Course Overview & T-Test Revision

Question 1

What are the two broad psychological approaches to research?

Answer 1

Qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Question 2

On what does the qualitative psychological approach to research focus?

Answer 2

Qualities (i.e., descriptions and interpretations of experiences).

Question 3

On what does the quantitative psychological approach to research focus?

Answer 3

Measurable phenomena (it turns behaviour into numbers or quantities).

Question 4

What type of data do qualitative research methods produce?

Answer 4

Data that is not numerical (e.g., text, interviews, or focus groups).

Question 5

How do qualitative research methods approach data analysis?

Answer 5

By aiming to identify themes or recurring topics.

Question 6

What are the two advantages of the qualitative research method?

Answer 6

It is great for exploring new or complex topics, and it is flexible, meaning that it is able to facilitate the following up of unexpected findings.

Question 7

What is the disadvantage of the qualitative research method?

Answer 7

It does not allow for the statistical analysis of data.

Question 8

What type of data do quantitative research methods produce?

Answer 8

Numbers (as responses).

Question 9

What is the advantage of the quantitative research method?

Answer 9

It allows for the statistical analysis of data, and therefore the quantification of whether there truly is a ‘signal’ present.

Question 10

What is the disadvantage of the quantitative research method?

Answer 10

It is inflexible.

Question 11

What does the observational research method entail?

Answer 11

The observation of behaviour.

Question 12

What are the two different ways in which behaviour is able to be observed?

Answer 12

Behaviour can either be observed directly (e.g. Jane Goodall observing a chimp’s behaviour) or indirectly by examining data or records (e.g. via newspapers, or Twitter and Facebook trends).

Question 13

What is the advantage of the observational research method?

Answer 13

It is ecologically valid, meaning that what is observed remains true in natural settings.

Question 14

What are two disadvantages of the observational research method?

Answer 14

• Some behaviours are difficult to observe (as they may either be rare or private).
• It is difficult to infer causal relationships from observational data.

Question 15

What do surveys need in order to be conducted?

Answer 15

A representative sample.

Question 16

What is important in relation to surveys?

Answer 16

The framing of questions (e.g. when individuals are asked ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions, they tend to answer ‘yes’).

Question 17

What is the advantage of using a survey as a method of research?

Answer 17

It is able to measure unobservable behaviour.

Question 18

What are two disadvantages of using a survey as a method of research?

Answer 18

• Individuals may provide inaccurate responses (on purpose or due to a simple inability to answer the question(s)), reducing the ecological validity of the survey.
• It is difficult to infer causal relationships from surveys.

Question 19

What are the two disadvantages of using experiments as methods of research?

Answer 19

• They are subject to participant effects.
• They are subject to experimenter effects.

Question 20

What is a participant effect?

Answer 20

An effect that occurs due to the adjustment in performance of a participant in accordance with how they think the experimenter wants them to perform or social desirability.

Question 21

To what does the term ‘experimenter effects’ refer?

Answer 21

To the effects of the experimenter on the outcome of their experiment.

Question 22

How can experimenter effects be resolved?

Answer 22

Via double-blind procedures (neither the participant nor the experimenter are aware of to which experimental condition the participant belongs).