SOC-1010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Dependent And Independent Variables, Falsifiability, Participant Observation

• School: Vanderbilt University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC-1010
• Professor: William Hale

Document Summary

Scientific method used to gather empirical data and create and test theories: quantitative research--gathers data that can be quantified and offers insight into patterns of social behavior and attitudes. Large scale surveys and large sample sizes: qualitative research--uses data that cannot be quantified. In-depth knowledge of social life, institutions, and processes. Focus groups, participant and nonparticipant observation, interviews, and archival research: often small sample sizes. Spurious relationship--a correlation between variables is caused by another factor not being measured (confounding: reverse causality--a situation in which the researcher believes that a results in a change in. B, but b in fact is causing a: characteristics of a good research study. Survey research, fieldwork, [experimentation], use of existing data, participatory research. Survey--uses a survey tool with a group of people to determine characteristics, opinions, and behaviors. Sampling: population--the whole group of interest/people to be studied.