1. Sociological Investigation
How does Sociology study society?
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.

4. How do you start? The Problem Review the Literature
Develop a Hypothesis
Unverified statement of a possible relationship between variables.

5. What are variables? A variable is… What kinds are there? Independent

6. What do we want when we measure a variable?
Reliability (consistency)
Repeated measurement = same result
Validity (accuracy)
Measuring what you want to measure

7. How are variables related?
Correlation
Relationship by which variables change together
E.g. Grades and study time
Positive correlation
Spurious (false) correlation
Caused by a 3rd. variable

8. How do we know if one thing caused another?
1. Correlated
2. Ind. Variable comes first
3. No third variable

9. Do you remember? What is an hypothesis
What do we want when measuring a variable?
What is a spurious correlation?
What three things are needed to say one thing caused another?

10. What two important things do we need in research?
Objectivity
Max Weber (Value free)
Personal neutrality toward the outcome of the research
Replication
Repeat study to assess accuracy
E.g. Cold Fusion

11. Who do we study in our research?
Population
The group we can generalize to
Sample
Represents the entire population
Simple, Random, Representative

12. Do you remember? What two important things do we need in research?
What is the difference between a sample and a population?

13. How can we do the research?
Observational methods
Surveys
Experiments

14. How can we observe people?
Participant observation
NSCC
Prison story
Field observation

15. How can we observe people? (cont.)
Secondary analysis
Saves time
No control over bias
Files
Adult Development Program
U.S. Census
Case study
Ted Bundy
Split personality student

16. How can we study what we can not see?
Surveys
Interviews & questionnaires
Open ended questions
Usually interviews
Closed ended questions
Usually questionnaires
Response problem

17. How is an experiment designed?
Experimental group (New way)
Control group (Old way)

18. What could be some problems with experiments?
Hawthorne Effect
A change in subject’s behavior as a result of being studied
Placebo effect
Getting the effect you expect
Often used with drug studies

19. Do you remember? What would be a good method to study:
Student attitudes toward NSCC?
A successful presidential candidate?
Which of two teaching methods works best?
What is the main thing drug experiments need to control for?

20. Do you remember? What is the difference between:
Open and closed questions?
Control and experimental groups?
Hawthorne effect and placebo effect?