INTSOCI

SCIENTIFIC METHOD/SOCIAL

RESEARCH

WHAT IS THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD?

█ S______tic,

or______d, step-by-

step p_____s that

e______s m_____m

o_____ity and

co_______ncy

in researching

a p_____m.

Module 5

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Module 5

Deductive Approach

Inductive Approach

Grounded Theory

INDUCTIVE APPROACH

You conduct the study without theoretical influence.

You fit the data with existing theories.

Deductive Approach

You look at existing theory.

Then you test the theory by conducting research.

█ Select a Topic (timely, relevant, interest,

contribution, research gap)

Research Gap- Missing element in the

research literature.

SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Module 5

Make sure that your problem is specific and clear and not broad.

Intercultural Marriages

Japanese-Filipino Intercultural Marriages

Children of Japanese-Filipino Intercultural Marriages

Identity Construction of Children of Japanese-Filipino Intercultural Marriages

More Examples

How do we increase the academic grades of students? What are the factors that influence young people to engage in PMS? How will the new ICTs impact our lives?

It is important that the problem contains

variable that can be operationalized or can

be measured.

SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Operational definition: Explanation of an

abstract concept that is specific enough

to allow researchers to assess the concept.

Module 5

Sex Religion Academic Achievement Marital Conflict Spousal Violence Favoritism

VARIABLES

SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Review of Literature-To refine a problem.

To find out what is already published.

█ Formulating the Hypothesis

SCIENTIFIC METHOD

–A hypothesis predicts

relationship of two variables,

factors that vary, or change,

from one person or situation

to another.

Scientific Method

Your hypothesis will need operational definition, i.e., precise way to measure the variables.

Men who are socially isolated are more likely to abuse their wives then are men who are more socially integrated.

Social isolation, social integration, and spouse abuse.

Scientific Method

Independent Variable-A factor that causes the change in another variable (called the dependent variable)

Dependent Variable-A factor that is changed by the independent variable.

Scientific Method

Students will likely get high scores in the exam taken without a background music than with a background music.

What is your independent variable?

What is your dependent variable?

Correlation does not

necessarily indicate causation.

█ Formulating the Hypothesis

SCIENTIFIC METHOD

– Causality: Involves relationships between a

condition or variable and a particular

consequence, with one event leading to the

other. (X results to Y)

– Correlation: Exists when change in one

variable coincides with change in another X

(increases/decreases) Y (increases/decreases)

Module 5

Figure 5-3: Causal Logic

Module 5

Correlation

Shoe Size and Math Skills

Bigger shoe size is associated with greater math skill. (cannot explain relationship)

Age may serve as the factor that establish the relationship of the correlation.

Classroom Research

I will read a story and I want you to freely say your opinion about it.

Classroom Research

You are eating at a restaurant one night. After you finish the meal, you discover that you left your wallet at home. You also discover that your cell phone is dead. You cannot remember any of your friends’ numbers. The restaurant tells you that you MUST pay or they will call the police. If you cannot ask a friend to bring you money, how do you solve this problem?

2. You make plans to go out with your girlfriend on Friday night to celebrate her birthday. On Friday afternoon, you suddenly remember that your best friend also has a birthday party on the same night. What do you do to solve this little problem?

3. One of your friends needed you to lend him 40000 Pesos to buy a motorcycle. He was supposed to have paid you 2 months ago. He keeps telling you that he WILL give you the money. You really need it NOW. How do you solve this problem?

Source: http://teachabroadchina.com/esl-conversation-topic-social-problem-solving/

Variables

Seating Arrangement (Back, Middle, or Front).

Leadership Emergence (Number of times have spoken, Number of Minutes of talk/speech)

Seating arrangement and leadership emergence. (People in front will talk more than people at the back. Leaders are most likely to occupy front rows).

COLLECTING AND ANALYZING DATA

█ Selecting the Sample

– Sample: Selection from a larger population

that is statistically typical of that population

(CENSUS).

– Random sampling: When every member

of a population has the same chance

of being selected.

– Non-Random sampling:

Purposive/Convenient/Referral

Non-Random Sampling

Snowball sampling –recruitment of participants through word of mouth or by posting notices on the Internet. (or referral)

Purposive Sampling- a sampling in which the units to be observed are selected on the basis of the researcher's judgment about which one will be the most representative.

Random Sampling

Simple Random Sampling- everyone has an equal chance to be selected.

Systematic Sampling- every kth member of the population is chosen, k=N/n.

