Data Collection Techniques

Question 1

Definition of experimental designs?

Answer 1

• IV manipulated by researcher and dependent
• DV are recorded
• causal relationships clear
• can be laboratory or field-based

Question 2

Definition of correlational designs?

Answer 2

• all variables are measured
• strength of associations between variables is assessed
• may be possible to establish causation through theoretical or other considerations

Question 3

What are Laboratory experiments?

Answer 3

• carried out in a laboratory
• researcher has greatest control over environment and other factors
• advantages of being highly controlled so extraneous/confounding variables are excluded and it’s easier to replicate
• disadvantages of being artificial setting so ecological validity may be a concern and demand characteristics may influence behaviour

Question 4

What are Field experiments?

Answer 4

• carried out in everyday environment but researcher manipulates variables of interest
• advantages of the behaviour reflecting real responses so high ecological validity and demand characteristics are less likely to affect
• disadvantages of having less control so extraneous/confounding variables making replication difficult so may affect reliability

Question 5

What are natural experiments?

Answer 5

• carried out in everyday environment but researcher cannot manipulate variables of interest as they naturally occur
• advantages of high ecological validity, demand characteristics unlikely to affect participants, can be used when ethical considerations prevent IV manipulation
• disadvantages of tending to be costly, no control over extraneous/confounding variables, reliability may be an issue

Question 6

What are correlational designs?

Answer 6

• variables are measured and the strength of associations between them is examined
• naturalistic observation is often used

Question 7

What are the methods of data collection?

Answer 7

• observational methods
• case studies
• surveys
• interviews
• experiments
• new technologies

Question 8

What are the features and types of observational studies?

Answer 8

• behaviour is observed within the setting it naturally occurs in
• can be overt or covert
• controlled
• naturalistic
• participant

Question 9

What’s a controlled observation?

Answer 9

• usually in lab conditions so has control
• behaviour usually systematically classified and coded into categories (using timed-observation schedule)
• behaviour may be coded by more than 1 researcher and checked for inter-rater reliability
• strengths: easy to replicate, data quick to analyse, relatively quick to conduct so large samples possible
• limitations: demand characteristics may occur and limit validity

Question 10

What’s a naturalistic observation?

Answer 10

• data recorded using variety of methods
• coding may involve numbers/scale
• strengths: increased ecological validity, used to inform further research
• limitations: small scale so not representative, difficult to replicate, substantial training needed, may not establish cause and effect

Question 11

What’s a participant observation?

Answer 11

• variation on naturalistic observation where researcher becomes participant of group under investigation
• strengths: increased ecological validity, used to inform further research
• limitations: challenges with recording data, loss of objectivity

Question 12

What are the 3 main sampling methods for recording data?

Answer 12

• event sampling (identified in advance, frequency and other characteristics of event are recorded, all other behaviours ignored)
• time sampling (identified in advance, observations within specific period and set sampling schedule)
• instantaneous sampling (observations made at specific time-point, all before or after are ignored)

Question 13

What are case studies?

Answer 13

• individual/group/event investigated in detail
• multiple techniques may be employed
• often involves idiographic approach (observing what happens to participant and reconstructing case history)
• often used in clinical psychology/psychiatry
• strengths: rich descriptive information, indicates possible hypotheses for future, can study rare phenomena detail, gives opportunity to investigate factors that’d be unethical to manipulate
• limitations: can’t establish cause and effect, focus of study may not be typical/representative, can’t generalise, relies heavily on subjective interpretation of data, hard to replicate

Question 14

What is a survey?

Answer 14

• questions administered to sample drawn from larger population
• strengths: carefully selected, representative sample that provides accurate info, samples can be large
• limitations: unrepresentative sample may give misleading info, researcher biases/social desirability may distort results
• types include: in-person, telephone, mail-out, web-based

Question 15

What is an in-person survey?

Answer 15

• participants complete survey in physical presence
• strengths: control over environment so reduced/excluded biases, can provide implicit instructions, high quality data
• limitations: time-consuming, expensive, small samples

Question 16

What is a telephone survey?

Answer 16

• researcher telephones participants to complete survey
• strengths: cheaper than in-person so larger samples possible, anonymous
• limitations: less control so less credible, visual materials unavailable, materials less sophisticated

Question 17

What is a mail-out survey?

Answer 17

• researcher sends survey to participants by mail
• strengths: relatively cheap, convenient, ample time, no interviewer bias, visual aids possible, rapid data, anonymous
• limitations: full instructions needed, self-selection bias

Question 18

What is a web-based survey?

Answer 18

• makes survey online and invites respondents
• strengths: cheapest, convenient, ample time, no interviewer bias, visual aids possible, rapid data, anonymous
• limitations: full instructions required, self-selection bias

Question 19

What is an interview?

Answer 19

• relatively small number of respondents give rich data in live interaction
• strengths: rich and accurate info due to carefully selected and representative sample
• limitations: unrepresentative sample may give misleading info, researcher biases/social desirability may distort results

Question 20

What are new research methods that use new technology?

Answer 20

• internet/digital therapy
• smartphone apps/ ambulatory data monitoring
• virtual reality
• social media

Question 21

What is internet/digital therapy?

Answer 21

• delivery through computers, internet, mobiles, software applications etc
• developed for wide range of problems
• most deliver amended packages of CBT
• can be linear program or individually chosen modules
• often combination of classic session content with interactive and self-monitoring tools with audio and video

Question 22

What is smartphone apps/ambulatory monitoring?

Answer 22

• used for studying behaviours, mood and physiological responses in more realistic settings
• interventions for supporting behavioural change
• goal processes in mood disorders
• inhibition training

Question 23

What is virtual reality?

Answer 23

• advanced form of human-computer interface that allows user to interact with computers and digital content in more natural/sophisticated fashion
• immersive (stimulated environment that changes in naturalistic way)
• semi/non-immersive (computer/console games to present graphics that users can navigate and interact)
• increases participants psychological engagement
• has therapy applications
• applications for training clinicians
• challenges for development, data management and analyses

Question 24

What is social media?

Answer 24

• access to large and potentially otherwise hard to reach participants/content
• established platforms
• specific blogs/forums can be mined for qualitative data or set up for research purposes