The nature of quantitative research
Quantitative social researchers rarely claim to have established causality because:
They are more concerned with publishing the results of their reliability tests
They do not believe that this is an appropriate goal to be striving for
They keep forgetting which of the variables they have manipulated
They tend to use cross-sectional designs, which produce only correlations
They tend to use cross-sectional designs, which produce only correlations
An experimental design allows us to test for causal connections between variables, because one of the variables (the ‘independent’ variable) is manipulated to track changes in the other (the ‘dependent’ variable). However, most social survey research uses cross-sectional designs, where such manipulation is not possible. Consequently, degrees of correlation between variables can be determined but causality remains inferential. If you gave answer (b), you should recognize that very few researchers are interested in mere descriptions of things. They usually want to find out why things are the way they are so that they can be remedied or replicated. Causality is an appropriate goal, simply difficult to achieve.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 163,164
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 163,164
They tend to use cross-sectional designs, which produce only correlations An experimental design allows us to test for causal connections between variables, because one of the variables (the ‘independent’ variable) is manipulated to track changes in the other (the ‘dependent’ variable). However, most social survey research uses cross-sectional designs, where such manipulation is not possible. Consequently, degrees of correlation between variables can be determined but causality remains inferential. If you gave answer (b), you should recognize that very few researchers are interested in mere descriptions of things. They usually want to find out why things are the way they are so that they can be remedied or replicated. Causality is an appropriate goal, simply difficult to achieve.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 163,164
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 163,164
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The term ‘reverse operationism’ means that:A. The theories we devise will often hinder our attempts to measure concepts
B. The measurements we devise can sometimes help to develop a theory
C. Techniques such as factor analysis have no place in social research
D. Driving instructors always make you practice the most difficult manoeuvre
The importance of measurement in quantitative research is that:
A. It allows us to delineate fine differences between people or cases
B. It provides a consistent device or yardstick
C. It allows for precise estimates of the degree of relationship between concepts
D. All of the above
Written accounts of quantitative research rarely include the results of reliability and validity tests because:
A. Researchers are more interested in reporting their operational definitions
B. Researchers don’t really think that these tests are important
C. Journal editors have banned these kinds of articles
D. Researchers are more interested in reporting their substantive findings
The difference between measures and indicators is that:
A. Measures are unambiguous quantities, whereas indicators are devised from common sense understandings
B. Indicators have a more direct relationship to the underlying concept than measures
C. Measures are intuitively devised and then applied as if they were direct indicators of a concept
D. Indicators are unambiguous quantities, whereas measures are subjective and value-laden
Which of the following is not a form of measurement validity?
A. Concurrent validity
B. Face validity
C. Conductive validity
D. Convergent validity
One of the preoccupations of quantitative researchers is with generalization, which is a sign of:
A. External validity
B. Internal reliability
C. External reliability
D. Internal validity
An operational definition is:
A. One that bears no relation to the underlying concept
B. An abstract, theoretical definition of a concept
C. A definition of a concept in terms of specific, empirical measures
D. One that refers to opera singers and their work
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