Analysing And Interpreting Data Flashcards
Define Quantitative Data
Data that mainly focuses on number/analysis of number
Advantage of quantitative
Easier to analyse
Weakness of quantitative
Not as much rich, meaningful data
Method of Collecting Quantitative
Mostly Questionnaire
Define Qualitative Data
Data that focuses on what people say/ focus on words
Advantage of qualitative
Can gain rich meaningful data
Weakness of Qualitative
More difficult to analyse
Method of collecting qualitative data
Mostly Interviews
Define Primary Data
Data collected by the researcher them selves
Example of Primary Data
Adorno F-Scale = Authoritarian Personality
Define Secondary Data
Data Collected From other researchers studies
Example of Secondary Data
Van lijzendoorn & Kroonenerg - Culture Variation
Types of Data
Quantitative Data
Qualitative Data
Primary Data
Secondary Data
Explain Histograms
Bars on equal width
Bars Joined
Looking for a difference
Used when data is continous
Explain Bar Charts
Bars not joined
Looking for a difference
Used when comparing groups of non continuous data
Explain Scattergrams
Looking for a correlation
Line of Best Fit Shows correlation positive or negative
used to show the type of strength on a relationship between variables.
Measures of Central Tendency
Mean
Mode
Median
How to measure mean
Is the average of the numbers. It is easy to calculate: add up all the numbers, then divide by how many numbers there are. In other words it is the sum divided by the count.
How to measure mode
The “mode” is the value that occurs most often
How to measure median
Put all the numbers in numerical order.
If there is an odd number of results, the median is the middle number.
If there is an even number of results, the median will be the mean of the two central numbers.
Measure of Dispersion
Range
Standard Deviation
How To measure range
Highest number - lowest number
How Standard Deviation should look
A bell,
It starts at 0 it rises and curves till it declines and ends at 0
What does it mean if Standard Deviation is High?
It tells us that many of the data points are far away from the mean
What does it mean if Standard Deviation is Low?
It tells us that the data was clustered around the mean.
Correlation Analysis includes?
Positive Correlation
Negative Correlation
Zero Correlation
Explain Positive Correlation
As Variable 1 increases so does Variable 2
Explain Negative Correlation
As Variable 1 decreases Variable 2 Increases
Explain Zero Correlation
No Relationship, Scattered all over
Explain Correlation Coefficients
Always between -1 and +1,
-0.7 is a significant negative correlation
+0.7 is a significant positive correlation
Advantages of Correlations
Can show strength of relationship between two variables
Study behaviour that you cannot study
Gain quantitative data which can be easily analysed
Disadvantages of correlations
Cannot show cause and effect (what variables control what)
No control of third variable that might affect the correlation
Describe Normal Distribution
A symmetrical spread of frequency data that forms a bell-shaped pattern. The mean,median and mode are all located at the highest peak
Describe Skewed Distribution
A spread of frequency data that is not symmetrical, where the data clusters to one end.
Describe Positive Skew
A type of distribution in which the long is one the positive (right) side of the peak and most of the distribution is concentrated on the left
Describe Negative Skew
A Type of distribution in which the long is on the negative (left) side of the peak and most of the distribution is concentrated on the right.
Normal distribution has certain defining features
The mean, median and mode are all in the exact mid-point.
The distribution is symmetrical around this mid-point
The dispersion of scores/measurements either side of the mid-point is consistent and can be expressed in standard deviation.
Sign Test Summary:
The SIGN TEST is the only statistical test you need to know. It is used to determine whether the difference you have found is significant
Criteria for the SIGN TEST
Be looking for a difference ( Not a correlation )
Have used repeated measures experimental design
Have data that is organised into categories (nominal data)
Your calculated critical value needs to be equal to or less than the table value to be deemed significant.
The accepted level of probability in the SIGN TEST is
5% or or 0.05 meaning the These values correspond to the probability of observing such an extreme value by chance
Steps to make the Design
Step 1: Convert your data to nominal data - do this by allocating your data to the following signs : + = -
Step 2:
Total up the pluses
Total up the misuses
disregard the equals
Step 3:
Identify your calculated value, this is the number of the less frequent sign. The calculated value is known as S
Step 4: Compare your calculated value (S) against the critical value table.
To do this you need to know if the hypothesis is one tailed or two tailed and the number of participants (N)
Remember accepted level of probability is 0.05
Define Peer Review
When psychological work is assessed by specialists in the same field to ensure any research intended for publication is of high quality
What Is Involved in a Peer Review
The written part of an investigation is scrutinised by a small group of experts. These experts should be unknown to the researcher and should be objective (not be influenced by their personal views and opinion.
Aims of Peer Review:
To allocate Funding
To Validate Quality and relevance of the research
Suggest Improvements and amendments
Criticism of Peer Review: Should the experts be unknown
This is said to lead to a more honest appraisal of the work but could experts use their anonymity as a way of criticizing rival researchers
Criticism of Peer Review: Publication Bias
Some journals only like to use research with significant positive findings to increase the circulation and credibility of the journal. This means research that doesnt meet this criteria, however is still relevant and worthy could be disregarded.
Criticism of Peer Review:Research being buried
Reviewers may tend to be critical of research that opposes or contradicts their own, This could lead to ground research being buried. Reviewers are usually established scientists. Proving it likely that they may have carried out similar research in the past. If new research is similar to current opinions it may be more likely to be passed than NEW, INNOVATIVE research that would challenge the established views.
