The present assignment is an attempt to conduct an empirical social research about tolerance of non-smokers towards smokers. The research is done in the form of a survey of non-smokers and consists of the following steps:
1. setting hypotheses about tolerance of non-smokers towards smokers;
2. creating of a tolerance-index, that measures tolerance of non-smokers;
3. selecting the way of the data collecting as well as developing an appropriate design of the research according to the hypotheses;
4. data collecting;
5. analysis of the collected data by the program Statistical package for the social science (SPSS).
The aims of this work are:
- to measure, how tolerant non-smokers are towards smokers;
- to learn the process of the social research: the ways and possible problems of it;
- to prove hypotheses about tolerance taking into account their reliability as well as validity of the tolerance-index;
- to evaluate the results of the research and to give some proposals as to how the research can be improved and what must be avoided by next researches.
In the end of the assignment the results of the research will be presented as well as the conclusion about the whole work with the proposals regarding possible improvements.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Setting hypotheses
2. Definition of tolerance and tolerance index
3. Questions
4. The focus group and the way of the data collecting
5. Design of the questionnaire
6. Analyses of the collected data with SPSS
6.1 Testing the validity of the Tolerance Index
6.2 Testing hypothesis “Women are more tolerant than men”
6.3 Testing hypothesis “Older people are more tolerant than young ones”
7. Results and estimation
Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The primary aim of this research is to empirically measure the level of tolerance that non-smokers exhibit toward smokers while simultaneously learning the practical process, methodologies, and potential challenges associated with conducting empirical social research.
- Development of a standardized "Tolerance Index" to quantify non-smoker attitudes.
- Empirical testing of gender-based hypotheses regarding tolerance levels.
- Investigation into age-related differences in tolerance toward smoking.
- Evaluation of research design effectiveness, including data collection and survey methodology.
- Identification of improvements for future social research projects.
Excerpt from the Book
2. Definition of tolerance and tolerance index
Considering asking about tolerance different people, our team knew that “tolerance” could have very different meanings for that people. “Tolerance” is an ambiguous term. Therefore, if people understand tolerance in different way, then they will give answers to what they mean is “tolerance” and not to what our team means is “tolerance” by the research, but. So, answers would be genuine, but faulty for the research purposes. Also, we could not ask people directly “Are you tolerant?”, because it could happen, that some people even would not understand, what tolerance means at all. Therefore, we needed to limit the meaning of tolerance.
Our team researched a lot of literature to clarify the meaning of the term “tolerance” given in official scientific sources. Some definitions of tolerance are as follows:
1. „Toleranz bedeutet Respekt, Akzeptanz und Anerkennung... unseres Menschseins in all ihrem Reichtum und ihrer Vielfalt... Toleranz ist vor allem eine aktive Einstellung, die sich stützt auf die Anerkennung der allgemeingültigen Menschenrechte und Grundfreiheiten anderer.“1 (German Commission for UNESCO)
2. Tolerance is an acceptance of different views: the acceptance of the differing views of other people, e.g. in religious or political matters, and fairness towards the people who hold these different views.2
3. Tolerance is a fair, objective, and permissive attitude towards opinions and practices that differs from one's own.3
4. Tolerance is a term used within debates in areas of social, cultural and religious context, to describe attitudes and practices that prohibit discrimination against those whose practices or group memberships may be disapproved of by those in the majority.4
We found out, these were different definitions of “tolerance”, but some “key points” or features considering “tolerance” would be included in definitions reiterate. To describe tolerance we chose 4 following key points:
1. trouble
2. understanding
3. acceptance
4. non-discrimination
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Outlines the scope of the empirical research project and defines the specific objectives regarding the measurement of non-smoker tolerance toward smokers.
1. Setting hypotheses: Presents the two primary research hypotheses regarding the influence of gender and age on tolerance levels.
2. Definition of tolerance and tolerance index: Explores various scientific definitions of tolerance and establishes the key features and weighting scale used to construct the Tolerance Index.
3. Questions: Details the structure of the ten-question survey designed to elicit genuine responses through real-life scenarios.
4. The focus group and the way of the data collecting: Describes the composition of the respondent pool and justifies the selection of the oral structured interview method.
5. Design of the questionnaire: Explains the visual and formatting strategies used to increase response rates and minimize respondent fatigue.
6. Analyses of the collected data with SPSS: Outlines the statistical methodology, including validity testing and the comparison of demographic groups using the Mann-Whitney U-Test.
7. Results and estimation: Summarizes the statistical findings and offers critical reflections on the study's validity and potential for improvement.
Conclusion: Synthesizes the main findings and highlights the lessons learned throughout the research process.
Literature: Lists the academic sources and technical documentation utilized in the study.
Keywords
Tolerance, Non-smokers, Smokers, Empirical Social Research, Tolerance Index, SPSS, Mann-Whitney U-Test, Questionnaire Design, Data Collection, Statistical Validity, Reliability, Hypothesis Testing, Gender, Age, Discrimination.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this research paper?
The paper focuses on conducting empirical social research to measure the tolerance levels of non-smokers toward smokers.
What are the central themes covered in the study?
The core themes include the definition and operationalization of tolerance, the creation of a weighted tolerance index, and the analysis of social factors like gender and age.
What is the primary research goal?
The primary goal is to determine if specific demographic groups (women vs. men, older vs. younger people) demonstrate statistically significant differences in their tolerance toward smoking.
Which scientific method is utilized for the analysis?
The study utilizes quantitative methods, specifically the Mann-Whitney U-Test in SPSS, to compare independent groups after establishing a custom Tolerance Index.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It covers hypothesis setting, the construction of a measurement instrument, data collection via structured interviews, and detailed statistical analysis of the gathered data.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Tolerance, Non-smokers, Empirical Social Research, Tolerance Index, SPSS, and Hypothesis Testing.
Why did the researchers decide to use oral structured interviews instead of questionnaires?
They chose oral interviews to reduce interviewer-induced errors, achieve a significantly higher response rate, and allow for immediate clarification of questions for respondents.
What was the result of the validity testing for the Tolerance Index?
The reliability testing using Cronbach's alpha yielded a low result of 0.392, indicating that the index was not sufficiently valid in its current form.
How does the author interpret the statistical significance of the results?
The author concludes that while the data suggests women and older people might be more tolerant, the probability of these results occurring by chance is too high to claim statistical significance.
- Quote paper
- Master of Arts (M.A.) Volha Daleka (Author), 2007, Tolerance of Non-Smokers to Smokers, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/138706
