Research methods wccc 9 14-15
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This document discusses key concepts in social science research methods. It covers research ethics like informed consent and protecting vulnerable populations. It explains that good research should be valid, reliable and generalizable. It discusses the differences between quantitative and qualitative research methods. It also covers the deductive and inductive approaches to research, and explains the difference between correlation and causation in research. Key variables like independent and dependent variables are defined. The importance of hypotheses and how they relate to the research question or theory is also outlined.
Research methods wccc 9 14-15
- 2. “do no harm” Informed Consent: anonymity confidentiality Voluntary Participation Protected Populations
- 3. What Makes “Good” Research? Good research should be valid, reliable, and generalizable: Validity: does the study measure what it is intended to measure? Reliability: if you conduct the study again, will you get the same results? Generalizability: will the findings of this study apply to some other population or group of people? 3
- 4. Science, junk science, pseudo-science, non-science andnonsense http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T_jwq9ph8k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUB4j0n2UDU
- 6. Jumpstarting exercise Form groups of 2 and on a piece of paper write down 10 social problems that come to mind You have 10 minutes!
- 7. Personal or social problems?
- 8. What do you think is the difference between personal and social problems?
- 9. Personal or social problem? What difference does the distinction between personal and social problems make in understanding the causes and consequences of problems? Work in groups and choose one problem from the list you made at the beginning of this class and try to understand this specific problems in terms of a) A personal problem b) A social problem c) Make a comparison: what different analysis outcomes do you get? What consequences does this have
- 10. Personal problem A personal problem is one whose causes and solutions lie within the individual and his/her immediate environment “personal troubles or milieu”
- 11. Personal vs. Social problems Viewing a problem as either personal or social leads to identifying very different consequences as well as different causes Helping individuals deal with personal problems is important but it is only a stopgap approach to social problems.
- 12. Approaching rape: a personal or social problem ?
- 13. rape defined as a personal problem due to personal inadequacies results in guilt in victim and impunity for the offender ends in appropriate or no action and continuation of the problem rape defined a social problem due in part to social attitudes about women results in collective action –education of the public and criminal justice personnel ends in amelioration of the problem as attitudes change and women are treated as victims rather than as the guilty ones
- 14. Defining itasa personal problem eitherblames thevictim or castigates theoffender
- 15. Defining rapeas asocial problem organizestheneedforcollective action thatattacksfactors outside the individual
- 16. Tackling personal problems Individual strategies employed to deal with problem Help from professionals depending on the type on problem (e.g. social workers, psychologists etc.) Possible consequences: Personal empowerment Escape mechanism Sense of inadequacy (low self-esteem, self-fulfilling prophecy)
- 17. A broad definition of a social problem “A social problem is a social condition that has negative consequences for individuals, our social world, or psychical world” (Leon-Guerrero, 2010)
- 18. different Level of social problems Problems of behavior deviance Problems of inequality Problems of social institutions Global social problems As we will learn it is difficult to place social problems in boxes of categories, since they so complex and overlap.
- 20. Recognizing fallacies of thinking
- 21. 9fallaciesofthinkingwhenanalyzingsocialproblems: 1. Fallacy of dramatic instance: Overgeneralizing 2. Fallacy of misplaced concreteness: making something abstract into something concrete 3. Fallacy of personal attack: Argument by attacking the opponent personally rather than dealing with the issue Fallacies of thinking when analyzing SPs:
- 22. examples Fallacy of dramatic instance: Overgeneralizing “We saw two young boys doing drugs in the street; the modern youth is really in decline” Fallacy of misplaced concreteness: Making something abstract into something concrete “The masculine Aruban culture inhibits a good education for women.” Fallacy of personal attack: Argument by attacking the opponent personally rather than dealing with the issue “We shouldn’t start a program for the homeless; they are all drug addicts.”
- 23. 9fallaciesofthinkingwhenanalyzingsocialproblems: 4. Fallacy of appeal to prejudice: Argument by appealing to popular prejudices or passions 5. Fallacy of circular reasoning: Using conclusions to support the assumptions that were necessary to make the conclusions 6. Fallacy of retrospective determinism: That argument that things could have not worked out any other way than they did Fallacies of thinking when analyzing SPs:
- 24. examples Fallacy of appeal to prejudice: Argument by appealing to popular prejudices or passions “We shouldn’t hire gay people, they have AIDS” Fallacy of circular reasoning: Using conclusions to support the assumptions that were necessary to make the conclusions “Poor people are inferior because they are unable to make any money.” Fallacy of retrospective determinism: That argument that things could have not worked out any other way than they did “There will always be poor people, there always have been” “Without tourism Aruba would be broke”
- 25. 9fallaciesofthinkingwhenanalyzingsocialproblems: 7. Fallacy of composition: The assertion that what is true of the part is necessarily true of the whole 8. Fallacy of non sequitur: Something that does not follow logically from what has preceded it 9. Fallacy authority: Argument by an illegitimate appeal to authority Fallacies of thinking when analyzing SPs:
- 26. examples Fallacy of composition: The assertion that what is true of the part is necessarily true of the whole “Members of parliament are wasteful, parliament is wasteful” Fallacy of non sequitur: Something that does not follow logically from what has preceded it “If you don’t donate to this charity organization, you don’t care about the poor.” Fallacy authority: Argument by an illegitimate appeal to authority “Aruba’s crime rates are rising” “Why do you think that?” “Professor x said so.”
