10 Questions
What is the primary concern of construct validity?
Translating theoretical concepts into empirical variables
Which of the following is NOT a strategy for increasing construct validity?
Using Cronbach's alpha to measure internal consistency
What is the purpose of peer debriefing in research?
To discuss interpretations with peer researchers
What is the difference between theoretical concepts and empirical variables?
Theoretical concepts are abstract, while empirical variables are concrete
What is the primary concern of internal validity?
Establishing causal relationships between variables
Which of the following is an example of triangulation?
Using multiple data sources, methods, theories, researchers
What is the purpose of member checks in research?
To check the interpretations of findings with informants
What is the primary concern of Cronbach's alpha?
Measuring internal consistency
What is the primary characteristic of empirical variables?
They are concrete and measurable
What is the purpose of negative case analysis?
To identify disconfirming evidence
Study Notes
The Traditional Model
- Deductive approach: starts with a theory
- Nomothetic approach: focuses on causal models
- Quantitative approach: uses numerical variables
Auguste Comte
- Considered the father of positivism and sociology
- Believed social phenomena can be studied using natural science techniques
- Goal: search for causal laws in the social world through empirical observation
Emile Durkheim
- The first rule of sociology: consider social facts as things
- Determine the cause of a social fact by looking at preceding social facts, not individual consciousness
- Understand people's social conditions to understand their behavior
Criticisms of Positivism
- Other approaches, such as inductive, ideographic, and qualitative approaches, also add value
- Inductive approach: starts with observations and develops a theory
- Grounded theory: a stream of work that advocates for the inductive approach
- Ideographic approach: focuses on understanding specific cases
- Qualitative approach: prioritizes richness over precision
Research Goals and Questions
- A research goal is a statement that guides the research
- A research question should be specific, clear, and aligned with the research purpose
- Common mistakes: not specifying a specific end goal, not making the research question explicit
- A good research question includes the question, aim, and is simple, yet precise
Types of Research Questions
- Exploratory: little to no knowledge on a topic
- Descriptive: about properties of a research object
- Examples: what ways does the municipality of Rotterdam use performance indicators?
Research Methods
- Experiment: tests the effect of an intervention, relies on randomization and control
- Interviews: good for measuring perceptions, opinions, and course of events
- Observation/Ethnography: focuses on interaction between people, close to the action
- Limitations: time-consuming, relies on key actors, interview bias
Validity and Reliability
- External validity: can the findings be generalized to other contexts?
- Reliability: consistency and stability of the measurement
- Conceptual framework: a set of interrelated constructs, definitions, and propositions
- Operationalization: translating theoretical concepts into empirical variables
- A good theory has purpose, procedure, and predictive power
Theory and Validity
- Theory: a set of coherent statements to describe, explain, or predict a phenomenon
- Why theory? 3 values: explanation, prediction, and description
- Validity: construct validity (measuring what you want to measure) and internal validity (making causal statements)
This quiz covers the traditional model in sociology, including deductive and nomothetic approaches, and the contributions of Auguste Comte and Durkheim.
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