Adventures in Social Research

Earl Babbie was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1938, but his family chose to return to Vermont 3 months later, and he grew up there and in New Hampshire. In 1956, he set off for Harvard Yard, where he spent the next 4 years learning more than he initially planned. After 3 years with the US Marine Corps, mostly in Asia, he began graduate studies at the University of California—Berkeley. He received his PhD from Berkeley in 1969. He taught sociology at the University of Hawaii from 1968 through 1979, took time off from teaching and research to write full-time for 8 years, and then joined the faculty at Chapman University in Southern California in 1987. Although he is the author of several research articles and monographs, he is best known for the many textbooks he has written, which have been widely adopted in colleges throughout the United States and the world. He also has been active in the American Sociological Association for 25 years and currently serves on the ASA’s executive committee. He is also past president of the Pacific Sociological Association and California Sociological Association. Fred Halley, Associate Professor Emeritus, SUNY-Brockport, received his bachelor’s degree in sociology and philosophy from Ashland College and his master’s and doctorate degrees from Case Western Reserve University and the University of Missouri, respectively. Since 1970, he has worked to bring both instructional and research computer applications into the undergraduate sociology curriculum. Halley has been recognized for his leadership in the instructional computing sections of the Eastern and Midwest Sociological Societies and the American Sociological Association. At Brockport, he served as a collegewide social science computing consultant and directed Brockport’s Institute for Social Science Research and the College’s Data Analysis Laboratory. Off campus, Halley directed and consulted on diverse community research projects that were used to establish urban magnet schools, evaluate a Head Start family service center, locate an expressway, and design a public transportation system for a rural county. Now residing in Rochester, New York, he plays an active role in a faith-based mentoring program for ex-offenders, and he volunteers for Micrecycle, an organization that refurbishes computers used by those on the other side of the computer divide in schools, daycares, youth centers, and other community organizations. Jeanne Zaino, Associate Professor of Political Science, Iona College, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in survey research at the University of Connecticut—Storrs. During that time, she worked as a research assistant at the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research. She went on to earn a master’s degree and PhD in political science from the University of Massachusetts—Amherst. She is currently chair of the Political Science Department at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York, where she teaches courses in American government, institutions, research methods, social statistics, public opinion, scope, and methods. She and her husband, Jeff, are the proud parents of two sons, Maxim and Logan.

Preface
Part I - Preparing for Social Research
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Overview
Why Use a Computer?
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
Review Questions
Chapter 2 - The Theory and Process of Social Research
Theories and Concepts: Deprivation Theory
Hypotheses and Variables: Religiosity
Social Resrach Strategies: Inductive and Deductive
Political Orientations
Attitudes Toward Abortion
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
Review Questions
Chapter 3 - The Logic of Measurement
Validity Problems
Reliability Problems
Validity and Reliability
Multiple Indicators
Levels of Measurement
Measurement and Information
Measurement Options
Classifying Variables as Discrete or Continuous
Conclustion
Main Points
Key Terms
Review Questions
Part II - Getting Started
Chapter 4 - Description of Your Data Sets
Sampling
Data Collection
The Codebook: Appendix A
Subsample 1: DEMO.SAV
Subsample 2: EXER.SAV
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
Review Questions
Chapter 5 - Using SPSS
Demonstration 5.1: Starting an SPSS Session
Demonstration 5.2: Becoming Aquainted with the SPSS Data Editor
Demonstration 5.3: Data View Portion of the Data Editor - Menu bar
Demonstration 5.4: Getting Help
Demonstration 5.5: Tool Bar
Demonstration 5.6: Dialog Boxes
Demonstration 5.7: Scroll Bars - Moving Through the Data Editor
Demonstration 5.8: Entering Data - A Preview
Demonstration 5.9: Loading a Data Set
Demonstration 5.10: Raw Data in Data View - Respondents and Columns
Demonstration 5.11: Finding Variable Information - Values and Labels
Demonstration 5.12: Variable View Tab
Demonstration 5.13: Windows Options - Minimizing and Reducing