- 27. Defining the concept of “Social problems” Defining the concept of ‘social problems’ Social problems can be defined in terms of different perspectives The specific angle you choose will influence the way you approach social problems
- 28. Research Methods Research methods are standard rules that social scientists follow when trying to establish a causal relationship between social elements. Quantitative methods seek to obtain information about the social world that is in, or can be converted to, numeric form. Qualitative methods attempt to collect information about the social world that cannot be readily converted to numeric form.
- 29. Approaches to Research A deductive approach to research: 1) starts with a theory. 2)develops a hypothesis. 3) makes empirical observations. 4)analyzes the data collected through observation to confirm, reject, or modify the original theory. 29
- 30. Do you believe in ghosts?
- 31. Deductive reasoning is more narrow and is generally used to test or confirm hypotheses.
- 32. The basic principle on which deductive reasoning is based, is a well-known mathematical formula; If, 1 = 2 (premise) and 2 = 3 (premise) then, 1 = 3 (conclusion)
- 33. Given below are a few examples that will help you understand this concept better: All oranges are fruits All fruits grow on trees Therefore, all oranges grow on trees Johnny is a bachelor, All bachelors are single, Hence, Johnny is single
- 34. Here are a few valid, but unsound examples; All flight attendants know how to swim Ralph knows how to swim Hence, Ralph is a flight attendant. The above conclusion is untrue, because it is not necessary that only flight attendants know how to swim. Absolutely any swimmer can swim.
- 35. Do you believe in ghosts?
- 36. Everything is Data! Data Will Rule Your lives! You job – pre-interview – job performance - raise? Your car insurance Your credit Your chances of staying married to a particular person. Your chances of dying of dying soon. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiAHlZVgXjk
- 37. Approaches to Research An inductive approach to research: 1) starts with empirical observation. 2) then works to form a theory. 3) determines if a correlation exists by noticing if a change is observed in two things simultaneously. 37
- 38. Inductive reasoning is more open-ended and exploratory, especially during the early stages. Sometimes called a “bottom up” approach.
- 42. The Black Swan Outliers The stock market – -the housing crash –your life. All the swans that I have seen till date are white in color. Therefore, all swans are white.
- 43. Do you believe in ghosts?
- 46. In research it is often a combination.. His initial observations led him to inductively create a theory of religion, social integration, anomie, and suicide. His theoretical interpretations in turn led him to deductively create more hypotheses and collect more observations. He noticed that Protestant countries consistently had higher suicide rates than Catholic ones.
- 47. What the current research said about suicide: Suicide is greatest in late spring and summer NOT winter. Media perpetuates myths – the winter suicide is “sexy.” No strong interest in correcting or challenging the myth. Cover the story on the pre-set anniversary dates. Suicide has a stronger association with free time (summer) than sunshine.
- 48. Causality vs. Correlation Causality is the idea that a change in one factor results in a corresponding change in another factor. 48
- 49. Causality vs. Correlation Sociologists conduct research to try to prove causation. To prove causation, correlation and time order are established and alternative explanations are ruled out. 1.Correlation 2. Time order 3. Alternate Explanations. 49
- 50. Correlation is not causation.
- 51. Does it meet all threecriteria? Spurious Correlation
- 52. Variables – What Are We Studying? A dependent variable is the outcome that a researcher is trying to explain. An independent variable is a measured factor that the researcher believes has a causal impact on the dependent variable. 52 Example: a person’s income (dependent variable) may vary according to age, gender and social class (independent variables).
- 53. The Hypothesis (if…then) A hypothesis is a proposed relationship between two variables, represented by either the null hypothesis or an alternative hypothesis. 53 Null Hypothesis (sometime called no-difference) Hyperactivity is unrelated to eating sugar. The null hypothesis is good for experimentation because it's simple to disprove. If you disprove a null hypothesis, that is evidence for a relationship between the variables you are examining.
