Discussion 2, Ch. 2

Critical Thinking Write Up (CTWU)

This week, I learned how important it is to understand different research methods and the way scientists study people and behavior. Before this week, I didnt really think much about how studies are planned or how variables, reliability, or validity work. Now I see that researchers have to be very careful about how they measure things so their results are accurate. I also learned that not all research is the sameinterpretive sociology focuses on peoples meanings, and critical sociology looks at power and unfairness in society. This helped me understand why different studies might reach different conclusions.

My perspective changed because I used to think research was just finding facts, but now I see its a whole process that takes planning, clear definitions, and objectivity. I also realized that things like the Hawthorne effect or spurious correlations can affect a study without researchers even noticing, which makes careful research even more important.

Overall, this week helped me understand research on a deeper level and see why every step matters.