Demonstration 5.14: Ending Your SPSS Session
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
Review Questions
SPSS Lab Exercise 5.1
Part III - Univariate Analysis
Chapter 6 - Describing Your Data: Religiosity
Demonstration 6.1: Opening a Frequently Used Data File
Demonstration 6.2: Setting Options: Variable Lists and Output Labels
Demonstration 6.3: Frequency Distributions
The SPSS Viewer - Output
Navigating Through the Viewer
Reading Frequency Distributions
Demonstration 6.4: Frequency Distributions: Running Two or More Variables at One Time
Descriptive Statistics - Basic Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion
Demonstration 6.5: The Frequencies Procedure
Demonstration 6.6: The Descriptives Procedure - Calculating Descriptive Statistics for Continuous Variables
Demonstration 6.7: Modifying Variables With Recode
Demonstration 6.8: Recoding AGE - Example 2
Demonstration 6.9: Printing Your Output - Viewer
Demonstration 6.10: Adding Headers and Footers
Demonstration 6.11: Saving Your Output (Viewer)
Demonstration 6.12: Saving Changes to Your Data Set
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
Review Questions
SPSS Lab Excercise 6.1
Chapter 7 - Presenting Your Data in Graphic Form: Political Orientations
Demonstration 7.1: Frequency Table - POLVIEWS
Demonstration 7.2: Bar Chart - POLVIEWS
Demonstration 7.3: SPSS Chart Editor
Demonstration 7.4: Recoding POLVIEWS-> POLREC
Demonstration 7.5: Bar Chart - POLREC
Demonstration 7.6: Frequency Table - PARTYID
Demonstration 7.7: Pie Chart
Demonstration 7.8: Recoding PARTYID -> PARTY
Demonstration 7.9: Pie Chart - PARTY
Demonstration 7.10: Histogram - AGE
Demonstration 7.11: Line Chart - INCOME98
Some Guidelines for Choosing a Chart or Graph
Saving and Printing Your Charts
Saving Your Recoded Variables
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
Review Questions
SPSS Lab Exercise 7.1
Chapter 8 - Exploring Attitudes Towards Abortion With Frequencies and Crosstabs
Demonstration 8.1: Identifying the Seven Abortion Variables - File Info
Demonstration 8.2: Running Frequencies for Several Variables at Once
Demonstration 8.3: Producing Crosstabs
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
Review Questions
SPSS Lab Exercise 8.1
Chapter 9 - Creating Composite Measures: Exploring Attitudes Toward Abortion in More Depth
Index - A Form of Composite Measure
ABORT Index
ABORT Index Scores
Demonstration 9.1: ABORT Index
Demonstration 9.2: Defining ABORT
Demonstration 9.3: Checking New Index - Comparing Scores on Old and New Variables
Demonstration 9.4: Running Frequencies for ABORT
Demonstration 9.5: Validating ABORT
ABINDEX - Index Based on Six Abortion Variables
Demonstration 9.6: ABINDEX
Demonstration 9.7: Running Frequencies
Demonstration 9.8: Validating ABINDEX
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
Review Questions
SPSS Lab Exercise 9.1
Chapter 10 - Suggestions for Further Analysis
Desired Family Size
Demonstration 10.1: Respondents′ Ideal Family Size (CHLDIDEL)
Child Training
Demonstration 10.2: Important Qualities for Children
Attitudes About Sexual Behavior
Demonstration 10.3: Index of Sexual Permissiveness
Prejudice
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
Review Questions
SPSS Lab Exercise 10.1
Part IV - Bivariate Analysis
Chapter 11 - Examining the Sources of Religiosity
The Deprivation Theory of Religiosity
Testing Our Hypothesis - Correlating Religiosity and Gender
Demonstration 11.1: Running Crosstabs to Test Our Hypothesis
Interpreting Crosstabs
Interpreting Crosstabs: Association, Strength, Direction
Demonstration 11.2: Interpreting a Crosstab with Limited Categories
Demonstration 11.3: Correlating Another Measure of Religiosity and Gender
Writing Box 11.1
Drawing Conclusions Carefully: Reassessing Our Original Hypothesis
Demonstration 11.4: Interpreting A Crosstab With Ordinal Variables - Religiosity and Age
Demonstration 11.5: Correlatin Other Measures of Religiosity and Age
Epsilon
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
Review Questions
SPSS Lab Exercise 11.1
Chapter 12 - Political Orentations as Cause and as Effect
The Relationship Between POLVIEWS and PARTYID
Demonstration 12.1: POLREC by PARTY
Demonstration 12.2: PARTY by POLREC
Age and Politics
Demonstration 12.3: POLREC and AGECAT
Demonstration 12.4: PARTY by AGECAT
Religion and Politics
Demonstration 12.5: POLREC by RELIG
Demonstration 12.6: PARTY by RELIG
Gender and Politics
Demonstration 12.7: PARTY and POLREC by SEX
Race and Politics
Demonstration 12.8: POLREC by RACE
Demonstration 12.9: PARTY by RACE
Education and Politics
Demonstration 12.10: Recoding EDUC -> EDCAT
Demonstration 12.11: POLREC by EDCAT
Demonstration 12.12: Party by EDCAT
Some Surprises - Class, Marital Status, and Politics
Social Class
Marital Status
The Impact of Party and Political Philosophy
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
Review Questions
SPSS Lab Exercise 12.1
Chapter 13: What Causes Different Attitudes Toward Abortion?
