CRIM 220 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Statistical Conclusion Validity, Empirical Relationship, Internal Validity
1 Sep 2016
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Chapter 4 general issues in research design. Causation, units, and time are key in research study. Whether alternative explanations were seriously considered and found wanting (eliminate) Two variables must vary together empirically correlated (occur together) Criteria for inferring cause in nomothetic explanation structuring criminal justice inquiry. How you state the problem frames the outcome causation in the social sciences. Criteria for causality types of empirical questions: descriptive. Attempt to describe a phenomenon (situation, population, process, etc. ) Can use descriptive answers to predict outcomes: causal. Asking how does a change in one variable have an impact on another variable correlational vs. causal relationships. Correlational: two variables varying in a synchronized manner. Causal: one variable responsible for change in another variable criterion for causality: empirical relationship, i. e. variables are correlated. E. g. , more smoking is related to more lung cancer temporal precedence. The presumed cause (iv) must occur before the presumed effect (dv) Problem: time order is often unclear no plausible alternative explanations.
