correlational analysis + case studies

Question 1

what are correlational studies?

Answer 1

measure the strength and direction of the relationship between co-variables

Question 2

what’s the difference between a positive and negative correlation?

Answer 2

positive - one co-variable increases as another increases
negative - one co-variable increases as another decreases

Question 3

what are scattergrams/scattergraphs?

Answer 3

a type of graph used to display the extent to which 2 variables are correlated

Question 4

what are the advantages of correlational analysis?

Answer 4

-allows predictions to be made
-allows quantification of relationships
-no manipulation

Question 5

what are the weaknesses of correlational analysis?

Answer 5

-quantification problems (correlations that appear low can sometimes be significant)
-cause and effect can’t be established
-extraneous relationships (other variables affect results)
-only works for linear relationships

Question 6

what are case studies?

Answer 6

detailed investigations of one individual or a small group, usually including biographical details, behavioural information and experiences of interest

Question 7

what are the advantages of case studies?

Answer 7

-rich detail
-the only possible method to use in some instances
-useful for theory contradiction (you only need one case study to contradict)

Question 8

what are the weaknesses of case studies?

Answer 8

-not representative
-researcher bias
-reliance on memory