COM 304 FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE
Empirical - Answers - researchers want to learn directly about the things they are
studying; we need to measure behaviors, attitudes, communication patterns, media
content, and anything else that matters to our research question
Systematic - Answers - researchers follow a set of rules, dictated both by the standards
of science and by the researchers themselves, to ensure that they can make sense of
empirical data; it's organized, involves planning, and follows procedures to minimize the
likelihood of mistakes
Intersubjective and replicable - Answers - by explaining the context of our study, the
meaning of our terms, and the assumptions under which we operated, we allow others
to test our results; research is a collective process
Cyclical and self-correcting - Answers - the collective process of research offers a way
to identify these mistakes and develop more effective approaches to understanding the
world around us; allowing other scholars to check our work is a core aspect of science
Variable - Answers - represents a selected quality of individuals (that is, the unit of
analysis) that has a single value for a given individual but differs among individuals
Prediction - Answers - the information about the value of one variable for an individual is
helpful in estimating the value of another variable
Unit of analysis - Answers - a selected quality of individuals or thing that is being studied
Dependent variable - Answers - the variable that is affected or caused by other
variables
Independent variable - Answers - the one that causes or influences the dependent
variable
Third variable - Answers - a variable in a relationship that serves another role
Authority - Answers - the supposed expertise or knowledge of some respected or
trusted source
Intuition - Answers - your conclusion is based upon your instinctive understanding of the
question, but since no further information is collected, this approach can often lead to
flawed conclusions if your previous knowledge and experience are not relevant to the
current situation or are otherwise incorrect
,Tenacity - Answers - researchers are relying on faith or confidence in personal beliefs,
with no particular evidence to support their views; beliefs may have been taught by
family, friends, religious leaders, or community members, but ultimately the individual
believes them because this is what they have "always" felt
Application - Answers - it focuses on answering concrete questions that allow for
practical responses to naturally occurring situations; the purpose of the research is to
address those specific issues, not to expand theory
Exploration - Answers - the first step of research; this research looks for potential
relationships among variables and provides basic insights about topics not yet
considered by researchers
Description - Answers - the research identifies patterns that link variables, often in a
way that confirms existing patterns established in other studies
Explanation - Answers - the end goal; this research tries not only to clearly measure
relationships but also to understand the reasons why variables are related
Bias - Answers - anything that systematically distorts information
Objective - Answers - these conclusions reflect, as much as possible, some
fundamental truth about human behavior that does not depend on the beliefs or
methods of the researcher
Replication - Answers - research that re-creates some or all the aspects of a previous
study and testing to see whether the results can be reproduced and confirmed
Triangulation - Answers - when researchers use two or more distinct research methods
to explore a single topic or research question; we want to see whether different
techniques give the same outcomes
Nomothetic research - Answers - looks for general patterns so as to explain how larger
numbers of individuals respond in similar ways as a result of a small number of
explanatory variables
Ideographic research - Answers - involves focusing on the specific and unique
characteristics of the individual cases being studied
Qualitative research - Answers - focuses on categories
Quantitative research - Answers - focuses on numbers
Falsification - Answers - a theory must produce predictions that can be shown to be
incorrect (need a testable claim)
, Parsimony - Answers - refers to the simplicity and elegance of a theory; it is valuable for
a theory to be straightforward and simple to explain and understand
Scope - Answers - theories are evaluated based on the diversity and breadth of
phenomena that they can be used to explain
Research Questions - Answers - a driving point of inquiry that scholars hope to answer
Hypotheses - Answers - researchers can offer clear predictions about the relationship
between variables
Positive relationship - Answers - occurs when the values of two variables move in the
same direction (as the value of one variable increases/decreases, so does the other)
Negative relationship - Answers - exists when the value of one variable decreases as
the value of the other increases; the two variables are moving in opposite directions
Mediation - Answers - when one or more variables are influenced by the independent
variable and, in turn, influence the dependent variable; occurs when one variable falls in
the "middle", providing a key link between and independent variable and the ultimate
outcome
Moderation - Answers - involves the influence of one or more third variables (Z) on the
relationship between an independent variable (X) and a dependent variable (Y); occurs
when the relationship between X and Y is not constant but depends upon the value of Z
Causal relationship - Answers - a shift in one variable (the independent variable) directly
causes a shift in another variable (the dependent variable)
Causality & Requirements - Answers - (1) The presence of a relationship (2) The
establishment of time order and (3) the elimination of alternative third variables
Inductive reasoning - Answers - starts with observations that are used to develop a
theory
Deductive reasoning - Answers - a theory provides us with the framework to develop a
set of expectations that result in hypotheses
Abstract - Answers - a brief description of a research article that appears at the
beginning of the article (after the title and author information but before the introduction
or literature review); purpose is to give the reader a sense of what the article is about
and whether the article is worth further reading
Literature review - Answers - purpose is to review the relevant and notable literature in a
given area and present a clear argument based on that literature
