Download Social Research - Sociological Imagination - Lecture Notes and more Study notes Sociology in PDF only on Docsity! 1 CHAPTER 2 SUMMARY Social research examines human behavior. The process requires curiosity and imagination, but also knowing the rules and procedures that guide research in describing and explaining why people behave as they do. Sociological research is important to our daily lives, because it creates knowledge that helps us understand our daily lives, exposes myths, affects social policies, and sharpens thinking skills. It also helps us make informed decisions about our everyday lives. The scientific method is characterized by steps in the research process that include careful data collection, exact measurement, accurate recording and analysis of the findings, thoughtful interpretation of results, and, when appropriate, a generalization of the findings to a larger group. A variable is a characteristic that can change in value or magnitude under different conditions. Variables can be attitudes, behavior, or traits such as ethnicity, gender, and social class. A statement of a relationship between two or more variables is a hypothesis. In testing a hypothesis, sociologists predict a relationship between an independent variable, a characteristic that determines or has an effect on the dependent variable, the outcome. Using the previous example, “unemployment” is the independent variable and “divorce” is the dependent variable. Reliability is the consistency with which the same measure produces similar results time after time. Validity is the degree to which a measure is accurate and really measures what it claims to measure. Consider student course evaluations. Deductive reasoning begins with a theory, prediction, or general principle that is then tested through data collection. Inductive reasoning begins with a specific observation, followed by data collection and the development of some general conclusions or theories. A population is any well-defined group of people (or things) about whom researchers want to know something. A sample is a group of people (or things) that are representative of the population researchers wish to study. In drawing a sample, researchers must decide whether to use probability or nonprobability sampling. A probability sample is one in which each person (or thing, such as an e-mail address) has an equal chance of being selected because the selection is random. The most desirable feature of a probability sample is that the results can be generalized to the larger population. A nonprobability sample is any sample in which little or no attempt is made to get a representative cross section of the population. The steps of the research process include: choosing a topic, conducting a literature review, formulating a hypothesis, choosing a research design, collecting the data, presenting the findings, analyzing the results, and stating the conclusion. Qualitative research involves examining and interpreting non-numerical material. In quantitative research, sociologists focus on a numerical analysis of people’s responses or specific characteristics. docsity.com
