SOCPSY 2K03 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: External Validity, Internal Validity, Experiment
8 Apr 2015
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Research design: a broad structure that guides the collection & analysis of data. Nomothetic explanations: supposed to apply to humanity in general, not just the people who participated in the study. Common source of spuriousness is a variable that influences both the proposed cause and effect. Try to determine whether some third factor is the cause of the correlation. Idiographic explanations: involve a detailed "story" or description of the people studied that is based on empathetic understanding. Once a design has been selected, a specific method for collecting data has to be chosen. One way - use a preset instrument (self-completion questionnaire, structured interview schedule) Another way - utilize a less formalized method (participant observation) Variables: simply a characteristic or attribute that varies, such as gender, income, fondness for mathematics, or athletic ability. Quantitative researchers often concerned with whether measures of social science concepts are reliable.
