Chapter 8 & 9 Flashcards
(26 cards)
What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative approaches?
Quantitative methods involve analyzing large data sets with few variables and many instances, while qualitative methods involve in-depth study of few instances with many variables.
What are quantitative methods good at?
- testing hypotheses,
- analyzing relationships between variables using statistical methods.
What are qualitative methods good at?
- generating hypotheses,
- cause and effect
- in-depth studies of individual cases.
What is the context in which qualitative methods are well-suited?
hypothesis generation & exploratory research
What is the context in which quantitative methods are well-suited?
hypothesis testing & testing generalizations about relationships between variables,
What is the direction of causal inference in quantitative methods?
Forward causal inference, (from causes to effects)
What is the direction of causal inference in qualitative methods?
reverse causal inference, (from effects to causes)
What is case-study research?
intensive study of a single case to gain insights into a larger class of cases.
What are some uses of case studies?
hypothesis generation, exploratory research, and understanding complex causal pathways.
What is internal validity?
Internal validity refers to the degree to which a study’s findings are warranted for the case studied.
What is external validity?
External validity refers to the degree to which a study’s conclusions are generalizable to a wider population.
What is the trade-off between internal and external validity?
Measures taken to enhance internal validity may limit external validity, and vice versa.
What are the two types of rationality?
Theoretical rationality (rationality of beliefs) and practical rationality (rationality of actions).
What is objective rationality.
actions truly lead to your goal (good reasons)
What is subjective rationality?
actions appear to lead you to your goal based on your beliefs (lucky sweater)
How is practical rationality often understood?
means/ends rationality (actions are evaluated based on their effectiveness as means to an end)
Provide an example of practical rationality.
One example is putting your hands in the fire if you want to experience pain, or burning lots of fossil fuels if you don’t care about climate change.
Why do scientists talk about rationality? (2 reasons)
- scientists need to be rational in their reasoning and actions.
- assumptions of rationality are necessary to study and understand people.
What is rational choice theory based on?
agents make choices based on the most effective means to achieve their goals
(means/end rationality)
What is the problem with naive formulations of rational choice theory?
- agents have more than one goal
- agents may have conflicting goals
How can someone represent their preferences in rational choice theory?
utility functions, which indicate the person’s preferences for different alternatives.
What is the concept of expected utility in rational choice theory?
Expected utility is the average utility an agent would gain from a course of action, taking into account the likelihood of each scenario.
What is one criticism of rational choice theory?
- agents do not always behave rationally, leaving no room for understanding or predicting irrational actions.
What is bounded rationality?
Bounded rationality is the study of rationality in situations where there are practical restrictions, such as limited information, cognitive power, time, and interest.
