SOC 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 31: Consistency
Document Summary
A good scientific theory is logically consistent and it can be disapproved. Empirical research relies on the careful and specific definition of terms and the recognition of how definitions and methods affect research outcomes. Variables: a concept that can take on two or more possible values. When two variables correlate, we are often tempted to infer a causal relationship, a relationship between two variables in which one is the cause of the other. Spurious relationship: a correlation between two or more variables caused by another factor that is not being measured. Principle of falsification: to be scientific, a theory must lead to testable hypothesis that can be disproved if they are wrong. Validity: the concepts and measurements accurately represent what they claim to represent. Reliability: the extent to which researchers findings are consistent with the findings of different studies of the same thing, or with the findings of the same study over time.
