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28 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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empirical |
facts or the real world: that which exists and can be known through the experiences and senses - what can be seen, touched, heard and smelled. |
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normative |
reflects our judgement on what should be |
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induction |
creating theory by observing patterns of behavior |
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deduction |
creating theory using logic which allows you to make predictions and test the theory |
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theory |
a set of empirical generalizations about a topic. A theory tells us whether concepts are related to one another and how they related. |
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hypothesis |
an empirical statement derived from a theory. Hypotheses are used to test theories. |
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operational definition |
specifies how variables are to be measured by stating what is to be measured and how it is to be measured. |
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null hypothesis |
A hypothesis that says there is no relationship between the variables. |
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concept |
an idea. Concepts are used to create theory. |
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variable |
A concept that can take on multiple values. |
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dependent variable |
a phenomenon we want to understand |
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independent variable |
Factors believed to influence a dependent variable. |
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control variable |
additional variables that might affect a causal relationship. The use of control variables allows one to study other variables while holding the control variable constant. |
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covariation |
occurs when two variables vary together and thus there may be a causal relationship. |
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spurious association |
when variables appear to be associated but are both influenced by a third variable. |
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ecological fallacy |
associationsthat are true at the group level are not necessarily true at the individuallevel. ; erroneously drawing conclusions about individuals from data on groups. |
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spatial voting model |
A way of illustrating the preferences of voters.
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fallibility/testability |
being able to specify the conditions under which a theory can be proven false. |
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theoretical framework |
a way of looking at the world. A theoretical framework will contain many theories that share similar assumptions, concepts or variables. |
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cohort |
a group that shared an experience. |
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panel study |
a study in which the same respondents are contacted multiple times. |
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realism |
a theoretical framework that emphasizes the importance of power. |
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assumption |
Used in theory to simplify reality. Assumptions are asserted to be true and are not directly tested. |
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case study |
A case study is a study of a particular event, issue, policy or circumstance. |
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critical case |
a case which should be explained well by a rival hypothesis. |
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replication |
when researchers study a topic again to see if the results are similar to prior results. |
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quantitative |
Use of numerical measurement. |
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qualitative |
Measuring without numbers such as through verbal description. |
