Define the term hypothesis.

A hypothesis is a testable statement that predicts a relationship between two or more factors. Research evidence either supports or refutes a hypothesis.

Give an example of a hypothesis a sociologist could test about family life.

An example hypothesis is that couples who both work full time share housework more equally than single-earner couples. A questionnaire comparing the two kinds of couple could test the prediction.

Why might an interactionist researcher start with a broad aim rather than a hypothesis?

Interactionists want to discover the meanings people give to their situation without imposing the researcher's ideas. A broad aim leaves room for unexpected findings to emerge.

AQA GCSE Sociology 8192

The Sociological Approach

Topic overview Key sociological concepts Sociological perspectives: consensus and conflict Durkheim, Marx and Weber How sociological knowledge develops

Families

Topic overview Functions of families Family forms and diversity Conjugal roles and the domestic division of labour Changing relationships within families Criticisms of families Divorce in Britain since 1945

Education

Topic overview Roles and functions of education Education, capitalism and the correspondence principle Class and gender differences in achievement Ethnicity, parental choice and school markets Processes within schools

Crime and Deviance

Topic overview Social construction of crime and deviance Formal and informal social control Explanations of criminal behaviour Patterns of crime and public debates Crime statistics and the dark figure

Social Stratification

Topic overview Functionalist theory of stratification Marx, Weber and socio-economic class Factors affecting life chances Poverty as a social issue Forms of power and authority Power relationships

Research Methods

Topic overview Research design, hypotheses and data analysis Sampling methods Questionnaires and interviews Observation and mixed methods Types of data and official statistics Reliability, validity, ethics and practical issues

Research Methods

Research design, hypotheses and data analysis

3 things to know
Papers 1 and 2

Overview

Research aims and hypotheses, pilot studies, analysing qualitative and quantitative data, worked percentage and mean calculations, case studies and longitudinal studies.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

What is sociological research?

Key term

What do sociologists mean by data?

Key term

What is a research aim?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is sociological research?
Model answer
Sociological research is a planned, systematic investigation of social life. Research gathers evidence about social patterns, such as which pupils leave school without qualifications.
2
What do sociologists mean by data?
Model answer
Data is the information a researcher collects and then analyses. Data can be numbers, such as exam results, or words, such as interview transcripts.
3
What is a research aim?
Model answer
A research aim is a general statement of what a study sets out to investigate. An example is to find out how couples divide housework in dual-earner households.
4
Define the term hypothesis.
Model answer
A hypothesis is a testable statement that predicts a relationship between two or more factors. Research evidence either supports or refutes a hypothesis.
5
Give an example of a hypothesis a sociologist could test about family life.
Model answer
An example hypothesis is that couples who both work full time share housework more equally than single-earner couples. A questionnaire comparing the two kinds of couple could test the prediction.
6
Why might an interactionist researcher start with a broad aim rather than a hypothesis?
Model answer
Interactionists want to discover the meanings people give to their situation without imposing the researcher's ideas. A broad aim leaves room for unexpected findings to emerge.

See the rest and revise

Other ways to work this

The same content, four other ways.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

1Closed book

2Open book

3Closed book

The 3-step method, run for you

Answer cold, learn it, then prove it stuck. Levo tracks the jump between your first attempt and your last.

The Sociological Approach

Families

Education

Crime and Deviance

Cram a whole paper in one sitting

Sort every topic into what you know and what you do not, then drill only the weak ones.

A communist society would follow.

classlesscapitalistfeudal

Blank Blitz makes facts automatic

Rapid timed gap-fills on the terms and numbers you need to recall without thinking.

AONS figures show that divorces rose briefly after the Second World War.

BDivorces then climbed steeply from 1971 and peaked in 1993.

CONS figures put the number at about 80,000 in 2022, after a long fall.

Build It gets the exam shape right

Assemble a full-mark answer from its marking points, in the order an examiner wants them.

Monogamy means marriage to only one partner at a time.

TrueFalse

Test It catches misconceptions

Spot the fault in a statement. The traps are the mistakes students actually make.

721941163128510

Brain Breaks between sessions

Short focus games to reset attention, so the next set lands better than the last.

Every question in Research Methods, on a schedule.

Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.

Start revising, £5 a month See how the method works

Or £46 a year, about £3.83 a month. Cancel anytime.