Ch 2 Sociological Research Methods
Experiment
a carefully designed situation in which the researcher studies the impact of certain variables on subject's attitudes or behavior
Variable
a concept whose value changes from case to case
Interview
a data-collection encounter in which an interviewer asks the respondent question and records the answers
Ethnography
a detailed study of the life and activities of a group of people by researchers who may live with that group over period of years
Hawthorne Effect
a phenomenon in which changes in a subject's behavior are caused by the researcher's presence or by the subject's awareness of being studied
Survey
a poll in which the researcher gathers facts or attempts to determine the relationships among facts
Questionnaire
a printed research instrument containing a series of items to which subjects respond
Cause and Effect
a relationship by which change in one variable causes change in the other
Correlation
a relationship by which two or more variables change together
Correlation
a relationship that exists when two variables are associated more frequently than could be expected by chance
Participant Observation
a research method in which researchers collect systematic observations while being part of the activities of the group being studied
Secondary Analysis
a research method in which researchers use existing material and analyze data that were originally collected by others
Survey
a research method in which subjects respond to a series of statements or questions in a questionnaire or an interview
Participant Observation
a research method in which the investigator systematically observes people while joining in their routine activities and conducting interviews
Interview
a series of questions that a researcher administers in person to respondents
Random Sampling
a study approach in which every member of an entire population being studied has the same chance of being selected
Experiment
a systematic controlled examination of cause and effect
Research Method
a systematic plan for conducting research
Dependent Variable
a variable that is assumed to depend on or be caused by the independent variable(s)
Independent Variable
a variable that is presumed to cause or determine a dependent variable
Unstructured Interview
an extended, open-ended interaction between an interviewer and an interviewee
Probability Sampling
choosing participants for a study on the basis of specific characteristics, possibly including such factors as age, sex, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment
Reliability
consistency in measurement
Experimental Group
in an experiment, the group that contains the subjects who are exposed to an independent variable (the experimental condition) to study its effects on them
Control Group
in an experiment, the group that contains the subjects who are not exposed to the independent variable
Hypothesis
in research studies, a tentative statement of the relationship between two or more concepts
Respondents
persons who provide data for analysis through interviews and questionnaires
Validity
precision in measuring exactly that which one intends to measure
Spurious
related to a correlation, an apparent, although false, relationship between two or more variables cause by some other variable
Qualitative
research involving impression and understandings
Quantitative
research involving numerical collection of data
Research Methods
specific strategies or techniques for systematically conducting research
Field Research
the study of social life in its natural setting; observing and interviewing people where they live, work, and play
Content Analysis
the systematic examination of cultural artifacts or various forms of communication to extract thematic data and draw conclusions about social life
Independent
the variable that causes the change in another variable
Dependent
the variable that is changed by another variable
