Empirical and Normative Analysis
Natural and Social Sciences
Postulates of Science
The Scientific Method
100
What are the two key forms of political analysis?
normative analysis and empirical analysis
100
Provide one example of a discipline classified as a natural science discipline only.
Chemistry
Biology
Physics
Earth Sciences
100
What is another term for "postulates"?
Beliefs
100
What is the first step in the scientific method?
Identify the problem
200
In which form of political analysis is replication important for verification?
Empirical Analysis
200
Provide two examples of a discipline classified as a social science discipline only.
sociology, economics, political science, anthropology
200
Identify the six postulates of science.
Nature Is Orderly
We Can Know Nature
Knowledge Is Superior to Ignorance
Natural Phenomena Have Natural Causes
Nothing Is Self-Evident
Knowledge Is Derived from the Acquisition of Experience
200
List out all the steps in the scientific method.
Identify the problem
Hypothesize the cause of the problem
Provide clear definitions of the concepts
Operationalize the concepts
Gather empirical data
Test the hypothesis or hypotheses
Reflect back on theory
Publicize the results
Replicate the results
300
What form of political analysis is prescriptive, focusing on how things "should be"?
Normative Analysis
300
What research method is employed in the natural sciences?
Controlled Laboratory Experiments
300
What is the term that describes the belief that everything has a cause and that nothing is random?
Determinism
300
What critique did the presenter make about the order of the scientific method?
Identify the problem
Hypothesize the cause of the problem
Provide clear definitions of the concepts
Operationalize the concepts
Gather empirical data
Test the hypothesis or hypotheses
Reflect back on theory
Publicize the results
Replicate the results
REPLICATE RESULTS BEFORE YOU PUBLISH! AVOID YOUR PAPER BEING RETRACTED…
400
Provide an example of a value-laden term used in normative analysis.
'good,' 'bad,' 'right,' 'wrong'
400
Which field of science is considered to be either social or natural science depending on the branch of the discipline?
Psychology
400
What is the term used to describe everything outside the explanatory factors in a model?
Ex. rare and incurable disease disappears
Residual factors
400
Define the term: null hypothesis.
The hypothesis that no relationship exists between the variables.
500
A key challenge in empirical research is the degree to which facts exist independently of observers. What example is provided in the reading to put this challenge into context?
Using the example of traffic accident witnesses, we can see how different people may perceive the same event differently, either consciously or unconsciously, especially when they have personal interests at stake.
This raises questions about the objectivity of facts and suggests that social and/or political contexts may influence how people perceive reality.
500
Name two research methods employed by social scientists.
Field studies, surveys, focus groups, and participant observation
500
The fifth postulate "Nothing is Self-Evident" originated from whose philosophical approach?
René Descartes
500
The scientific method is often referred to as positivism. Positivism was founded by Auguste Comte (18th century sociologist).
What are the two core components of positivism?
Core components:
Empiricism (belief that almost everything can be objectively measured)
Determinism (belief that every event has an explanation or a cause)