SO 336 Research Methods
Midterm Examination
Midterm Examination
1. "In science (as in everyday life') things must be believed to be seen, as well as seen to be believed; and questions must already be answered a little, if they are to be asked at all" (Wallace). Walter L. Wallace discussed the four models for generating truth as authoritarian, mystical, logico-rational, and scientific. Wallace considered each into depth and categorized each one as a model for generating truth.
Durkheim referred to social facts as facts, concepts, and expectations that come not from individual responses and preferences, but that come from the social community which socializes each of its members. This very notion is important because it functions society.
There are numerous differences between the qualitative and quantitative research approach. Qualitative research generates rich, detailed and valid data that contribute to
In-depth understanding of the context. Qualitative research is subjective and develops a
theory. Quantitative research generates reliable population based and generalizable data
and is highly suited to establishing cause and effect relationships. The
choice of whether to choose a quantitative or a qualitative design is a philosophical question. And is a choice most people make on their own depending on preference.
There are 4 errors of inquiry social scientist must be aware of when studying social reality (Overgeneralization, Selective Observation, Illogical Reasoning, and Inaccurate Observations). We make these common errors in our casual inquires and at the ways science guards against those errors.
In our everyday explanations, we engage in two distinct forms of causal reasoning, though we don’t ordinarily distinguish them. One of the two forms we look at is an idiographic explanation. Psychologists interested in this aspect of experience want to discover what makes each of us unique. The nomothetic explanation seeks...