`Assignments for chapters 1 through 6

EXERCISE 1.1 Each of us is confronted with decisions in our everyday lives that require us to gather and assess information on the different alternatives at hand and then make a decision. Examples of such decisions include the decision to attend college, buy a car or some other item, strike up a friendship with Person A or B, select a particular course, or take a trip to Point X or Y. You may have made an error in such decisions because your information was flawed by one or more of the errors of human inquiry that Babbie describes, or the decision may have been correct but for some of the wrong reasons. Recall and describe a decision you have made that may have been flawed to some extent …show more content…

EXERCISE 2.1 A major focus of this chapter is the difference between deductive and inductive reasoning. Your assignment is to develop studies using each approach.
DEDUCTIVE REASONING
1. Identify a topic of interest. You might select religiosity, feminism, or occupational success if you cannot identify a topic.

2. Explain what your theory will address. It might be factors promoting religiosity, why some people are more feminist than others, or why some people are more successful in their occupations than others.

3. Specify the range of phenomena your theory addresses. All people? Women only? Americans only?

4. Identify and specify your major concepts and variables. Don't just list your major concepts and variables, but actually develop and state your theory. Your theory does not have to be very complex. Keep in mind that a theory is an explanation of the causes of some phenomenon. Your theory may have one or more statements in it.

5. Derive at least one specific testable hypothesis, such as: younger females are more likely to be feminist than older females (now do not use this example). Be sure your hypothesis reflects a specific relationship between two variables.

EXERCISE 2.2 Babbie describes the major social scientific paradigms. Identify and briefly summarize three major paradigms in one of the other disciplines you have encountered in college. Examples of disciplines include history, political science, economics, and psychology.