- 54. Marijuana and serious mental illness (SMI) research Prevalence of Past Year SMI among Adults Aged 18 or Older, by Gender and Age Group: 2002 and 2003 Prevalence of Past Year SMI among Lifetime Marijuana Users Aged 18 or Older, by Age at First Marijuana Use: 2002 and 2003
- 55. Example: What affects a student’s arrival to class? Variables: Type of School Liberals Arts v. University Type of Student Athlete? Gender? GPA? Time Bedtime, Waking, Arrival Mode of Transportation walk, bus, carpool
- 56. Independent (input) 1. Intentionally manipulated 2. Controlled 3. Vary at known rate 4. Cause 1. Intentionally left alone 2. Measured 3. Vary at unknown rate 4. Effect For example: •If a scientist conducts an experiment to test the theory that a vitamin could extend a person’s life-expectancy, then the independent variable is the amount of vitamin that is given to the subjects within the experiment. This is controlled by the experimenting scientist. •The dependent variable, or the variable being affected by the independent variable in this case, is life span. Dependent (output)
- 57. http://www.wired.com/medtech/drugs/magazine/17-09/ff_placebo_effect?currentPage=all
- 59. Quantitative Methods Quantitativeresearchis researchthat uses numerical analysis. In essence, this approach reduces the data into numbers. www.gapminder.com http://www.gapminder.org/videos/200-years-that-changed-the-world-bbc/
Editor's Notes
- #4: It is important when we conduct a study that the results mean something to other people even if they weren’t involved in the study. As such, we look for validity, reliability, and generalizability to help us determine if the results of the study are applicable to the larger social world.
- #20: Exploration: let students analyze what they think is a possible social problem in this picture. This assignment is meant to identify fallacies of thinking
- #29: There are different ways to study social phenomena. If you wanted to study poverty, for instance, you could do a quantitative analysis by picking a neighborhood, getting the census data, and seeing how much money the average household makes. Then you could compare that to the federal poverty line to determine how many people are in poverty. On the other hand, you might not get a complete picture just by looking at the numbers. Some families have high incomes (maybe $100,000/year or more), but if you asked them, they might tell you that they don’t have enough money to get by. If you just look at the numbers, you might exclude these people from your study, yet you might be able to learn something interesting about social life by talking to these people. As a result, many studies include both quantitative and qualitative methods in order to produce more thorough data.
- #30: For example, you read somewhere that college graduates are likely to have higher incomes than non-college graduates, so you hypothesize that graduation from college increases salary. You collect some data and analyze it to determine whether your theory is correct.
- #38: In this case, you notice that one of your friends is making more money than one of your other friends, even though they have similar jobs. You have no idea why this could be, but you are interested in figuring it out. You think of all the differences between these two people. They are both females, they are from the same state, they like the same music, they work in the same area – but then you remember that one went to college and the other did not. You look back at their work history to see if there was always a big difference in the amount of income they made. You then see that they were making the same salaries while in high school, but after the first friend graduated from college, she got a huge raise. You can conclude that there is a correlation (or a connection) between college graduation and salary!
- #49: For example, in Chapter 1, you read about famous college dropouts like Woody Allen and Bill Gates. We might ask ourselves if people become successful because they go to college or if they would have been successful whether or not they went to college. In order to study success, we would want to determine if college caused them to be successful or if college was simply a coincidence and did not cause success. The cases that we mentioned (Allen and Gates) lead us to believe that successful people might be successful regardless of whether they finish college, but we would have to conduct a more thorough study to make a determination. We could do a quantitative study (maybe by looking at SAT scores before college, and salaries later in life), or a qualitative study (possibly by talking to individuals who are successful to find out how college did or didn’t influence their success). Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Domino_Cascade.JPG
- #50: Causation is a stronger assertion than correlation. Let’s say you have noticed that people who have fender-benders (small car accidents) on their way to work are in a bad mood. But you wonder, did the car accident put them in a bad mood, or were they already in a bad mood, which caused them to have an accident? You see that there is a correlation –- bad moods and car accidents are related to each other (there is an association), but which causes the other? You would want to know which came first, the car accident or the bad mood. If you find that many people who have car accidents were actually already in a bad mood, you might prove causation: that being in a bad mood actually causes car accidents!
- #53: In our previous example, car accidents would be the dependent variable. We’re trying to explain whether mood changes the outcome (a car accident or no car accident). Therefore, mood is an independent variable. We want to see if mood has a causal impact on the dependent variable.
- #54: A null hypothesis states that there is no relationship between the variables. If we are studying the impact of mood on car accidents, the null hypothesis is that mood does not affect car accidents (there is no effect of mood). The alternative hypothesis is that, as we thought, mood does affect car accidents.