SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS 2206
TEST 1 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
WITH SOLUTIONS 2025
Theory - ANSWER a system of ideas that are used to explain the causes and/or consequences of social
phenomena
Theory is made up of - ANSWER Definitions, Descriptions of Phenomena of Interest, Relational
Statements
Relational Statements: Deterministic - ANSWER 2 concepts or variables always go together
Relational Statements: Probabilistic - ANSWER 2 concepts regularly but not always go together
Grand Theory - ANSWER all encompassing with regards to time and space, tends to be difficult to link
with real world in a directly testable way
Middle-Range Theory - ANSWER more limited in scope and less abstract, tend to refer to more specific
time/place
Research - ANSWER a mixture of observations and interpretations that either she light on existing theory
and/or help us build new theories
Deductive Approach - ANSWER Theory-->observations/findings
6 Steps in Deductive Approach (The huge duck finds himself pale) - ANSWER Theory, Hypothesis, Data
Collection, Findings, hypothesis confirmed/ rejected, possible revision of theory
Inductive Approach - ANSWER Observations-->theory
3 Steps in Inductive Approach (Give Mom Donuts) - ANSWER Gather data, make statements and
generalizations, derive explanatory theory from these statements
, Epistemology - ANSWER What is knowledge? We construct and define as human beings, we socially
decide what is acceptable. How do we come to know something? It comes from experience and
authority
Positivism - ANSWER Explanation of social behaviour, evidence based on the senses, knowledge in the
social sciences should be gathered in the same way as in the natural sciences
Interpretivism - ANSWER Empathetic understanding of social behaviour, studying people and social life is
fundamentally different than subject matter in the natural sciences
Ontology - ANSWER What is the nature of being? Reality? Existence?
Ontology Debate 1: Do social phenomenas have an objective reality independent of our perceptions
(Objectivist) - ANSWER Yes they have an objective social reality
Ontology Debate 1: Do social phenomenas have an objective reality independent of our perceptions
(Hard Constructionist) - ANSWER No facts, only interpretations
Ontology Debate 1: Do social phenomenas have an objective reality independent of our perceptions
(Soft Constructionist) - ANSWER What we see is different from what is actually out there
Ontology Debate 2: Structure vs. Agency (Objectivist) - ANSWER the social world is out there- something
that we act within and have little control over
Ontology Debate 2: Structure vs. Agency (Constructionist) - ANSWER social world is created and reacted
out of everyday actions
Quantitative - ANSWER mostly use numbers as descriptions, deductive approach is most common,
positivist model, social reality is external to the people in it
TEST 1 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
WITH SOLUTIONS 2025
Theory - ANSWER a system of ideas that are used to explain the causes and/or consequences of social
phenomena
Theory is made up of - ANSWER Definitions, Descriptions of Phenomena of Interest, Relational
Statements
Relational Statements: Deterministic - ANSWER 2 concepts or variables always go together
Relational Statements: Probabilistic - ANSWER 2 concepts regularly but not always go together
Grand Theory - ANSWER all encompassing with regards to time and space, tends to be difficult to link
with real world in a directly testable way
Middle-Range Theory - ANSWER more limited in scope and less abstract, tend to refer to more specific
time/place
Research - ANSWER a mixture of observations and interpretations that either she light on existing theory
and/or help us build new theories
Deductive Approach - ANSWER Theory-->observations/findings
6 Steps in Deductive Approach (The huge duck finds himself pale) - ANSWER Theory, Hypothesis, Data
Collection, Findings, hypothesis confirmed/ rejected, possible revision of theory
Inductive Approach - ANSWER Observations-->theory
3 Steps in Inductive Approach (Give Mom Donuts) - ANSWER Gather data, make statements and
generalizations, derive explanatory theory from these statements
, Epistemology - ANSWER What is knowledge? We construct and define as human beings, we socially
decide what is acceptable. How do we come to know something? It comes from experience and
authority
Positivism - ANSWER Explanation of social behaviour, evidence based on the senses, knowledge in the
social sciences should be gathered in the same way as in the natural sciences
Interpretivism - ANSWER Empathetic understanding of social behaviour, studying people and social life is
fundamentally different than subject matter in the natural sciences
Ontology - ANSWER What is the nature of being? Reality? Existence?
Ontology Debate 1: Do social phenomenas have an objective reality independent of our perceptions
(Objectivist) - ANSWER Yes they have an objective social reality
Ontology Debate 1: Do social phenomenas have an objective reality independent of our perceptions
(Hard Constructionist) - ANSWER No facts, only interpretations
Ontology Debate 1: Do social phenomenas have an objective reality independent of our perceptions
(Soft Constructionist) - ANSWER What we see is different from what is actually out there
Ontology Debate 2: Structure vs. Agency (Objectivist) - ANSWER the social world is out there- something
that we act within and have little control over
Ontology Debate 2: Structure vs. Agency (Constructionist) - ANSWER social world is created and reacted
out of everyday actions
Quantitative - ANSWER mostly use numbers as descriptions, deductive approach is most common,
positivist model, social reality is external to the people in it