Empirical - Answers - researchers want to learn directly about the things they are
studying; we need to measure behaviors, attitudes, communication patterns, media
content, and anything else that matters to our research question
Systematic - Answers - researchers follow a set of rules, dictated both by the standards
of science and by the researchers themselves, to ensure that they can make sense of
empirical data; it's organized, involves planning, and follows procedures to minimize the
likelihood of mistakes
Intersubjective and replicable - Answers - by explaining the context of our study, the
meaning of our terms, and the assumptions under which we operated, we allow others
to test our results; research is a collective process
Cyclical and self-correcting - Answers - the collective process of research offers a way
to identify these mistakes and develop more effective approaches to understanding the
world around us; allowing other scholars to check our work is a core aspect of science
Variable - Answers - represents a selected quality of individuals (that is, the unit of
analysis) that has a single value for a given individual but differs among individuals
Prediction - Answers - the information about the value of one variable for an individual is
helpful in estimating the value of another variable
Unit of analysis - Answers - a selected quality of individuals or thing that is being studied
Dependent variable - Answers - the variable that is affected or caused by other
variables
Independent variable - Answers - the one that causes or influences the dependent
variable
Third variable - Answers - a variable in a relationship that serves another role
Authority - Answers - the supposed expertise or knowledge of some respected or
trusted source
Intuition - Answers - your conclusion is based upon your instinctive understanding of the
question, but since no further information is collected, this approach can often lead to
flawed conclusions if your previous knowledge and experience are not relevant to the
current situation or are otherwise incorrect
,Tenacity - Answers - researchers are relying on faith or confidence in personal beliefs,
with no particular evidence to support their views; beliefs may have been taught by
family, friends, religious leaders, or community members, but ultimately the individual
believes them because this is what they have "always" felt
Application - Answers - it focuses on answering concrete questions that allow for
practical responses to naturally occurring situations; the purpose of the research is to
address those specific issues, not to expand theory
Exploration - Answers - the first step of research; this research looks for potential
relationships among variables and provides basic insights about topics not yet
considered by researchers
Description - Answers - the research identifies patterns that link variables, often in a
way that confirms existing patterns established in other studies
Explanation - Answers - the end goal; this research tries not only to clearly measure
relationships but also to understand the reasons why variables are related
Bias - Answers - anything that systematically distorts information
Objective - Answers - these conclusions reflect, as much as possible, some
fundamental truth about human behavior that does not depend on the beliefs or
methods of the researcher
Replication - Answers - research that re-creates some or all the aspects of a previous
study and testing to see whether the results can be reproduced and confirmed
Triangulation - Answers - when researchers use two or more distinct research methods
to explore a single topic or research question; we want to see whether different
techniques give the same outcomes
Nomothetic research - Answers - looks for general patterns so as to explain how larger
numbers of individuals respond in similar ways as a result of a small number of
explanatory variables
Ideographic research - Answers - involves focusing on the specific and unique
characteristics of the individual cases being studied
Qualitative research - Answers - focuses on categories
Quantitative research - Answers - focuses on numbers
Falsification - Answers - a theory must produce predictions that can be shown to be
incorrect (need a testable claim)
, Parsimony - Answers - refers to the simplicity and elegance of a theory; it is valuable for
a theory to be straightforward and simple to explain and understand
Scope - Answers - theories are evaluated based on the diversity and breadth of
phenomena that they can be used to explain
Research Questions - Answers - a driving point of inquiry that scholars hope to answer
Hypotheses - Answers - researchers can offer clear predictions about the relationship
between variables
Positive relationship - Answers - occurs when the values of two variables move in the
same direction (as the value of one variable increases/decreases, so does the other)
Negative relationship - Answers - exists when the value of one variable decreases as
the value of the other increases; the two variables are moving in opposite directions
Mediation - Answers - when one or more variables are influenced by the independent
variable and, in turn, influence the dependent variable; occurs when one variable falls in
the "middle", providing a key link between and independent variable and the ultimate
outcome
Moderation - Answers - involves the influence of one or more third variables (Z) on the
relationship between an independent variable (X) and a dependent variable (Y); occurs
when the relationship between X and Y is not constant but depends upon the value of Z
Causal relationship - Answers - a shift in one variable (the independent variable) directly
causes a shift in another variable (the dependent variable)
Causality & Requirements - Answers - (1) The presence of a relationship (2) The
establishment of time order and (3) the elimination of alternative third variables
Inductive reasoning - Answers - starts with observations that are used to develop a
theory
Deductive reasoning - Answers - a theory provides us with the framework to develop a
set of expectations that result in hypotheses
Abstract - Answers - a brief description of a research article that appears at the
beginning of the article (after the title and author information but before the introduction
or literature review); purpose is to give the reader a sense of what the article is about
and whether the article is worth further reading
Literature review - Answers - purpose is to review the relevant and notable literature in a
given area and present a clear argument based on that literature
