CMN 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Ethnography, Falsifiability, Yeti
9 Nov 2016
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Lecture 2 - 9/27 - theory & research. Something we try to make sense of the world; educated guesses . Systematic = relationships among variables; patterns are visible. Informed = reading articles, talking to people, observing actions, running. Hunches = aren"t sure we have the answer yet; multiple thoughts instead of one, Constructs = showing up, readings, understanding the material, planning ahead for exams. Dependent variable = outcome that we"re interested in aka gpa/academic performance. Two types of communication scholars: social scientists = construct and test social scientific theory. Explains the past and present as well as predicts the future. Four criteria a theory must meet: relative simplicity (occam"s razor), testability. Aka objective / scientific theory = the assumption that truth is singular and. Criterias: create understanding, identify values, inspire aesthetic appreciation (hypotheses that can be tested), practical utility (useful/helpful), and quantifiable research (ex: experiments & surveys) is accessible through unbiased sensory observation; committed to uncovering cause- and-effect relationships.
