Research Methods in Social Sciences: Experiments, Surveys, and Field Studies, Slides of Sociology

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Research Methods

(Overview)

1. Experiments
   2. Surveys
2. Unobtrusive methods
3. Field Studies

Research Methods in Soc Sciences

• Experiments
• Survey research
• Field research
• Existing data research
• Comparative research

Classic Experiment

• At least two groups (control and experimental)
• Randomly assign people to groups
• Treat the experimental group by manipulation the independent variable
• Observe the effect of the treatment on the dependent variable in the experimental group
• Compare the dependent variable differences in the experimental and control groups

Experiment

• Classic experiment is not always possible
• There are other designs used as well

Face Research (FaceResearch.org)

• Rate attractiveness (facial, voice, different ages, etc.) and other qualities in Flash-based tests designed by psychologists at the University of Aberdeen
• Each respondent is shown a pair of faces and asked to choose preference (of whatever quality is being tested) and rate images on a 1- 10 scale

Bad Vibes

• Sound psychology experiment from Salford University to find out what makes a sound unpleasant.
• Fingernails on a blackboard?
• Babies screaming?
• Dentist’s drill?

Survey

• Data are usually collected through the use of questionnaires, although sometimes researchers directly interview subjects
• The questionnaire, or survey, can be a written document that is completed by the person being surveyed, an online questionnaire, a face-to-face interview, or a telephone interview

Field Study

• A piece of research undertaken outside the laboratory or place of learning, usually in a natural environment or among the general public
• METHODS: Observations and interviews

Observation

• Observation is a research technique in which a researcher directly observe the behavior of individuals in their usual social environments , not in a laboratory

Different strategies

• Complete Participant –researcher goes “undercover” and does not tell people being observed that he/she is doing research
• Complete Observer –researcher views things from a distance or one- way mirror
• Participant Observer – people know that they are observed

Life history and case studies

• In-depth analysis of one or a few cases
• Sutherland’s “The Professional Thief” (1937)
• Shaw’s “The Jack-Roller: A Delinquent Boy's Own Story “

Unobtrusive Research

• Unobtrusive methods are strategies for studying people’s behavior in ways that do not have an impact on the subjects

Unobtrusive methods

• Use of existing statistics
• Content analysis

Statistics

• Source: The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
  • Ongoing since 1972, this survey of households interviews about 134,000 persons age 12 and older in 77,200 households each year about their victimizations from crime. Docsity.com

Triangulation

• Every method has both strengths and weaknesses
• Whenever possible researchers use more than one method to obtain data
• Triangulation – methods are combined so that the strengths of one method overcome the weakness of another method

Example of Triangulation

• Suppose you study the impact of neighborhood problems on youth development
• Census information (unobtrusive) about poverty level in neighborhoods
• Survey among youth and parents
• Observations