CHAPTER 1HUMAN INQUIRY AND SCIENCE

Chapter Outline

Looking for Reality The Foundation of Social Science Some Dialectics of Social Research Quick Quiz

Looking for Reality

Knowledge from Agreement Reality Assertions must be both logical and

empirical.

Epistemology – The science of knowing. Methodology – A subfield of epistemology.

Ordinary Human Inquiry Humans want to predict the future. Why?

We recognize that the future is caused in part by the present.

Cause and effect patterns are probabilistic in nature.

Prediction versus Understanding Tradition Authority

Errors in Inquiry and Some Solutions Inaccurate Observations

Measurement devices offer accuracy.

Overgeneralizations Large and representative samples are a

safeguard against overgeneralization.

Replication – Repeating a research study to test and either confirm or question the findings of an earlier study.

Selective Observations Avoid looking for “deviant” cases.

Illogical Reasoning “Gambler’s fallacy”

What’s Really Real? The Premodern View – Things are as they

seem.

The Modern View – Acknowledgement of human subjectivity.

The Postmodern View – There is no objective reality.

Figure 1.1

The Foundations of Social Science The foundations of social science are

logic and observation.

Figure 1.4

Theory, Not Philosophy or Belief Social theory has to do with what is, not

with what should be.

Theory – A systematic explanation for the observations that relate to a particular aspect of life.

Social science can help us know what is and why.

Social Regularities Exceptions?

Social regularities represent probabilistic patterns.

Aggregates, Not Individuals The collective actions and situations of

many individuals.

Focus of social science is to explain why aggregated patterns of behavior are regular even when individuals change over time.

Concepts and Variables Variables – Logical groupings of attributes.

Attributes – Characteristics or qualities that describe an object.

Figure 1.5

Figure 1.6

Independent Variable – A variable with values that are not problematical in an analysis but are taken as simply given.

Dependent Variable – A variable assumed to depend on or be caused by another.

The Purposes of Social Research1. Mapping out a topic that may warrant

further study later (exploratory)2. Describing the state of social affairs

(descriptive)3. Providing reasons for phenomena, in

terms of causal relationships (explanatory)

The Ethics of Human Inquiry

Some Dialectics of Social Research Idiographic and Nomothetic Explanation

Idiographic – An approach to explanation in which we seek to exhaust the idiosyncratic causes of a particular condition of event.

Nomothetic – An approach to explanation in which we seek to identify a few causal factors that generally impact a class of conditions of event.

Inductive and Deductive Theory Induction – The logical model in which

general principles are developed from specific observations.

Deduction – The logical model in which specific expectations of hypotheses are developed on the basis of general principles.

Qualitative and Quantitative Data Qualitative Data – non-numerical data Quantitative Data – numerical data

Pure and Applied Research Pure Research – Gaining “knowledge for

knowledge’s sake.” Applied Research – Putting research into

practice.

The Research Proposal Introduction (Chapter 1) Review of the Literature (Chapters 2, 15,

Appendix A) Specify the Problem/Question/Topic (Chapters

5, 6, 12) Research Design (Chapter 4)

Data Collection (Chapters 4, 8, 9, 10, 11) Selection of Subjects (Chapter 7) Ethical Issues (Chapter 3)

Data Analysis (Chapters 13) Bibliography (Chapter 17, Appendix A)

Quick Quiz

1. The two foundations of science are:A. tradition and observation.B. observation and logic.C. logic and theory.D. theory and observation.E. logic and generalization.

Answer: B.The two foundations of science are observation and logic.

2. Science…A. deals with what should be and not with

what is.B. can settle debates on value.C. is exclusively descriptive.D. has to do with disproving philosophical

beliefs.E. has to do with how things are and why.

Answer: E.Science has to do with how things are and why.

3. When social scientists study variables, they focus onA. attributes.B. groups.C. people.D. characteristics.E. relationships.

Answer: E.When social scientists study variables,

they focus on relationships.

4. _____ is the science of knowing.A. IntelligenceB. Exam takingC. EpistemologyD. MethodologyE. Relationships

Answer: C.Epistemology is the science of knowing.

5. Which of the following are true of tradition and authority?A. They both assist human inquiry.B. They both hinder human inquiry.C. Both of the above are true.D. Neither of the above are true.

Answer: C.Tradition and authority both assist and

hinder human inquiry.

6. _____ explanations seek to exhaust the idiosyncratic causes of a particular condition of event.A. IdiographicB. LatentC. ManifestD. Nomothetic

Answer: A.Idiographic explanations seek to exhaust

the idiosyncratic causes of a particular condition or event.