Unit 3: Sociological Research Methods

Unit 3: Sociological Research Methods Aim: How do Sociologists determine if their contentions are valid? Do Now: Offer an argument for the following question: “IS IT ECONOMICALLY BENEFICIAL FOR YOU TO GO TO COLLEGE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL?”

What is the relationship between viewing sexually provocative pictures on Instagram and men’s perception of women? To what extent does the amount of A.P. courses taken make students feel superior to non-advanced students? In what ways do misogynistic lyrics in hip-hop music impact black and white perceptions of women differently? What is the relationship between men having very fixed ideas about gender roles and their likelihood to cheat on a spouse?

Formulating a hypothesis Either… It is economically beneficial to go to college after high school It is NOT economically beneficial to go to college after high school OR A hypothesis is statement of speculation about the relationship between 2 or more factors (variables). A variable is a measurable trait or characteristic that is subject to change under different circumstances…

Independent and Dependent Variables A scientist wishes to study the impacts of the effectiveness of a new drug on slowing breast cancer growth. (What are the 2 factors here? Which factor is dependent on the other?) A psychologist wants to know the relationship between the amount of received physical affection in childhood and later aggressive behavior (What are the 2 factors here? Which factor is dependent on the other?)

Independent and Dependent Variables The Independent variable influences or effects the dependent variable The Dependent variable is impacted by the independent variable The relationship between variables is positive if, as one variable increases, so does the other (sometimes called a positive correlation) The relationship between variables is negative if, as one variable increases the other decreases (e.g., there is a negative relationship between vaccination And polio incidences)

A psychologist wants to know the relationship between the amount of received physical affection in childhood and later aggressive behavior. Amount of physical affection (either a lot, a moderate amount, or a little) IN. VARIABLE = Aggression later in life - impacted by how much affection you get as child. DEP.VARIABLE = The more physical affection you get, the higher your rate of aggressive behavior A positive relationship exists if… A negative relationship exists if… The more physical affection you get, the lower your rate of aggressive behavior.

Collecting and Analyzing Data Now - how would you go about researching whether it made economic sense to go to college? What kind of data would you look at, and how would you gather it? Your sample is a selection of the larger population that is statistically representative of that population. So, if you were doing research on the social meaning of sagging, you wouldn’t survey/interview people who DO NOT sag their pants (unless your research was about people’s perceptions of pant sagging).

Identifying Cause & Effect Relationships Causality: one variable causes the other Correlation: a change in one variable produces a change in another – only suggests causality Does X cause Y? Does Y cause X? Does a third factor, Z, cause both X and Y? To use a psychological example, let’s say someone went to a psychologist suffering from depression and anxiety. A good psychologist will try to figure out:

Is the depression causing the anxiety? Is the person anxious about the fact that they are depressed all the time – maybe they’re nervous that something is really wrong with them, and thus become anxious. • Is the anxiety causing the depression? Perhaps a person in a continuous state of nervousness becomes depressed because of the negative impact that anxiety has had on their lives. • Did a third factor, a genetic predisposition, cause both depression and anxiety?

Research Design/Methodology Surveys/Questionaires: Written form intended to gather data (can be Qualitative or quantitative) Interview: Face to Face (or online) discussion with 1 person to gain information Observation: Non-intrusive research Method in which you watch Sample in environment And draw conclusions What are some of the pros/cons of each method? How can each either help or hinder your ability to gain accurate data?

Let’s say your research area is on the micro-sociological phenomena Of female ‘uptalk’ - a verbal tick in which people end their sentences In a high pitch, indicating a lack of confidence in what they say… Which methods would you use? Why? Or, let’s say your research interest was on gendered roles within a household (who does what), taking a cross-cultural approach - How would you approach this topic?

Your Final Research Project • You can research anything that interests you • I want you to consistently keep your mind on a topic you may want to do, as well as sample, methodology, questions, and hypothesis. • I want your topic to be original, or more in depth than topics addressed in class. So, while we will address/briefly discuss discrimination within the U.S. criminal justice system, you can do your entire research project on the impact of the Stop & Frisk program on minority communities in New York City. • I want you to think creatively and specifically. So, ‘gender’ is not a research topic - neither is ‘gender roles’ (both are too general) - but examining perceptions about homosexuality in black communities is a research topic.

Unit 3: Sociological Research Methods