‘The Building Blocks of Social Scientific Research: Hypotheses, Concepts, and Variables Suggested Readings cher, Macgrt Nowe Reorch Methods A Practical Guide, Boston: let ‘Swi, 187 Moy, Chare ad Jobs Playford es. A ‘Beasionalen. New York: Thomas ¥ ro Marin, Michal an Lae C- Melotee es Reding ‘Socal Sens. Cambie: MET Pras, 104 eae, Joyce McCadl ed. Fominit Reerch Metods: Exemplary Reading nthe Sova Scena, Boule: Wes, 1950. Rovenber,Alceace The Pilesphy of Sorel Scene 20 Boulder West ‘ie 138, ve Philsopy of te very case te resarchers deme some pti phenomenen tha te ‘ste them an tried answer qusoas abou tht phesomeros, The phe \ 7s 18212 Levis, teres, Ty cof 6 Phi kel Siena este rly, Ted bods | eon F.ousrrcat Scrence Reseancn MErHO0S viding a8 ‘eal can ead to conto are may sasmers Som "ion or experience For example, rear psig may wondes ‘beouse rank mooer for 8 opie for prcial r wp cnpecine iv aparicalararea wil advance Urabe o bese esonsta thei prfeeionl career obecties. ropiate research question wil eta re wart. fay ofthe folowing questions would vieatfcant ae informatie cesarch rec: roi ad to a polls exer turnout far local cletions higher n sore ces tha cere? ‘yi the at of eying higher in some communis han thers? fy dd some members of Cangree vote fo he Nort American Fret ‘Trade Agreement whe others ote against Hrrorarses, Co CEPTS, AND Vanianess ome sates he ls toes re les re rs ay rei te tes ii while others voted Why are some judge more we les mace protective ofthe sg Why do some nations spend more ox weapoas system than ot Why do some states tae uve more exenive elle sytem than others? ies Goa asn Meraops aceseacher to ak "why" aves: Hyrorussts, Concsers, avo Vansaniss ‘onthe phenomenon we are trying to explain (he dependent aah). A vate ble that cecurs cor oll oher variables abd that may alle other Indepen- ent vriabesis ale a antecedent variable A variable that occurs loser {Une to the dependent variable ani isl affected by other independent ‘aables scaled an intervening variable. The roles of antecedent and ie.Hrorweses, Concerns, axo Vaeiasu =e | Aeros | ican ene sr feet lacl ——> hol ah sens Holly Peet ela | ie i (nse 88) (ce ie are is handy device fr preventing and keping ack of sch conn aaa ‘Ket expansions. spate he pssst one alec OO Lins are independent alternative, antecedent ntrveuing, and depen- “Moich varblea are thought to affect which other oes rw agra or hero exams we ost considered sidetwarsbe spaced atthe end ofthe Hie Toterveung, and antecedent variablesc : tm the researcher thinks the phesomescn (a ecessrily Ga this case or bad can, however, that empirical knowledge is completelyPourrteat Sctewce Reséasc Meri! Below ar our hypotheses that are too narrow, followed by four acceptable Inypthoees that are more general ‘Senator X voted frail because Senators are more likly to vote itis the present’ bill and they for bls sponsored by the president are both Democrats ifthey belong to the same politcal ary asthe president. “The Uriled Sates fs a democracy Deoaise its populations fuente “The United ites has more mu ders han other countries because somaty poole own guns there Joeisa liberal because his mother People tend to adopt poll inone oo viewpoints silat those of thee areas. Athind characterac of good hypotesi is that it shoud be Hiyroruases, Cockers, avo Varisauss unrest and hypothesized that sustrated A population may they are economically or polit sed to le eat ch projets, reviews det in Chapter 6) can acquaint researchers both with id with specie hypatheses advanced by others [n eiher States that are characterized by »"moraise” pola cuore ‘mora et Ive igh tees of itr than sats with annieHrroruases, Concerrs, axo Varwaates People who read the newspaper more are more informed about