Key Terms - NEMIB Flashcards
Qualitative data
data that is non-numerical, words, pictures etc
Quantitative data
data that is numerical
Generalisable
when the findings from research can be applied to a wider group of people
Representative
when a person / small group of people share typical characteristics of a wider group of people
Longitudinal
research carried out on the same person / people over a long period of time
Replicable
when a method is repeated, and we get the same results over and over again
Holistic
explaining behaviour by examining many different factors rather than just one
Subjective
open to interpretation
Primary sources
information sources / data that is directly collected by the researcher first-hand
- eg they collect data through a questionnaire, experiment, interviews etc for their research
Secondary sources
information sources / data that have not been directly collected by the researcher. the researcher uses data that already exists
- eg police records, medical records
Validity
does something measure what it is meant to measure?
Reliable
consistency
- getting the same results using the same method
Ecological validity
how true to real life the data is
Closed questions
questions which have fixed responses from which the participants must choose from eg a), b) or c)
- they produce quantitative data
Open questions
participants are free to respond however they wish - there are no fixed responses
- they produce qualitative data
Social desirability bias
a distortion in the way participants answer questions - they tend to answer in a way that presents you in a positive light
- this affects validity
Researcher bias
a distortion in the way the research is carried out
- eg an interviewer’s expectations may unconsciously affect the way they ask their questions
- this affects validity
Interview
a research method that involves face-to-face ‘real time’ interaction with another individual and results in the collection of data
Questionnaire
a participant responds in writing to a set of written questions
- may be face-to-face but can also be via post or online
Likert scale
a type of questionnaire that measures the strength of attitudes, beliefs an opinions etc.
- it gives quantitative data
Observation
a research method that involves watching people’s behaviour and recording what they do
- this may be with or without the participant’s knowledge
Participant observation
the researcher becomes part of the group that they are observing
- they are actively involved in the activities of the people they are studying
Non-participant observation
there is no direct contact between the observer and those being observed
- this means that the observer researches their participant from a distance
Unstructured observation
the researcher records all relevant behaviour but does not use a particular system to record it (ie they simply write down what they see)
Behavioural categories
dividing a target behaviour (the behaviour you want to understand more about) down into a subset of specific and operationalised behaviours that represent the target behaviour
- eg if aggression is the target behaviour, it could be broken down into shouting, punching, glaring etc.
Event sampling
a systematic way of recording behaviour that involved making a tally every time a specific behaviour is performed by the target individual (person being observed)
Time sampling
a systematic way of recording behaviour that involves making a tally every time a specific behaviour is performed by the target individual within a specified time period
Structured observation
the researcher records what they see by using a particular system
- this ensures that the data is objective and reliable
Covert observation
the participants do not know that they are being observed
- the researcher may be watching them from a distance in a public place or behind a one-way mirror in a laboratory
Overt observation
the participants know that they are being observed because the researcher has identified themselves to the participants
Observer bias
when an observer interprets what they hear or see in line with their expectations
Inter-observer reliability
the extent to which there is agreement between 2 or more observers who are involved in the recording of behaviour
Demand characteristics
when participants work out the aim of the study and change their behaviour to either please the researcher or spoil the results
