Disadvantages of quantitative methods Flashcards
P1: What is the main disadvantage of questionnaires?
They may lack depth and validity due to their use of closed or fixed questions, which limit how participants can express themselves.
Why do questionnaires reduce validity?
Respondents may tick boxes without truly reflecting their thoughts or misunderstand questions, leading to superficial or inaccurate data.
What is an example of questionnaires in sociological research?
The British Crime Survey uses postal questionnaires, which may not capture the true experiences or feelings of respondents.
How do interpretivists critique questionnaires?
They argue that questionnaires fail to understand the meanings individuals attach to behaviour, making the findings superficial and lacking in depth.
P2: What is the main disadvantage of official statistics?
They can be biased or misleading due to how data is collected and defined by institutions like the police or government.
What is a strength of questionnaires despite their limitations?
Positivists appreciate them for their objectivity and ability to gather large-scale data quickly, even if the data lacks depth.
Why might official statistics lack accuracy?
Many crimes (e.g., domestic violence, white-collar crime) go unreported or unrecorded, creating a “dark figure of crime” that undermines their validity.
What is an example of bias in official statistics?
Marxists argue that the state controls what gets counted, using statistics to maintain power (e.g., downplaying corporate crime).
How do critical sociologists view official statistics?
They argue that statistics often reflect the interests of the powerful, making them ideologically biased and less useful for understanding society.
What is a counter-argument to the limitations of official statistics?
Functionalists argue that statistics provide useful insight into social trends, even if they are not always accurate or complete.
P3: What is the main disadvantage of structured interviews?
They offer little flexibility and restrict the natural flow of conversation, limiting the depth of responses.
Why do structured interviews lack depth?
Interviewers follow a strict script with no opportunity to probe deeper or explore unexpected responses, prioritising reliability over validity.
What is an example of a more flexible alternative to structured interviews?
Unstructured interviews, like those used by Dobash and Dobash in researching domestic violence, allow for open-ended discussion and deeper insights.
How do interpretivists critique structured interviews?
They argue that structured interviews fail to capture verstehen (empathy and understanding), focusing only on measurable behaviour rather than deeper meanings.
What is a potential issue with interviewer bias in structured interviews?
The interviewer’s tone or manner may influence responses, reducing the objectivity of the data even in a structured format.
