COM 304 QUESTIONS & VERIFIED ANSWERS
standard deviation - Answers - ((sum(x-mean)^2/n-1)-square root -> should tell to you to
find sd
z-score - Answers - x-mean/sd -> percentile and how far away from the mean a data
point is on a normal distribution scale
choen's d - Answers - mean1-mean2/s pooled -> comparing the difference between 2
means
s pooled - Answers - ((S1)^2+(S2)^2-square root -> used in choen's d
What types of questions about communication are social-science methods best suited
to address? - Answers - Theoretical
- Concerned with developing, exploring, or testing theories
Empirical
- Knowledge by means of direct and indirect observation or experience
Nomothetic
- To relate particular events to a more general principle
Probabilistic
- Subject to or involving chance
Causal
-Relationship b/t variables
What are empirical questions? - Answers - They are questions that can be
judged/studied/evaluated based on observations and measurements of the social world
What does it mean to "explain" communication behavior? - Answers - It means to be
able to focus on what's common about people, events, or actions
What are replication and falsification, and why are they important? - Answers -
Replication
- Being able to re-do a study again and again
Falsification
- Research questions have to be falsifiable in order to gain substantial knowledge from
the research
Be able to recognize RQs that social scientists would (would not) likely ask. - Answers -
We ask how/when/why something occurred (descriptive)
They wouldn't ask something that is single or rigid (not evaluative)
, What are constructs? - Answers - An abstraction based on characteristics of perceived
reality
- An abstraction does not exist in the concrete world; we can understand it by
describing parts of it
"constructs are like diseases; variables are symptoms of constructs"
Conceptual definitions? - Answers - Defines a construct by relating it to other concepts
Why are conceptual definitions important? - Answers - They clarify what the researcher
means by the construct
They highlight the concepts "essential qualities"
How do we evaluate whether conceptual definitions are useful? - Answers - We see if
they actually clarify what is/isn't included
What functions do research questions play? - Answers - They call for a description of
something
- May call for a description of a relationship between two variables
- Clarify what the researcher wants to know
- Shape/guide the entire research process
- Reveal the researcher's underlying assumptions
What is a variable? IV/DV? - Answers - Variable
- A characteristic that can take on two or more values (categories)
IV
- The "causal" variable (input or stimulus variable)
Variable that impacts or determines the other variable
DV
- The "effect" variable
- Variable that is impacted/determined by the other variable
Hypothesis? - Answers - Declarative statements that predict a particular kind of
relationship exists between two or more variables under specified conditions
How are variables and hypotheses different? - Answers - Most hypotheses imply causal
relationships which can be defined by or through variables
What are categorical/quantitative variables? - Answers - Categorical variables: usually a
thing or a group characteristic
Quantitative variables: more numbers based. How many of one thing happened
What does it mean to say that levels/categories of a variable are mutually exclusive?
Exhaustive? - Answers - Mutually exclusive means that each unit/observation falls into
only one category
Exhaustive means that each unit/observation can choose multiple outcomes
standard deviation - Answers - ((sum(x-mean)^2/n-1)-square root -> should tell to you to
find sd
z-score - Answers - x-mean/sd -> percentile and how far away from the mean a data
point is on a normal distribution scale
choen's d - Answers - mean1-mean2/s pooled -> comparing the difference between 2
means
s pooled - Answers - ((S1)^2+(S2)^2-square root -> used in choen's d
What types of questions about communication are social-science methods best suited
to address? - Answers - Theoretical
- Concerned with developing, exploring, or testing theories
Empirical
- Knowledge by means of direct and indirect observation or experience
Nomothetic
- To relate particular events to a more general principle
Probabilistic
- Subject to or involving chance
Causal
-Relationship b/t variables
What are empirical questions? - Answers - They are questions that can be
judged/studied/evaluated based on observations and measurements of the social world
What does it mean to "explain" communication behavior? - Answers - It means to be
able to focus on what's common about people, events, or actions
What are replication and falsification, and why are they important? - Answers -
Replication
- Being able to re-do a study again and again
Falsification
- Research questions have to be falsifiable in order to gain substantial knowledge from
the research
Be able to recognize RQs that social scientists would (would not) likely ask. - Answers -
We ask how/when/why something occurred (descriptive)
They wouldn't ask something that is single or rigid (not evaluative)
, What are constructs? - Answers - An abstraction based on characteristics of perceived
reality
- An abstraction does not exist in the concrete world; we can understand it by
describing parts of it
"constructs are like diseases; variables are symptoms of constructs"
Conceptual definitions? - Answers - Defines a construct by relating it to other concepts
Why are conceptual definitions important? - Answers - They clarify what the researcher
means by the construct
They highlight the concepts "essential qualities"
How do we evaluate whether conceptual definitions are useful? - Answers - We see if
they actually clarify what is/isn't included
What functions do research questions play? - Answers - They call for a description of
something
- May call for a description of a relationship between two variables
- Clarify what the researcher wants to know
- Shape/guide the entire research process
- Reveal the researcher's underlying assumptions
What is a variable? IV/DV? - Answers - Variable
- A characteristic that can take on two or more values (categories)
IV
- The "causal" variable (input or stimulus variable)
Variable that impacts or determines the other variable
DV
- The "effect" variable
- Variable that is impacted/determined by the other variable
Hypothesis? - Answers - Declarative statements that predict a particular kind of
relationship exists between two or more variables under specified conditions
How are variables and hypotheses different? - Answers - Most hypotheses imply causal
relationships which can be defined by or through variables
What are categorical/quantitative variables? - Answers - Categorical variables: usually a
thing or a group characteristic
Quantitative variables: more numbers based. How many of one thing happened
What does it mean to say that levels/categories of a variable are mutually exclusive?
Exhaustive? - Answers - Mutually exclusive means that each unit/observation falls into
only one category
Exhaustive means that each unit/observation can choose multiple outcomes
