大学生价值取向问卷调查.doc

大學生價值取向問卷調查
本調查收集之資料全為 Introduction to Sociology 授課之用。請在適當答案前的□格
加上 X 號。問卷填妥後請於即堂交回陳健民教授。

(1) 你認為婚外情是:

□ A. 無論是甚麼原因, 對配偶不誠實就是不道德
□ B. 要看是甚麼原因, 很難說一定是不道德
□ C. 感情沒有對錯，婚外情只是夫妻感情變壞的自然結果

(2) 你最支持的香港政黨是:

□ A. 前 □ B. 民主黨 □ C. 民建聯 □ D. 自由黨 □ E. 港進聯
□ F. 其他:________ □ G. 沒有

(3) 你平均每天上網 (ICQ, on-line game, 查資料…) 多少小時

□ A. 1 小時以下
□ B. 1 – 2小時
□ C. 2小時以上

(4) 你身邊的朋友有沒有性經驗?

□ A. 多數沒有
□ B. 有一些有
□ C. 多數都有

(5) 你的性別是: □ A. 男 □ B. 女

(6) 你認為你的家庭是屬於:

□ A. 基層
□ B. 中產階級
□ C. 富裕階層

(7) 你的宗教信仰是:

□ A. 沒有
□ B. 基督教/天主教
□ C. 佛教/道教
□ D. 其他
Lecture 3 – Research Method and Ethics

1. Principle of falsification – Karl Popper argues that scientific ideas must be formulated in such a way that they are capable of disproof. However, not all sociological research is oriented toward formally testing scientific ideas. Some research instead emphasizes richness of details. They may also generate ideas that could be tested by others.

2. Measuring sociological concepts

- A concept is an abstraction communicated in words that stands for properties that are common to a range of things or events. Sociological concepts are more precisely defined and usually derived from an explicit social theory. (e.g. sexual attitude)

- A variable is a measurement of a concept that varies according to the value of the thing it is measuring. (e.g. from conservative to liberal in sexual attitude)

- Operational definition means to define the concept or variable in terms of the operations or measurements that can be performed on it. They are concrete indicators of the concept or variable that can be observed. (e.g. opinion toward extra-marital sex)

- Validity means that the concepts and their measurement accurately represent what they claim to represent; biased means that our concept or measurement systematically misrepresents the true nature of what it is we are studying.

- Reliability refers to the extent to which a measure produces consistent results.

3. Hypothesis and relationships among variables

- Hypothesis is a speculative statement about the relationship between two or more variables.

- Correlation refers to the degree to which two or more variables are associated with one another. When a correlation between two variables is discovered, it is tempting to assume that there is a causal relationship.

- The independent variable is the one that is believed to bring about a change in some other variable or variables; the dependent variable is the one that is believed to have changed as the result of the other.

- Correlation does not mean causation. Causation is a slippery concept that originates in our theories about the world, rather than in our observations themselves. Prediction that are derived from scientific theories are termed hypotheses, theory-driven ideas can be disproved when tested against observations.

- A spurious relationship is a statistical association between two or more variables that is actually the result of something else that is not being measured, rather than a causal link between the variables themselves. (e.g. the higher the sales of make-up products, the higher the divorce rate of a society. Does make-up cause divorce?)

4. Types of sociological research

Survey method – typically entails administering a precisely worded questionnaire to a group of people in order to determine their characteristics, opinions, and behaviors.

- define a population universe: the groups of people about whom generalizations are to be made;
- select a sample: a subset of cases selected to represent the larger population; random sample means that every member of an entire population being studied has the same chance of being selected.
- data are usually collected by questionnaire containing open- or closed-ended questions;
- using statistics to generalize from samples to the larger populations they represent;
- strength: draw conclusion about large numbers of people on the basis of a much smaller number of interviews.
- Weakness: superficial and reveal what people say rather than what they actually do.

Fieldwork/ethnography – researchers typically immerse themselves in the daily life of a culture, study its language and its customs, and then report on what they have learned.

- in-depth interview
- participant observation

Experiments

- experimental group: receives some special attention, based on the research causal theory
- control group: does not receive this attention

Secondary Analysis

- statistical data, documentary analysis, and comparative historical research

Obtrusive Vs Unobtrusive study

- unobtrusive study are based on data collected with minimal impact on the persons being studied

- Hawthorne effect holds that the researcher’s impact on his or her subjects may actually affect the research results. (Elton Mayo’s study of Western Electric’s Hawthorne plant in the 1930s.)

5. Principles and Ethics of Social Research

- Objectivity: the ability, during research, to represent the object of study as truthfully as possible. Weber argued that the values and beliefs of social scientists can and should enter into their selection of topic for study. After that, they should remain value-neutral; respect the subject’s right to privacy and dignity; preserve confidentiality ;informed consent of the subjects; and other disclosures.