Demonstration 13.1: Gender and Abortion
Demonstration 13.2: Age and Abortion
Demonstration 13.3: Religion and Abortion
Writing Box 13.1
Demonstration 13.4: Politics and Abortion
Writing Box 13.2
Demonstration 13.5: Sexual Attitudes and Abortion
Other Factors You Can Explore on Your Own
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
Review Questions
SPSS Lab Exercise 13.1
Chapter 14 - Measures of Association
The Logic of Statistical Association: Proportionate Reduction of Error (PRE)
Lambda: A Measure Appropriate for Nominal Variables
Gamma: A Measure Appropriate for Ordinal Variables
Pearson′s r: A Measure Appropriate for I/R Variables
Demonstration 14.7: Requesting Several Correlation Coefficients
Regression
Additional Measures of Association
Analyzing the Association Between Variables at Different Levels of Measurement
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
Review Questions
SPSS Lab Exercise 14.1
Chapter 15 - Tests of Significance
Statistical Significance
Significance Tests: Part of the Larger Body of Inferential Statistics
Statistical Significance Versus Measures of Association
Chi-Square
Significance and Association
t Tests
Analysis of Variance
A Statistical Toolbox: A Summary
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
Review Questions
SPSS Lab Exercise 15.1
Chapter 16 - Suggestions for Further Bivariate Analyses
Demonstration 16.1: Desired Family Size
Child Training
Attitudes About Sexual Behavior
Prejudice
Additional Resources
Conclusions
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
SPSS Lab Exercise 16.1
Part V - Multivariate Analysis
Chapter 17 - Multiple Causation: Examining Religiosity in Greater Depth
Multiple Causation
Chi-square and Measure of Association
Multiple Regression
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
SPSS Lab Exercise 17.1
Chapter 18 - Dissecting the Political Factor
Political Philosophy and Party Identification
Demonstration 18.1: Controlling for Education
Demonstration 18.2: The Mystery of Politics and Marital Status
Political Issues
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
Review Questions
SPSS Lab Exercise 18.1
Chapter 19 - A Powerful Prediction of Attitudes Toward Abortion
Religion and Abortion
Demonstration 19.1: Religious Affiliation and Church Attendance
Demonstration 19.2: Religious Affiliation, Church Attendance, and Abortion
Politics (POLREC and PARTY) and Abortion (ABORT)
Demonstration 19.3: The Interaction of Religion and Politics on Abortion Attitudes
Demonstration 19.4: Constructing an Index of Ideological Traditionalism
Sexual Attitudes and Abortion
Demonstration 19.5: Recode PREMARSX and HOMOSEX
Demonstration 19.6: The Relationship Between Sexual Permissiveness and IND
Demonstration 19.7: Exploring the Relationship Further
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
Review Questions
SPSS Lab Exercises 19.1
Chapter 20 - Suggestions for Further Multivariate Analysis
Ideal Family Size and Abortion
Child Training
The Protestant Ethic
Prejudice
Demonstration 20.1: The Relationship Between RACDIF4, RACMAR, and RACPUSH
Demonstration 20.2: Controlling for RACE
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
Review Questions
SPSS Lab Exercise 20.1
Part VI - The Adventure Continues
Chapter 21 - Designing and Executing Your Own Survey
The Social Research Process and Proposal
Designing and Executing Your Own Survey
Sample Questionnaire
Getting Ready for Data Analysis Using SPSS
Step 1 - Defining Your Data
Step 2 - Editing and Coding Your Data
Step 3 - Entering Your Data
Writing a Research Report
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
Review Questions
SPSS Lab Exercise 21.1
Chapter 22 - Further Opportunities for Social Research
The Unabridged GSS
Other Data Sets
Other Computer Programs
Conclusion
Main Points
Key Terms
SPSS Commands Introduced in This Chapter
Review Questions
Appendices
Appendix A - Codebook
Appendix B - Answers to Selected SPSS Lab Exercises
Appendix C - Sample Questionnaire for Class Survey
CD - Appendix D - The Research Report
CD - Appendix E - The Research Proposal
CD - Appendix F - SPSS Survey Tips
CD - Appendix G - SPSS Commands Introduced in This Book
CD - Appendix H - Readings
Index/Glossary