory .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Universal .theory. .Tries .to .explain .a .whole
.lot. .Ex: .Theory .of .History, .there .is .an .evolutionary .form .to .how .things .happen
, Middle-range .theory .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Theories .that .explain .a .large .range
.of .things .without .explaining .a .whole .lot. .Ex: .Democratic .peace .theory
Particularistic .theory .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Tries .to .explain .a .very .small .chunk
.of .the .world. .Ex: .Analyze .the .2004 .election .and .say .the .Iraq .war .debate
.effected .the .outcome. .Cannot .be .applied .to .any .other .election .or .any .other
.topic.
inductive .theory .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-A .theory .that .gets .built .up .in .the
.process .of .empirical .study
deductive .theory .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-A .theory .that .begins .with .a .principle
.and .generalized .knowledge .that .is .used .to .generate .a .hypothesis .and .that
.hypothesis .is .then .tested .against .the .empirical .world
Research .question .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Need .a .theory .to .answer .the
.questions. .Need .to .generate .a .hypothesis. .Need .variables.
hypothesis .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-A .testable .statement .of .relationship, .derived
.from .a .theory
variation .and .explanation .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-You .want .your .observations .to
.be .different. .Everything .you .see .cannot .be .the .same, .or .it .becomes .a .constant.
.In .order .to .have .an .explanation .you .must .have .variation. .Ex: .trying .to .explain
.the .differences .between .liberals .and .conservatives .but .everyone .you .observe
.is .conservative.
dependent .variable .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-An .effect .(being .affected .by .other
.variables .(x))
independent .variable .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Causal .variables .(affecting .variable
.y)
control .variable .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-A .type .of .independent .variable. .No
.variable .is .inherently .an .independent .variable .or .a .control .variable, .it .depends
.on .how .the .researcher .chooses .to .use .them. .Do .not .care .about .it .as .a .causal
.variable .but .you .still .have .to .control .for .it. .Not .looking .for .its .effect.
elements .of .causality .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-1. .Association
2. .Time .order
3. .Non-spuriousness
4. .Theory/ .explanation
Association .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Empirical .relationship- .There .is .some
.connection .between .the .variables .we .are .observing
Time .order .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-There .is .a .clear .time .sequence .to .how
.causation .work.
Exam Questions and Answers A+
Graded
Normative .Research .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-The .question .of .what .ought .to .be
Empirical .Research .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Research .based .on .actual,
."objective" .observation .of .phenomena. .(what .really .is)
Interpretivist .Approach .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-The .understanding .of .the .world .is
.based .on .who .we .are.
Positivist .Approach .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-The .assumption .that .reality .exists,
.reality .is .knowable, .and .reality .is .orderly. .Us .viewing .this .cannot .have .any
.effect .on .what .is.
Assumptions .of .Positivist .Research .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-1. .Reality .Exists
2. .Reality .is .Knowable
3. .Reality .is .Orderly .(Cause-effect)
Purposes .of .empirical .research .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-1. .Describe .reality
.a. .How .many, .how .much, .how .important
2. .Explanation
.a. .Explains .cause .and .effect
.b. .Explanatory .factors
3. .Predict .what .effects .are .caused .by .what
.a. .Can .lead .to .prevention
Overview .of .Scientific .Research .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-1. .Development .of
.research .idea .or .question
2. .Hypothesis .formulation
3. .Research
4. .Decision .based .analysis .of .evidence
5. .Modification .and .extension
**familiarity .with .the .overall .process**
Grand .theory .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Universal .theory. .Tries .to .explain .a .whole
.lot. .Ex: .Theory .of .History, .there .is .an .evolutionary .form .to .how .things .happen
, Middle-range .theory .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Theories .that .explain .a .large .range
.of .things .without .explaining .a .whole .lot. .Ex: .Democratic .peace .theory
Particularistic .theory .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Tries .to .explain .a .very .small .chunk
.of .the .world. .Ex: .Analyze .the .2004 .election .and .say .the .Iraq .war .debate
.effected .the .outcome. .Cannot .be .applied .to .any .other .election .or .any .other
.topic.
inductive .theory .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-A .theory .that .gets .built .up .in .the
.process .of .empirical .study
deductive .theory .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-A .theory .that .begins .with .a .principle
.and .generalized .knowledge .that .is .used .to .generate .a .hypothesis .and .that
.hypothesis .is .then .tested .against .the .empirical .world
Research .question .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Need .a .theory .to .answer .the
.questions. .Need .to .generate .a .hypothesis. .Need .variables.
hypothesis .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-A .testable .statement .of .relationship, .derived
.from .a .theory
variation .and .explanation .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-You .want .your .observations .to
.be .different. .Everything .you .see .cannot .be .the .same, .or .it .becomes .a .constant.
.In .order .to .have .an .explanation .you .must .have .variation. .Ex: .trying .to .explain
.the .differences .between .liberals .and .conservatives .but .everyone .you .observe
.is .conservative.
dependent .variable .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-An .effect .(being .affected .by .other
.variables .(x))
independent .variable .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Causal .variables .(affecting .variable
.y)
control .variable .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-A .type .of .independent .variable. .No
.variable .is .inherently .an .independent .variable .or .a .control .variable, .it .depends
.on .how .the .researcher .chooses .to .use .them. .Do .not .care .about .it .as .a .causal
.variable .but .you .still .have .to .control .for .it. .Not .looking .for .its .effect.
elements .of .causality .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-1. .Association
2. .Time .order
3. .Non-spuriousness
4. .Theory/ .explanation
Association .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Empirical .relationship- .There .is .some
.connection .between .the .variables .we .are .observing
Time .order .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-There .is .a .clear .time .sequence .to .how
.causation .work.
