POL 138 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Testability, Dependent And Independent Variables
Document Summary
10 questions (10 points each): deciphering between normative and empirical: empirical: facts, something that can be tested, normative: opinion, can not be tested, if you are uncertain, provide an answer for your response. 5 questions (20 points each): reformulating normative statements: ask empirical questions about the assumptions behind normative statements. Normative: local, federal, and state officials responded poorly to. Empirical assumption: local, federal, and state officials provided less financial aid for hurricane katrina than they did for past hurricanes. (can it be measured?- yes!) 2 questions (20 points each) research question criteria: clarity, testability, theoretical significance, practical relevance, originality. Warming sea temperatures have been accompanied by a significant global increase in the most destructive hurricanes: clarity: while the variables are obvious, they can be better defined so that it will be testable. Yes: because there is not a world-wide known problem. No: because this has been tested in past hurricane situations: independent (cause) vs. dependent variable (effect)
