Transcript 02SocInvestigation

Sociological Investigation
How does Sociology study society?
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
How do you start?
 The Problem
 Review the Literature
 Develop a Hypothesis
 Unverified statement of a possible relationship
between variables.
What are variables?
 A variable is…
 What kinds are there?
 Independent
 Dependent
What do we want when we measure a
variable?
 Reliability (consistency)
 Repeated measurement = same result
 Validity (accuracy)
 Measuring what you want to measure
How are variables related?
 Correlation
 Relationship by which variables change
together
 E.g. Grades and study time
 Positive correlation
 Spurious (false) correlation
 Caused by a 3rd. variable
How do we know if one thing caused
another?
 1. Correlated
 2. Ind. Variable comes first
 3. No third variable
Do you remember?
 What is an hypothesis
 What do we want when measuring a
variable?
 What is a spurious correlation?
 What three things are needed to say
one thing caused another?
What two important things do
we need in research?
 Objectivity
 Max Weber (Value free)
 Personal neutrality toward the outcome of the
research
 Replication
 Repeat study to assess accuracy
 E.g. Cold Fusion
Who do we study in our
research?
 Population
 The group we can generalize to
 Sample
 Represents the entire population
 Simple, Random, Representative
Do you remember?
 What two important things do we
need in research?
 What is the difference between a
sample and a population?
How can we do the research?
 Observational methods
 Surveys
 Experiments
How can we observe people?
 Participant observation
 NSCC
 Prison story
 Field observation
How can we observe people? (cont.)
 Secondary analysis
 Saves time
 No control over bias
 Files
 Adult Development Program
 U.S. Census
 Case study
 Ted Bundy
 Split personality student
How can we study what we can not see?
 Surveys
 Interviews & questionnaires
 Open ended questions
 Usually interviews
 Closed ended questions
 Usually questionnaires
 Response problem
How is an experiment designed?
 Experimental group (New way)
 Control group (Old way)
What could be some problems
with experiments?
 Hawthorne Effect
 A change in subject’s behavior as a result of being
studied
 Placebo effect
 Getting the effect you expect
 Often used with drug studies
Do you remember?
 What would be a good method to
study:
 Student attitudes toward NSCC?
 A successful presidential candidate?
 Which of two teaching methods works
best?
 What is the main thing drug experiments
need to control for?
Do you remember?
 What is the difference between:
 Open and closed questions?
 Control and experimental groups?
 Hawthorne effect and placebo effect?