2000 Population, 100 sample

K=2000/100= 20, so every 20th

SAMPLING FRAME

20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380 400 420 440 460 480 500 520 540 560 580 600 620 640 660…………….. 680 700 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000

Random Sampling

Cluster Sampling- simple random sampling of groups. Sample chosen will be part of the final sample. (classes)

Sociology Class

4,500 Students taking Sociology Class (N)

350 (n)

How many classes? 10

35 (simple random sampling)

Use of Online Random Sampling Generator

http://www.randomizer.org/form.htm

Sampling

Stratified Sampling-divide the population into mutually exclusive groups and do the random sampling.

Average, Middle, Low (Groups)

COLLECTING AND ANALYZING DATA

– validity: Degree to which the measure

reflects the phenomenon being studied.

– extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure

– reliability: Extent to

which the measure

provides consistent results.

– A test is considered reliable if we get the same result repeatedly

TYPES OF RESEARCH (Video)

█ Quantitative research: Collects and reports data primarily in numerical form

█ Qualitative research:

Relies on what is

seen in field and

naturalistic settings;

often focuses on small

groups and communities

Module 6

MAJOR RESEARCH DESIGNS

█ Research design: Detailed plan or method for obtaining data scientifically

– Surveys

– Observation

– Experiments

– Existing sources

Module 6

SURVEYS

█ Study that provides sociologists with information about how people act or think

– Interview:

Researcher obtains

information through

face-to-face or

telephone questioning

– Questionnaire:

Researcher uses

printed or written form

to obtain information

from respondent

Module 6

SURVEY

Self-Administered

Face to Face Interview

Telephone

Internet

Strengths

Good in describing the characteristics of your population.

Large sample

Flexible (as opposed to experiment)

Weaknesses

Results in fitting of round pigs into square holes. (You may miss what is most appropriate to all respondents)

Lacks feel of the total situation (one may not be able explain what factors lead to certain phenomenon in depth)

Artificiality

MAJOR RESEARCH DESIGNS

█ Research design: Detailed plan or method for obtaining data scientifically

– Observation

Module 6

OBSERVATION

█ Collecting information through direct participation and/or by closely watching a group or community

– Observation: Sociologist joins group to

get accurate sense of how it operates

– Ethnography: Efforts to describe

an entire social setting through

extended systematic observation

Module 6

Types

Direct Observation: Researchers watch a behavior as it occurs and report what they see.

Indirect Observation: Researchers observe the results of a behavior.

Unobtrusive or Disguised Observation: Subject does not know he/she is being observed.

Obtrusive or Undisguised Observation: Subject knows he/she is being observed.

Participant Observation

You stay in the area for at least six months.

Due to prolong exposure, people being observed may no longer mask realities of their every day life.

Danger of going native

Limitations

Researcher bias can enter into data collection. (reflexivity in research)

Any group that is studied is altered to some degree by the very presence of the researcher.

It takes time to build trust with participants that facilitates full and honest self-representation.

EXPERIMENTS

█ Artificially created situation that allows researcher to manipulate variables

– Experimental group:

Exposed to independent variable

– Control group: Not

exposed to independent variable

EXPERIMENT: Eating Breakfast and Test Score IV: Eating Breakfast DV: Test Score Control Group: Without the intervention Experimental Group: With the intervention

Experiment

Does eating breakfast really improve learning?

Helps perform better at work/school: Hungry employees and students don’t do any good at work/school.

When you are hungry you are irritable and disinterested which reflects on your work too. Breakfast helps you to wake up and

makes you attentive.

USE OF EXISTING SOURCES

█ Secondary analysis: Research techniques that make use of previously collected and publicly accessible information and data

Content analysis: Systematic

coding and objective recording

of data, guided by some rationale

Module 6

What is coding?

Coding is a process for both categorizing qualitative data and for describing the implications and details of these categories

Marital Conflict Madonna and Her Husband We had a fight today. My husband was angry because I was practicing in the toilet. As a singer, I have to vocalize. I was shouting and he got mad. He slapped me. He kicked me. I could not do anything. I just keep quite. My legs, arms are painful. I suffered emotional trauma.

Marital Conflict

Alicia Batongbakal and Her Husband We had a fight over finances. He was angry that I bought Prada. It was cheap. It was only 20,000 US Dollar. He did not talk to me for 1 month. Now, we are about to divorce. I suffered emotional stress.

Themes

Sources of Conflict- Money and Hobbies/Work Conflict Confrontation-Violent/Silent Impacts- Physical or Emotional Coping-Divorce or just being silent.

Other Methods

Focus Group Discussion

Focus Group Discussion

Pre-marital sex among teenagers.

1. The reason why some teenagers do PMS is because relationships in their families are in limbo.

2. Premarital sex is just is justifiable so long as an individual knows how to avoid pregnancy.

Other Methods

Drawing Technique (visual methodology)