| A | B |
|---|
| Variable | a factor thought to be significant for human behavior, which can vary (or change) from one case to another |
| Population | a target goup to be studied |
| Hypothesis | a statement of how variables are expected to be related to one another, often according to predictions from a theory |
| Sample | the individuals intended to represent the population to be studied |
| Survey | the collection of data by having people answer a series of questions |
| Control Group | the subjects in an experiment who are not exposed to the independent variable |
| Case Study | an intensive analysis of a single event, situation, or individual |
| Validity | the extent to which an operational definition measures what it is intended to measure |
| Dependent Variable | a factor in an experiment that is changed by an independent variable |
| Independent Variable | a factor that causes a change in another variable, called the dependent variable |
| Reasearch Method | one of seven procedures that sociologists use to collect data: surveys, participant observation, case studies, secondary analysis, analysis of documents, experiments, and unobtrusive measures |
| Operational Definition | the way in which a researcher measures a variable |
| Participant Observation | research in which the researcher participates in a research setting while observing what is happening in that setting |
| Unobtrusive Measures | ways of observing people so they do not know they are being studied |
| Eight Steps of the research model | (1) Selecting a topic, (2) Defining the problem, (3) Reviewing the literature, (4) Formulating a hypothesis, (5) Choosing a research method, (6) Collecting the data, (7) Analyzing the results, and (8) Sharing the results. |
