Political Methodology Test 2

Front 1

7 steps in research design

Back 1

1. statement of purpose of research
2. literature review contextualizing issue
3. statement of hypothesis to be tested
4. specification of variables to be employed
5. statement of how each variable is to be operationalized and measured
6 statement of how data are to be organized and collected
7. general discussed on how collected data will be analyzed

Front 2

reactivity

Back 2

persons under study modify their behvior in reaction to research

Front 3

reliability

Back 3

consistency with which a measuring instrument allows assignemnt of values to cases

Front 4

subjects

Back 4

people who are being studied in a research project

Front 5

experimental design

Back 5

relationship b/w given stimulus event or other variable in some observable behavior is isolated

Front 6

control group

Back 6

subjects in a experiment not exposed to independent variable

Front 7

test effect

Back 7

any difference in pretest and posttest scores of subject due exlucisvely to reponse of pretest

Front 8

precision matching

Back 8

procedure by which experimental and control groups may be made equivalent thru selection of comprable individuals

Front 9

field experiment

Back 9

partial application of experimental design in a real world setting

Front 10

ex post facto experiment

Back 10

experimental controls are simulated in data analysis

Front 11

controlled time- series design

Back 11

uses control groups to assess the impact of an event

Front 12

generalizability

Back 12

permits result of research on a limited set of cases to be extended to the population from which those cases are drawn

Front 13

representative sample

Back 13

all major traits of pop. being sampled are present in the same proportion as the pop. itself

Front 14

systematic random sample

Back 14

cases are draw from master list by random selection of the first case and application of a selection interval for choosing subsequent cases

Front 15

cluster sampling/ multistage random area sampling

Back 15

geopgraphic units or their analogs rather than individuals are selected

Front 16

stratified sampling

Back 16

subgroups are selected on basis of one or more shared characteristics and then sampled seperatley

Front 17

quota sample

Back 17

cases are selected to fill predesignated distribution of attributes

Front 18

sample size

Back 18

small group of cases drawn from and used to represent some larger group

Front 19

confidence level

Back 19

indicator of likelihood that sampe is representative stated in terms of the probability that sample statistic is w/in given confidence interval of a pop. parameter

Front 20

semantic differential

Back 20

visual scale w/ no numbers used, the surveyer includes numbers at a later date

Front 21

exit poll

Back 21

poll taken (as by news media) of voters leaving the voting place that is usually used for predicting the winners

Front 22

scientific research

Back 22

method of testing theories and hypotheses by applying certain rules of analysis to the observation and interpretation of reality under strictly delineated circumstances

Front 23

open- ended questions

Back 23

allow respondents to answer using their own words

Front 24

closed- ended questions

Back 24

force respondents to choose answer from limited # of options

Front 25

longitudinal surveys

Back 25

compares attributes or behaviors of given set of cases at different points in time

Front 26

attitudes

Back 26

stable and enduring orientations

Front 27

mail- in surveys

Back 27

mailing questionnaires to respondents and asking that they complete & return them

Front 28

telephone surveys

Back 28

interviews are conducted over phone

Front 29

exploratory research

Back 29

designed to discover factors that should be included in theorizing and research on a subject

Front 30

quantitative

Back 30

statistical comparisions of characteristics of numerial measurement representing cases being studied

Front 31

qualitative

Back 31

based of researcher's informed understanding of events under study, avoids numerical comparisons of cases

Front 32

respondents

Back 32

people who respond to an interview or questionnare

Front 33

experimental group

Back 33

subjects exposed to independent variable

Front 34

post- test

Back 34

measurement taken after introduction of experimental event

Front 35

pre- test

Back 35

measurement taken before introduction of experimental event

Front 36

solomon 2 control group

Back 36

variation of classic experimental design intended to allow researched to identify any test effect present in experiments

Front 37

randomization

Back 37

procedure for selecting cases for study in which each case in a pop. and each combinations of cases in a given size, has an equal chance of selection

Front 38

non- experimental design

Back 38

studies in which there is no research design to provide logical basis for causal inference

Front 39

time- series design

Back 39

seeks to establish causal relationships thru analysis across time

Front 40

internal validity

Back 40

construct validity that evaluates if measures are accurately evaluation theoretical concepts

Front 41

population

Back 41

set of cases about which one wishes to draw conclusions

Front 42

random sample

Back 42

cases are selected from pop. in accordance w/ the principle of randomization

Front 43

judgemental sample

Back 43

specific cases are puposely selected

Front 44

sampling error

Back 44

differences b/w attributes of a sample and those of the pop. from which the sample's drawn

Front 45

spurious correlation

Back 45

2 variables co- bary but only b/c of chance or action of some other variable

Front 46

aggregate data

Back 46

pertaining to groups of cases of collectivities

Front 47

cross- sectional survey

Back 47

compares data from different cases @ a single pt. in time

Front 48

in- person surveys

Back 48

interviewer questions respondent face- to- face

Front 49

cohort study

Back 49

based on repeated surveys of a specific group at different pts. in time

Front 50

descriptive research

Back 50

concerned w/ measuring some aspect of reality for its own sake rather than developing or testing a theory

Front 51

explanatory research

Back 51

uses observations of reality to test hypotheses and help identify or develop an understanding of patterns of behavior in the context of a theory

Front 52

stimulus

Back 52

independent varialbe in an experiment

Front 53

Solomon 3 control group

Back 53

variation of classical experimental design intended to allow researchers to identify any influence of maturation on results of experiment

Front 54

frequency distrubution matching

Back 54

experimental and control groups can be made equivalent by selection of combinations of subjects w/ comprable aggregate characteristics

Front 55

quasi- experimental design

Back 55

data analysis techniques or data- gathering strategies are used to approximate the degree of control associated w/ experimental research

Front 56

regression toward the mean

Back 56

natural tendency for extreme values to move toward more typical values over time

Front 57

external validity

Back 57

degree to which given study relates to other pops.

