Sociology Concepts
This concept helps people see how personal problems connect to larger social forces.
sociological imagination
Consequences that are recognized and intended.
manifest functions
A testable statement predicting relationships between variables.
hypothesis
Accuracy of measuring what you intend to measure.
validity
Research using questionnaires to collect data.
survey
The perspective that connects individuals to broader social contexts.
sociological perspective
Consequences that are unintended or hidden.
latent functions
The entire group being studied in research.
population of interest
Consistency of measurement over repeated trials.
reliability
Studying behavior in natural settings is known as this method.
observation/ethnography
Social structures that rank people in hierarchies are known as this type.
vertical social structure
Patterns that disrupt societal stability are called this.
social dysfunction
A smaller group selected to represent the population.
sample population
A variable kept constant to isolate relationships between variables.
control variable
Using existing data rather than collecting new information.
secondary data analysis
When social structures collapse, this usually happens to society.
loss of social order/instability
This theory assumes society normally exists in equilibrium.
stuctural-functionalism
The extent findings apply beyond the sample.
generalizability
Both variables increase or decrease together in this relationship.
positive correlation
Participants agreeing to research after understanding risks and benefits.
informed consent
This term describes organized patterns that shape how society functions.
social structure
According to conflict theory, institutions are controlled by these groups.
groups with power
A sample that mirrors the larger population accurately.
representative sample
One variable causes change in another
causation
When people change behavior because they know they’re being watched.
Hawthorne Effect