Search Results

Definition Research that involves repeated observations of the same variables over time. Example A researcher initiates a study to examine the development of social skills among a group of children. The study begins with a group of 5-year-olds, and the resear...

Definition The process of assigning numbers or labels to phenomena according to specific rules. Example A researcher wishes to identify whether there is a relationship between self-esteem and happiness. In order to measure these abstract concepts, the resear...

Definition A statement that there is no effect or no relationship between variables. Example A researcher is examining the impact of two distinct teaching methods on student comprehension. The researcher develops a hypothesis that one method will have a grea...

Definition Research in which the investigator observes and records behavior without manipulating variables. Example A researcher wishes to gain a better understanding of consumer behavior in big box stores. The researcher observes customer behavior as they i...

Definition When the researcher's expectations influence the data. Example In a 1963 study conducted by Robert Rosenthal and Kermit Fode, students were given rats that were either identified as "maze bright" or "maze dull," and asked to run experiments with th...

Definition A precise explanation of how a concept will be measured in a study. Example A researcher is attempting to identify the factors that contribute to happiness. Since happiness is an abstract concept, it is a construct that needs to be explicitly defi...

Definition The entire group of individuals relevant to a particular research question. Example A researcher is interested in voting behaviors of people in a particular country. The population consists of every citizen of the country. A sample of this popula...

Definition Research involving non-numerical data, often used to understand concepts or experiences. Example A researcher wants to better understand the experiences of teenagers who start vaping. The research conducts interviews and surveys to identify common...

Definition Research involving numerical data and statistical analysis. Example A researcher wants to examine the relationship between social media usage and self-esteem among teenagers. The researcher distributes a survey to 500 high school students, asking t...

Definition The consistency of a measure or test over time or across different observers. Example  A questionnaire designed to measure self-esteem should yield similar results when administered to the same group of individuals on different occasions, assuming ...

Definition The issue or topic that a researcher seeks to address. Example A researcher is reviewing previous research on social media use, and notices that there has been no research conducted the relationship between social media use and locus of control. Th...

Definition A question that guides the focus of a research study. Example A researcher has previously identified a research problem: "There is limited data available regarding the relationship between social media use and locus of control." To provide focus fo...

Definition A subset of a population selected for study. Example A researcher is interested in voting behaviors of people in a particular country. The population consists of every citizen of the country. A sample of this population is studied in order to mak...

Definition When the sample is not representative of the population. Example A researcher wishes to understand the relationship between socioeconomic status and mental health status in the United States. The participants for the study are drawn from one zip c...

Definition When participants give answers they think are socially acceptable. Example In a study about exercise and health and lifestyle, participants may over-report healthy activities and under-report unhealthy activities in order to better align with socia...

Definition A method of data collection using questionnaires or interviews to gather information from a group. Example A researcher wishes to gather data related to the relationship between life satisfaction and stress. The researcher distributes surveys to t...

Definition A set of principles that explain and predict phenomena. Example In sociology, structural functionalism, conflict theory and symbolic interactionism are theories that attempt to describe and explain the nature of social interactions in a society. W...

Definition The degree to which a test or study measures what it claims to measure. Example  A questionnaire designed to measure "emotional intelligence" but which only includes questions about factual knowledge (What is the capital of the United States?) has ...

Definition The sociological imagination, a term coined by C. Wright Mills in 1959, refers to the ability to see the connection between individual experiences and broader social forces. It invites us to look beyond personal circumstances and consider the histor...

Definition Social institutions are the pillars of society. They are structured systems of norms, roles, and relationships that emerge to fulfill the basic needs of a society. These institutions help organize behavior, establish expectations, and ensure societ...