Front 58

sample

Back 58

small group of cases drawn from and used to represent larger group

Front 59

most different systems design

Back 59

strategy for comparative research in which characteristics that differ bw/ units of analysis can be ruled out as explantions for others that are shared

Front 60

most similar systems design

Back 60

focuses on units of analysis that are very similar, shared characteristics can be held constant when differences b/w units are examined

Front 61

degrees of freedom

Back 61

number of cells in a table or points alone a regressin line that may be entered w/ being determined by prior entries

Front 62

homogeneity

Back 62

degree to which members of a given pop. are like each other

Front 63

confidence interval

Back 63

indicator of accuracy w/ which a pop. parameter can be predicted from sample stat. stated in terms of range of values above or below sample stat of pop. parameter is likely to fall

Front 64

parameter

Back 64

any characteristic of a pop, as distinct from a characteristic of a sample

Front 65

survey research

Back 65

technique used in study of individual attitudes, behaviors or attributes

Front 66

contigency question

Back 66

filtering device used in serveys to ascertain the appropriatness of asking a subsequent question

Front 67

trend study

Back 67

analysis based on a comparison of the same general pop. at different times

Front 68

instrumentation

Back 68

creation of a measurement device

Front 69

panel study

Back 69

employs same group of subjects for a series of observation @ different pts. in time

Front 70

questionnare

Back 70

survey instrument used in mailed or self- administered surveys

Front 71

pilot study

Back 71

small scale trial of measures and procudures used to identify in advance any weaknesses in research plan or instrumentation

Front 72

direct observation

Back 72

technique used primarily in study of group norms and behaviors

Front 73

areal group

Back 73

defined by residence w/ particular geographic area

Front 74

demographic group

Back 74

defined by some personal characteristic of its members

Front 75

index

Back 75

statistical indicator calucated from several variables

Front 76

unit of analysis

Back 76

smallest component or element about which generalizations are to be made

Front 77

index construction

Back 77

combining 2 or more related indicators into a single more comprehensive indicator

Front 78

additive index

Back 78

measure created by combinng indicators of different aspects of the same concept

Front 79

raw data

Back 79

product of unstandardized or otherwise unprocessed observations

Front 80

scaling

Back 80

process of combining several indicators of a given concept into a single complex indicator of that concept

Front 81

likert scale

Back 81

based on asking repondents to report degree to which they agree or diasgree w/ a series of statements selected to represent a trait

Front 82

structured observation

Back 82

direct observation using a prepared schedule or protocol to record data

Front 83

multiplicative index

Back 83

single measure constructed from combination of different but related concepts

Front 84

summative indicator

Back 84

measure of group characteristics created by combing the individual chracteristics of group members

Front 85

data transformation

Back 85

modicaticatio of data to meet requirements of a particular analysis technique

Front 86

demographic group

Back 86

group defined by some personal chracteristic of its members

Front 87

obtrusive research

Back 87

research employing obtrusive measures

Front 88

unobtrusive research/ measure

Back 88

intentionally avoids influence the behavior of research subjects

Front 89

ecological fallacy

Back 89

improper use of aggregate data to draw conclusions about the characteristics of individual cases or groups

Front 90

Galton's problem

Back 90

task of testing for effects of diffusion in comparative research

Front 91

parsimony

Back 91

presentation of material as efficiently as possible, simplicity in a theory

Front 92

scale

Back 92

series of indicators that can be ordered to rank cases according to the degree to which they manifest a concept

Front 93

Gutman scaling

Back 93

provides internal criteria for determining the degree to which a set of items exhibit unidimensionally

Front 94

weighted index

Back 94

socres on one variable have been standardized by reference to scores on some other variable in order to faciliate valid comparison of index scores for different cases

Front 95

data archives

Back 95

collections of results of previous research

Front 96

4 parts of a survey

Back 96

1. introduction/ explanation 2. warm- up questions 3. substantive questions 4. demographic/ascriptive questions

Front 97

cross- section

Back 97

compares data from different cases @ a single pt. in time

Front 98

standardized measures

Back 98

adusted so as to allow valid comparisons among units of different sizes in the analysis of aggregate data

Front 99

scale score

Back 99

single measure of how much a subject has of a given attribute measured by a scale

Front 100

unstructured observation

Back 100

direct observation using notes but not a prepared schedule or protocol to record data

Front 101

syntality indicator

Back 101

measure of some quality or characteristic of a group as a whole