Social Sciences
What is social science?
Uses transparent procedures at all stages of the process Uses evidence systematically Tests our hunches against alternatives and Acknowledges uncertainty
These claims or questions theorize about an outcome.
What is prediction.
What is a theory?
What is a systematic explanation relate to a particular aspect of life.
This claim describes the state of the world
What is a descriptive claim
What is a variable? Provide an example.
A characteristic that can be measured and can assume different values.
What is not social science?
Reliance on interpretation of patterns. Theory adduced from/supported by this evidence. Emphasis on esoteric (ie “hidden hand”) explanations. Extremely resistant to contrary evidence
What is explanation?
What is a statement or description that clarifies, interprets, or provides reasons for a particular event, phenomenon, concept, or situation.
What does a theory require?
What is an explicit statement about cause & effect.
How would you make this prescriptive question into a causal claim?
"Should the U.B.C. campus commit to all (or mostly) online instruction next semester
(ie Winter Term 2)?"
An example claim is "Online instruction is preferred by students because they don't have to commute."
List the 3 things that are needed to test a hypothesis.
What is a concept, a variable, and a measure.
Reasoned explanations of events that seem otherwise intelligible or improbable.
What is a conspiracy theory.
A 10% decrease in studying will cause a 5% decrease in overall grade.
What is a predictive causal claim.
How you test a set of assumptions (theory) that suggest that a pattern exists in the world.
What is a hypothesis.
This claim requires two or more variables to be present for an outcome to occur, provide an example with your answer.
What is conjunctural causation.
What is measurement bias?
Measurement bias is when the measurement procedures will tend systematically to overestimate or underestimate the value of the variable relative to the “right" answer".
This goes beyond explaining a phenomenon and virtually dispenses it with the idea that anything needs to be explained at all.
What is conspiracism.
Democracy appears to be good for you health, explain why.
Voting can more easily bring about removal of government
Government officials have to please larger numbers of citizens to stay in office
Governments must spend greater resources on improving citizen health
What makes a good theory?
What is it has to be non-circular, has to be testable, and falsifiable.
"Studying 10 hours for the midterm makes an A grade more likely to occur". Explain your answer.
What is a probabilistic causal claim.
Provide an example of measurement bias.
Answers can vary
Explain what the non-systematic use of evidence is.
Essentially cherry-picking evidence to support a theory without considering contrasting evidence.
I am a predictive language model.
What is Chat GPT.
The goal of this logic is to theorize about why a pattern exists, rather than theorizing that it ought to exist on the basis of some general principle.
What is inductive logic.
Is believing your causal claim sufficient for someone to agree with your prescriptive/normative claim? Why or why not?
Because you have to place a value judgement.
How could we test the level of conflict intensity in Ukraine?
Provide sub-variables and map this to the measure.
(eg categories of weapons being used, casualties [battle-related deaths], laws of war broken, force size).