Sample Answer



Sample Full Credit Definition--5 points

Define:

Social Science Approach

Your definition will include three parts. 1) The definition that was discussed in class or the readings. 2) The relevance of the term to ideas discussed in class. 3) A specific example that illustrates the term.

1. The social science approach assumes the social and cultural world can be measured quantitatively, meaning using statistics and numbers similar to the way one uses statistics and numbers to measure the natural world. In biology, for example, you can measure the pH of a liquid by taking a sample and adding a pH indicator.

2. An example of the social science approach would be surveying Europeans and Americans and asking how long they would like the presence of foreign troops in Iraq to continue. Based on this survey you could draw conclusions and make predictions about the culture of Europeans and Americans.

3. The relevance to class is that it is one of three approaches to the study of communication discussed by Martin and Nakayama, the others being the interpretive and critical approach. Critics of this approach argue culture and society cannot be measured and predicted in the same way the natural world can be.

Note that I did not simply copy the definition and examples from the book. If you simply memorize the definition and the example from class or the book, you can still get 4 out of 5 points. But if you use your own words and think of your own example, this shows me you have a strong grasp of the concept.

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