Methodological Issues When Interpreting Changes in Social Phenomena Over Time
Perceptions of Relative Difference, Absolute Difference, and Time Distance
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2331022 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Katja Prevodnik (0000-0003-2566-6258, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, corresponding author), Vehovar (0000-0002-3253-7959, University of Ljubljana), Vasja Vehovar (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 803-840 |
| Publication date | 2023-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sociological Methods & Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0049-1241 • E-ISSN: 1552-8294 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0049124120914948 |
| OpenAlex | W3017264697 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 49 |
When comparing social science phenomena through a time perspective, absolute and relative difference (RD) are the two typical presentation formats used to communicate interpretations to the audience, while time distance (TD) is the least frequently used of such formats. This article argues that the chosen presentation format is extremely important because the various formats suggest different substantive interpretations. To elaborate upon this issue, researchers from the National Statistical Office, National Health Institute, and general academia were invited to participate in an experiment with alternative presentation formats that describe changes in certain social science phenomena over time. The results revealed a prevailing tendency of respondents to rely on interpretations related to absolute differences, which was additionally reinforced with graphical presentation formats. Therefore, whenever RD or TD is more proper for substantive interpretations, the corresponding presentation format must be designed with special attention
Absolute (philosophy) · Epistemology · Perception · Perspective (graphical) · Presentation (obstetrics) · Social science · Sociology · Artificial Intelligence · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Computer Science · Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics · Medicine · Mental Health Research Topics · Psychology · Social Psychology
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| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,5 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2025 (4) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |