Methods of Reseach

Variables: an empirical object or phenomenon: yearly income, major, height, age, gender, ethnicity

    Non-empirical variables: constructs: religious beliefs, political values, emotional states. Not directly measureable.

    Operationalize – create a concrete way of studying the construct.
    
Hypothesis: a statement of a relationship between variables.

Reliability: ability of a measurement instrument of give the same results when repeated. consistency

Validity: ability of an instrument to measure what it is supposed to

Hawthorne effect – subjects often react to the study itself in ways that non-human subjects cannot.

Survey Research

        Interview, questionnaire, representative sample

Observational Study

        Neutral observation, participant observation

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