cur- Apervon's capabilites affect his or renterents tha pope who ea he newspaper es. herplical ates Tre orn eon “The lower state's pr capi income, the les mone i SPE Per Sher Bt cn ee BETO People who om gine es ely If, on the other hand, te retearcher thinks that as one concept increases in tobe the veins of cies than ‘ze oF amount another one will decrease in size or aroun, then a negative relationship is sugreste as inthe flloving examples: (Older people are es tolerant of socal protest than younger people “The moce income a person has, the less concerned about mass transit the person wll become. ‘More alent countries have less property crime than less eftuent coustees tion ofthe hypothesized relationship. Following are four examples of ambiguous hypotheses that ave been smadle more speci: “How a pereon votes for president The more informatio fvoring “depends on the information he or candidate Xa person is exposed to ‘she is exposed to,provide a fair test one would have to messure indepe sways—the support forthe politcal institutions and the st ‘gts in terms of democratic processes oF they wanted to explore 2s independent vat ‘man rights abuses “Tere are many ihypotheses, then, that are not formulated in a way that specifying Units of Analysts to proposing a relationship Between two or moce variables, specifies the | or levels of political actor to which the hy: scaled the wit of amas ofthe hpoth- eas the citys the unt of analyse since ti oer ysis tutes ese cen are ore lt hae ‘interes enor to hare myer, ie ween ‘There i fundatsentl problem with this sproach, however I the sallypthes th ofan inte Yr ta yo lection precincts, a diferent ul of nsyas Unless darts 10 percentno-Aeas Amram tht mot of he ferent’ oe the ‘margis forthe woman in owe co Se, ace ts altace maces eot te eels ce i | Hi ay : i ia Le fe tise _fande hte __ fence Prete ‘aan Ans a = B mo BO a Areas a 2 uw mm m9 ‘er = 6 4 mm "es wm om oo 2 HP set? "ares Anca «© 4 % mo as ‘eta Arcane a om # mo me Oe we 3 7 mo Mo “old mw 9 8 mm 80 ne ht oo # ae non a a 3 Le T rr, Cor a |Potrricat Setesce Riskascu Merwoos Mrrormeses, Concer, ano Vasiantes See e ning Concepts | amt sareto develop: potheset and jowiedge we acquire fom tstng our hypotheses ‘way or have particular attbutes Aescribe these behavior oratibutes are called concept. Ci ‘ety are “socialized” into the norms Nonetheless, because a particular discipline has some minimal shared consensus concerning Its sgnicant concepts, researchers parteipation inthe process."* To others, ‘country is democratic oaly a eer there are legal guarantees protecting freeTr 0 erry Herozmases, Concerrs, ano Vaeisses POLITICAL SCIENCE ReszAzcn: METHOD: stttuces and Boksvior of the public would find the following definitions of key concepts in the. | exiting literature:Pouirican Sciawcs Raseasch: paar tal lac Al ceive ata Sette once atop ale vidual poltial action does have or can processes—that its worthwrile to Hvrornases, Concerts, axo Vantazuss 3 Wolk than Pu hase sad hi des athe Ueto Ka or heb 4 Kemah R Hon, he ment of Sc Sete Tang (New Yr SMart 198, 5 YE Pilon Sine Th Pui! aah gwd Ci NJ: reste al 180, 6; Sey Vert nd Norma Ma. Parton dre ew Yr: Hp 1870, 2 1 Te ube Gre, Mo Me ab ice: Pinon Une Pes 17,2 8, fous Campbell era Guin, and Warren E. Mie, Th Yer Decide Eco, Rw ‘Pots 9), 18 2 Philp Conse. “The Nate of eet Spates a Mas Pub i ae a, ‘hat and Dison (ew Yrs Free res 6) a be induenced tected, or [Dmecnoxss. urroruesis, A hypothesis that species the expected relation: hip Beewzen tro ariables, ‘Tavrotocr. A hypothesis in which the independent and dependent variables ‘are kdentical, making it impossible to discoafirm, ‘Ustt or anatysis. The type of actor Gndiviual, group, astition, nation) _speciid ia a researchers hypothesis.