Research in Social science

Monday, April 24, 2017 9:00 AM

Two types of research

• Quantitative
○ Numbers (data) and statistics
○ Researcher not involved in research
§ Just collect data
• Qualitative
○ Researcher interactive with people in the research
○ Outcome is understanding participant's point of view
○ Goal is to understand the topic from the point of view of participant

Qualities of empirical scientific laws

• Empirical = gained from observations with our senses
• Universal
○ All times and places
○ Applies everywhere
• Based on observation
○ With the senses not logic alone
○ Observations with the senses
• Causal explanations
○ Phenomenon really exists and there is no other explanation
○ In SS there are probabilistic
§ With a probability that a behavior will occur
□ Example : frustration leads to aggression 90% of the time
§ There are always exceptions

3 types of philosophy theories/ guides

Logical positivism
• Founded by Vienna circle
• All philosophers
• Positivism
○ that observations need to be done with the senses
○ Observations should match reality
• Logical positivism
○ Only way to know about the world
 • All philosophers
• Positivism
○ that observations need to be done with the senses
○ Observations should match reality
• Logical positivism
○ Only way to know about the world
○ Only way to understand world is through science
○ Good theory is supported by data

Operationalism
• Percy bridgeman
• When we talk about our terms in research we have to know how we are going to measur
terms
• Hard in social sciences to define our terms how we are going to measure them
○ Example : Happiness, love

Pragmatism
• William james
• Pragmatic = practical
• Practical = useful , make good predictions
• Theory makes good predictions and is useful

Research wheel
• Start with theory
• Deduction - with our theory we make a guess
• Hypothesis
• Design a study and determine whether its ethical or not
○ Subjects are going to be harmed, ethical
• Collect data and analyze it induction
• Compare data to our theory and if it matches it then makes theory stronger

Whats research hypothesis ( on the test)

Research methods
• Descriptive
• Relational/correlational
• Experimental
○ Cause and effect
○ In an experiment we do our best to rule out other answers

• Surveys
• Observational study
• Case study
• Experiment
re our
 ○ In an experiment we do our best to rule out other answers

• Surveys
• Observational study
• Case study
• Experiment
• Secondary data analysis
○ Using data that was collected for one purpose and used for something else

• Ethics in research
• Institutional review board
○ Follow ethical rules

Ethical rules
• Origins -> Nazis
• After the trials major ethical rules we made for anybody using government funds for exp
• Nazis had no rules for their experimentation before
• Rules were enacted but were not enforced until 1980s

Ethical Rules
• Participants have to voluntarily participate
• Informed consent
○ Informed about what the experiment will be about what will happen
○ Sign that you are aware about risks
• Anonymity
○ Your answers cannot be connected to your name
○ Researchers have to destroy data when they are done
• No harm
○ Not do any harm to participants
○ Psychological, physical, economical, emotional
○ At the end of the study you should feel the same
• Debriefing
○ When you leave if you had become anxious, they would try to make you feel bette
○ Explain

Classic study
• 1962 yale univ
• Origin= nuremberg trials
• He wanted to show americans are not obedient when hurting someone
• Goal was to show that americans are resistant to obeying when its about hurting someon
• Experiment = that is not what happened -> 75% obeyed to keep hurting

Handout
• Redid the experiment
periments

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 • He wanted to show americans are not obedient when hurting someone
• Goal was to show that americans are resistant to obeying when its about hurting someon
• Experiment = that is not what happened -> 75% obeyed to keep hurting

Handout
• Redid the experiment
• The results were the same
• Before they hit another button the second time hurting them-> experiment was stopped
they would most likely go all the way

Origination of Idea
• Same in the beginning pick 10 to be prisoners and another 10 to be guards
• Student prisoners go into prison and the others are given guard uniform
• Within hours-> guards began to abuse prisoners (verbally, physically)
• Prisoners forgot their role and were trying to revolt and do a hunger strike and call paren
attorney
• 2 week experiment but 6 days in scared for hunger strike
• Everyone Forgot was in a research study
• Had to call whole thing off in 6 days
• Role is very powerful
• The Lucifer effect

1995 UCI fertility scandal

• Female UC chancellor fired over this
• Successful fertility program that was well known for how successful doctors were
• Doctors - having people bring cash in for fertility treatments
○ Fraud
• Some people have viable embryos
○ Harvest 5 eggs
○ Lied and harvested 12 instead
○ People ended up with children who were not theirs when they thought they did
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