Announcements:

• The in-class assignment is worth three extra points

1. Sociological Research Steps: (cont.)

1. Indicate operational concepts (a precise statement) and operational indicators (something that can be measured – Example: Alcohol behavior – must define what beverage is and ask specific questions to measure accurately)
2. Choose Research Design

1. Experiment: a research method dealing with a cause–effect relationship under highly controlled regulations. Example: Hypothesis – Review sessions help people – must follow these four steps:

1. Divide into two groups: Controlled and Experiment
2. Measure the performance of both groups of people on an exam
3. Only give review session (stimulus) to experiment group
4. Again measure performance of both groups

1. Survey Research: Example: Clinton Sex Scandal

1. Choose a sample – there are 3 kinds:
2. Random sampling – everyone has an equal chance – Example: Open the phone book and choose every 15^th person
3. Stratified Random Sampling – focus on demographic features (sex, race, class, age group) – then start random sampling from that select group
4. Written Questions and Interview – 2 kinds of questions: Close-ended (Multiple choice type questions) and Open-ended (Opinion type questions which give long answers; usually loaded with enormous amounts of data)

1. Participant Observation – when the sociologist becomes part of the culture they are researching. Live the life of the observed people. Example: Margaret Meade – cultural anthropologist, studied New Guinea Islanders. Example: Jane Goodwell – Lived with and studied apes.
2. Secondary Analysis or Content Analysis: Example: Durkheim’s study of suicide by researching data gathered by the Census Bureau
3. Historical Analysis – Research in books. Example: Comparing Puritan Bostonians with Pennsylvania Quakers

1. Validity and Reliability

1. Validity – The correct method of measuring should be used to measure the thing being measured. Example: The intention is to measure the pro-choice and pro-life attitudes: Problem Question: Do you agree or disagree that abortion should be legal during the 1^st month of pregnancy? This question is loaded with BIAS
2. Reliability – Method should give consistent results. Example: Asking how many times a person goes to church does not indicate how religious one is. Example: The intention is to measure the personal experience or attitudes: Problem Question: How important is it to use condoms? This question is inconsistent because other methods of birth control may be used. Bias question: Do you approve of killing a fetus through abortion? (not value free) Neutral Question: Do you approve or disapprove of abortion?
3. Statistical Measures: Mode, Mean (average), Median (Exactly in the Middle)