CPSC 1100 Assignment 2 Blog Post 3: Errors in the Research Methods

Some of the mistakes that researchers make while doing their study could include an inaccurate observation which would mean that sometimes we forget what we saw or we are so sure that we did really see something but in reality it was just our brain making it up. Also, another error that we could make is overgeneralization which is when we look for patterns among the specific things we observe around us, and we often assume that a few similar events are evidence of a general pattern. We mostly overgeneralize most when there is pressure to reach a general understanding, however it still occurs when there is no pressure. Selective observation is when once we have concluded that a particular pattern exists and have developed a general understanding of why, we will be tempted to pay attention to future events and situations that correspond with the pattern and to ignore those that do not. This is a very common mistake we also make in our everyday lives. People have various ways of handling observations that contradict their judgements about the way things are. Surely one of the most remarkable creations of the human mind is the maxim about the exception that proves the rule, an idea that makes no sense at all. An exception can draw attention to a rule to a supposed rule, but in no system of logic can it probe the rule it contradicts. Yet we often use this pithy saying to brush away contradictions with a simple stroke of illogic. Also, crime is important social problem, and there is a lot of controversy that is involved. People fear racial bias in police and practices and sentencing policies. There are many things that can go wrong when doing a study, these are a few of the errors that can be noticed and fixed.

CPSC 1100 Assignment 3 Blog Post 2

Research Methods: Criminology

Research is key in the social sciences because Criminology is based on making the law, finding people that are breaking the law, and finding ways that we can stop that from happening. There are many research methods that are used to explore what is happening in our society. One of the ways we can study something is by doing a Cross-Sectional Study which means studying a group of people and base our observations that represent a single point in time. So if we decide to study a group of college students, we will ask them to survey once and never again will they be contacted. In contrast, a longitudinal study is one which is designed to permit observations over an extended period of time. An example would be, a researcher who observes the activities of a neighborhood anticrime organization from the time of its inception until demise. There are also Surveys of Offending which ask people about crimes they may have committed. These kind of surveys don’t always give the best results because very few people are ready to admit the crimes that they have committed. However, this is one of the best methods available for trying to measure certain crimes that are poorly represented by other techniques. Some examples of this may be prostitution, drug abuse, shoplifting or drunk driving. These are crimes that are not caught very often therefore these surveys do give us more information about them. These are some of the few methods of researching, there are many more. 

CPSC 1100 Assignment 3 Blog Post 1: Criminology

Legalizing Marijuana

Lets face it, we all know someone that smokes marijuana and as their friends, or family member we care about their well being. Since  marijuana is not legal, people find other ways to get what they want. What we need to remember is that those ways might not be the safest ways of getting it. Once a person is hooked onto these drugs it is very difficult to get away from it and stop. So they continue to do it, even when they know it is harming them in many ways. Also, the black market is at its peak because of all the illegal sales that happen every second of the day. In this black market, people are losing their lives each and every single day and all the money that is being put into these drugs is being used by the gangs. If marijuana is at least decriminalized, people like our friends who feel the need to do it, won’t have to find illegal ways to get that drug. They are going to do it regardless of what we say to them, so the least we can do is make sure that they are doing it in the safest way possible. This way they’re still harming themselves like they were before but they’re not getting in that extra trouble they would originally get in if it isn’t decriminalized.