Exam 3: Thinking About Theory and Research

Select the three criteria for evaluating theory that you deem most important. For each one, provide a definition, an explanation of what that criterion entails, and an argument as to why you believe it is among the most important criteria for evaluating communication theory.

Converting raw data into a category system, such as when a researcher analyzes newspaper coverage of an event by quantifying and classifying the various topics covered in the articles into categories, is called

When a theory's explanations make sense and do not appear to contradict each other, the theory is said to have

Researchers are concerned with the extent to which they are actually measuring the true variable of interest, such as whether the standard I.Q. test is really capturing an individual's intelligence. This concern is about

Ontology is sometimes called the first philosophy.

Differentiate between the positivistic, interpretive, and critical approaches to conducting research. Identify the paradigm that you think best describes your approach to research. Explain why you chose this approach.

Rules theorists view our behavior as being restricted by all of the following conditions EXCEPT

Homeostatic systems are ones that stay the same over time.

Some critical theorists, such as Stuart Hall, argue that power imbalances are not always the result of intentional strategies on the part of the powerful, but may instead be accidentally reproduced.

_________ addresses questions about the role of values in the research process.

Of the approaches discussed in the book, the _________ approach assumes that individuals have the highest degree of free will.

The _________ epistemology rejects the notion that truth exists apart from the knower of the truth. Truth can only be understood from the viewpoint of individual experiences.

Concepts are the words or terms that label the most important elements in a theory.