Day One

Tuesday, January 25, 2022 1:08 PM

Administer a poll or survey

X is the question which is framed by some theory
• Descriotive statistics
Theory and Reasoning
•

Deductive and inductive

→ Sherlock Holmes deduction
○ From date to determination
→ Mathematical Induction
○ From principles to particulars
A Theory's role in Research Design
→ Guide hypothesis, predictions, frame
research design
(translating RQ into measurable variables &
Relationships)
→ A Study may
○ Use an existing theory
○ Test an existing theory
○ Develop a new theory
Whats a scientfic Theory
→ Simplfication of reality
→ Explanation of some empirical
phenonomena
→ Statement of expected relationship
between/among variables
→ Greneral statement that explains the causes
or effects of phenomona
→ What are theories used/good for
Theories help sort out ehich facts are relecant
 → Statement of expected relationship
between/among variables
→ Greneral statement that explains the causes
or effects of phenomona
→ What are theories used/good for
Theories help sort out ehich facts are relecant
/essiential to the finding stubject of study
Generally Take one of four forms:
→ Ecessary conditions
○ If not a then b
→ Sufficent conditions
○ If a then b
→ Both necessary & sufficent conditions
○ If not a, then not b and if a then b
→ Probalitically
○ If not a then probaly b
Variab;les
→ Variables: a characteristics, event or idea
yjat can take on more than one value
○ DV: something to be explained
○ IV: something that we think will
provide us with all part of explanation
of the different values taken on by the
DV
○ Other types? Why Important
Elements needed to evaluate a theory
→ Logical consistency a,ong the theories
assumption
→ Evidence that matches or contradicts these
assumptions
→ Evidence that reveals whether alternative
theories outperform or are outperformed by
the theory
→ Parsimony:
○ The more events ir facts atheory can
explain iwith a limited set of
assumptions the more useful it is
→ Falsfiablity:
○ a theory is testable, conditiobs exsit in
principle under which we might find it
to be false
Predictions
→ Predictipictions
 ○ a theory is testable, conditiobs exsit in
principle under which we might find it
to be false
Predictions
→ Predictipictions
○ Assumptions can be fit together
according to the rules of logic to
derive predictions aka hypothesis
○ Predictions serve to help test a
theory's explanation of observed or
hypothesisve relationships (using data)
→ Hypothesis
○ Prdictions representing a theorys
explanation of a portion of relatity
○ Conjectured relationships between
two phenonona (casual or correlated)
○ Statements about how iv relate to dv
also caleed propositions
Data
Systematically collected factual observations
So how do we get data
→ Define and operationalize variables
→ In a way that they can be best measured
→ Collect systematic measurements