Anthropologist, psychologists and sociologists skills and methods Flashcards Preview

Grade 11 Anthropology, Sociology and Psychology > Anthropologist, psychologists and sociologists skills and methods > Flashcards

Flashcards in Anthropologist, psychologists and sociologists skills and methods Deck (29)
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1
Q

Define Reliable

A

The term describing an experiment or observation that, if repeated will produce exactly the same results

2
Q

Define Informants

A

members of a group who provide information to social scientists who are studying the group

3
Q

Define Participant Observation

A

the anthropological method of study where a researcher lives with a cultural group for an extended period to obtain an insider’s understanding of the group

4
Q

Define Vague Notes

A

notes that, because they provide only a sketchy description of an incident, are unstable at a later date for drawing conclusions

5
Q

Define Concrete Notes

A

detailed notes that provide a full description of an incident, including its participants, location, tone, and conclusion

6
Q

Define Reflexivity

A

The practice by anthropologists of analyzing their own thought processes and belief structures to understand how these affect how they interpret observations

7
Q

Define Polygyny

A

a form of marriage in which a man has more than one wife at a time

8
Q

Define Informed Consent

A

the requirement that subjects must understand and agree to their participation in an experiment or observation before the results can be used.

9
Q

Define Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

A

a measurement of a person’s general intelligence, obtained through written tests and comparisons of the results of the test with data on average intelligence

10
Q

Define Regression to the Mean

A

the idea maintained by psychologists that intelligence, while not inherited, is distributed consistently throughout a population from generation to generation

11
Q

Define Double-Blind Principle

A

an experimental practice in which neither the experimenter nor the subject knows to which group (the control or experimental group) the subject belongs

12
Q

Define Heritable

A

a characteristic that is acquired through the genes

13
Q

Define Dependent Variable

A

a factor that is caused or influenced by another factor

14
Q

Define Independent Variable

A

a factor that has an effect on a second factor

15
Q

Define Intervening Variable

A

when making comparisons a sociologist must be sensitive to intervening variables. There are variables/factors which make it difficult to make a complete/accurate link between independent and dependent variables

16
Q

Define Casual Theories

A

try to compare two variables to determine whether one variable causes the other

17
Q

Define Consequential Theories

A

try to predict what will happen to society if a particular variable is changed

18
Q

Define Hypothesis

A

a proposition or question that someone tries to prove or answer

19
Q

What are some of the challenges that Anthropologists have to endure during fieldwork?

A

Challenges:Participant observers must not only observe carefully and in detail, but they must also try to understand the worlds as their informants see it. It is very important for the research that they do not judge what they see based on their standards/beliefs.

20
Q

What are some of the ethical issues that Anthropologists have to endure during fieldwork?

A

Ethical Considerations: trying to understand a culture may be difficult because it may sometimes conflict with our own values and beliefs. Researchers might be faced with the temptation to intervene in situations that may cause harm or stress to the subject. Participant observations may come in conflict with personal beliefs and values. Sometimes researchers may have to compromise their beliefs for the good of their research.

21
Q

Identify and explain the three areas of study that Psychologists focus on?

A

Psychologists focus on Human Intelligence, personality, and privacy and intimacy.

22
Q

Identify and explain some ethical issues that Psychologists focus on?

A

Psychologists conducing experiments must consider whether they are legitimately observing human behaviour or simply spying on others. It is important to review and abide by proper ethical guidelines when conducting experimentation

23
Q

What is Human Intelligence?

A

Human Intelligence: IQ: it was introduced in 1916 by Alfred Binet and consists of a number of questions that do not rely on previously acquired knowledge. An average IQ score in about 100. The higher a person scores above 100 the more intelligent a person is assumed to be. The further below 100 the less intelligent a person is assumed to be. IQ testing is a crude measure and several issues have arisen with respect to measuring intelligence. Several questions have been raised and addressed over the concept of intelligence.

24
Q

What are the conclusions regarding intelligence?

A
  1. No group of people (ethnic, gender, race, etc.) is inherently more intelligent than other groups.
  2. There is no direct evidence that intelligence is inherited
  3. There is no evidence that intelligence is related to physiology(body structure)
  4. There does appear to be a link between reaction time to a particular task and intelligence.
25
Q

What is Personality?

A

Social scientists researching personality consider personality as a powerful determinant of behavioiur. The main means of obtaining research results on a personality is through experiments.

26
Q

What is Privacy and Intimacy?

A

Psychologists are interested in researching how and why we encourage or avoid closeness with others. To a large extent our cultures may determine our tendencies towards privacy or intimacy. In our culture we may have a different standard to regulate intimacy such as distance between people, eye contact, body language, touching etc.

27
Q

Identify some of the methods used by sociologists?

A

One method used by sociologists are questionnaires and surveys. There are two kind of questionnaires : administered questionnaire and self-administered questionnaire.
Administered questionnaire: the researcher asks the subject questions and fills in the responses
Self-Administered Questionnaire: the subjects themselves answer the questions and return the questionnaire to the researcher.
The second method is Case Studies: sociologists and psychologists would interview subjects and compare their particular case with that of others in a similar circumstances to identify any coincidences.

28
Q

Identify some of the ethical considerations that sociologists must be aware of during research?

A

~when asking questions it is important to respect anonymity
~questions should be confined to those topics that are necessary and relevant to the topic
~The research must maintain an emotional distance from the respondent
~the researcher must avoid trying to change the respondent’s behaviour
~When working with statistics the researcher must refrain from manipulating data

29
Q

Why are self-administered questionnaires usually more effective?

A

this is because people may be reluctant to answer questions about private aspects of their behaviour, but may be more willing to provide data under anonymous settings.

There are some concerns about questionnaires as to the honesty of the responses.