STUDY GUIDE FOR TEST ONEFormatReadingsTopicsCommon Errors in InquiryInaccurate observationOvergeneralizationSelective observationIllogical reasoningTheory and ResearchResearch DesignCausality in Social ScienceCausal modelsConceptualization and OperationalizationIndexes and scalesLevels of measurementMeasurement issuesQualitative Data AnalysisSampling TheoryExperimental researchStatistical inferenceArticles we have read for classSTUDY GUIDE FOR TEST ONE In general, the exam will focus on material that has been discussed in class, although you will find that the textbook deepens your understanding of major concepts. I will be less interested in rote memory of definitions or details and more in testing whether you really understand the major concepts.FormatMultiple choice and true-false questions: 20*1 point eachShort answer questions: 5*2 points eachTotal = 30 points, 20% of gradesReadings - Babbie chapters 1, 2, 4-8, 14- Babbie chapter on causation- Wysocki - Pp. 24-32, 84-100, 104-111, 123-131, 141-153, 159-172, 178-186- Blocker, T. J. and D. L. Eckberg (1997). "Gender and environmentalism: Results from the 1993 General Social Survey." Social Science Quarterly 78(4): 841-858.- Hemenway, D. (1997). "The Myth of Millions of Annual Self-Defense Gun Uses: A Case Study of Survey Overestimates of Rare Events." Chance 10(3): 6-10.- Kovar, M. G. (2000). "Four Million Adolescents Smoke: Or Do They?" Chance 13(2): 10-14.- Roberts, S. (2001). "Surprises from Self Experimentation." Chance 14(2): 7-14.TopicsCommon Errors in Inquiry• Inaccurate observation• Overgeneralization• Selective observation• Illogical reasoningTheory and Research1- Major theoretical traditions/paradigms (conflict theory, functionalism, symbolic interactionism, rational choice, feminism)- Positivism and interpretivism- Hypothesis testing- Two logical systems (deduction and induction)Research Design - Unit of Analysis- Time dimension - cross-sectional, longitudinal (repeated cross-sectional, panel)- Trend studies and cohort studies- Prospective studies and retrospective studiesCausality in Social Science- Nomothetic causality- Probabilistic causality- Necessary and sufficient causes- Spurious causation- Causal mechanisms- Criteria for identifying causationo Statistical associationo Causes come before effectso The observed association is not spuriousCausal models- Variables and attributes- Associations (positive, negative, linear, nonlinear)- Arrows and signs- independent and dependent variables- intervening and confounding variablesConceptualization and Operationalization- Concepts (highly abstract) - Dimensions (abstract) - Indicators (most concrete) Indexes and scales - Why construct composite measures like indexes and scales? - Likert scale- Guttman scale- Index and scale construction 2Levels of measurement- Nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratioMeasurement issues- Reliabilityo Test-retest methodo Inter-item reliabilityo Inter-observer reliabilityo Alternative-forms reliability- Validity o Face validityo Criterion-related validity o Content validityo Construct validity Qualitative Data Analysis- Categorical and continuous variables- Univariate analysiso Meano Varianceo Proportions- Bivariate analysiso Crosstabulationo Group comparison of meanso CorrelationSampling Theory - Sample representation- Probability samplingo Simple random sampling o Systematic sampling o Stratified sampling and Oversampling o Multistage-Cluster sampling- Know when to use stratified sampling and cluster sampling- Probability proportionate to size sampling - Nonprobability sampling o convenience sampling o purposive samplingo quota sampling o snowball sampling - Advantages and disadvantages of various sampling methods3Experimental research- Manipulation of treatment- Importance of randomization and matching- Comparison of experiments and observational studies- Internal validity o common threats to internal validity- External validity o common threats to external validity- Quasi-experiments Statistical inference- Sample statistics as estimates of population parameters - Sampling distribution- Point estimates and interval estimates - Confidence intervals - The relationship between sample size, population variability, and confidence interval Articles we have read for class- Given a short description of the research, be able to recognize major features of the article: independent and dependent variables, type of research, measures of variables, hypothesis being tested, major results, main purpose of research. Questions will be designed to jog your memory enough that they should be testing your understanding of concepts and whether you read the article at all, rather than detailed rote
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