SOCPSY 1Z03 Lecture 3: Research Methods
7 Nov 2016
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Social scienti c theories deal with aggregated and not individual behaviour: goal is to explain aggregate patterns of behaviour that are regular even though individuals within the aggregate vary over time. These theories trie to understand the systems in which people operate: the elements of the systems are not individuals, but variables. Methods for testing causal relationships between phenomena. Variable: any characteristic or attribute that varies, gender, age, income, if it doesn"t vary, its not interesting. Independent variable (x: a variable that has an effect on another variable. Dependent variables (y: the outcome or the variable that is being cause by the iv. Extraneous (confounding) variable (z: possible other variable that might account for relationship between x and y. Wednesday, september 14, 2016: assume that what does the causing happens before what is supposed to be caused, establishing temporal order is important to social psychologists. Co-variation (association or correlation: whatever you"re moving, they"re moving together, correlation does not equal causation.
