non-experimental methods

Question 1

types of NON-EXPERIMENTAL METHODS

Answer 1

• Observations
• Content Analysis
• Interviews/ questionnaires
• Case studies
• Longitudinal studies
• Cross-Sectional studies
  -Self-reports

Question 2

types of OBSERVATIONS

Answer 2

• Participant Observation
• Non-participant Observations
• Content analysis

Question 3

PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONS

Answer 3

RESEARCHER takes part in the research -does not reveal who they are

Question 4

STRENGTHS of PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONS

Answer 4

(+) LESS chance of DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS

(+) ENABLES research of people who would OFTEN BE HARD TO OBSERVE

Question 5

WEAKNESSES of PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONS

Answer 5

(-) OBSERVER BIAS may occur

(-) UNRELIABLE FINDINGS- data relies on memory

Question 6

NON-PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONS

Answer 6

the OBSERVER does NOT take part in the action, but INSTEAD watches and makes notes from a distance

Question 7

WEAKNESSES of NON-PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONS:

Answer 7

(-) UNETHICAL - PPs do not always know they are being observed
(-) HAWTHORNE EFFECT- PPs may change their behaviour because they know they are being observed

Question 7

STRENGTHS of NON-PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONS:

Answer 7

(+) LESS chance of OBSERVATION BIAS

(+) PRODUCES MORE VALID + RELIABLE FINDINGS

Question 8

CONTENT ANALYSIS

Answer 8

• WRITTEN/ VERBAL MATERIAL like MAGAZINES, TELEVISION PROGRAMMES are analysed
• researcher CREATES a coding system: BREAKS DOWN the INFO

Question 9

STRENGTHS of CONTENT ANALYSIS

Answer 9

(+) LESS chance of DEMAND CHARCTERISTICS

(+) CAN be REPLICATED by others if the ARTEFACTS are AVAILABLE to others

Question 10

WEAKNESSES of CONTENT ANALYSIS

Answer 10

(-) OBSERVER BIAS can affect VAILDITY of FINDINGS; different observers may interpret meanings of the categories differently

(-) CANNOT draw CAUSE+EFFECT R’SHIPS

Question 11

STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS/ QUESTIONNAIRES

Answer 11

interviewer has a PREPARED set of QUESTIONS that are ASKED in a FIXED ORDER, with no deviation from original questions, like a QUESTIONNAIRE

Question 12

STRENGTHS of STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS/ QUESTIONNAIRES

Answer 12

(+) results are EASY to ANALYSE

(+) REPLICABLE, so more reliable

Question 13

WEAKNESSES of STRUCTURED INTERVIES / QUESTIONNAIRES

Answer 13

(-) there is NO guarantee that PPs are being honest

(-) can be RESTRICTIVE as there is NO CHANCE to ask FURTHER QUESTIONS

Question 14

SEMI-STRUCUTURED INTERVIEWS

Answer 14

START with some PREDETERMINED QUESTIONS, but FURTHER QUESTIONS are developed as a RESPONSE TO ANSWERS

Question 15

STRENGTHS of SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

Answer 15

(+) MORE QUALITATIVE DATA can be gathered as the QUESTIONS TAILOR TO PPs RESPONSES

(+) HIGH VALIDITY- PPs have the OPPORTUNITY to EXPRESS THEIR TRUE FEELINGS

Question 16

WEAKNESSES of SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

Answer 16

(-) RESULTS are DIFFICULT to ANALYSE, DIFFICULT to IDENTIFY PATTERNS +TRENDS

(-) NOT REPLICABLE as DIFFERENT QUESTIONS are asked each time thus UNRELIABLE

Question 17

CORRELATIONAL STUDY

Answer 17

ANALYSES the relationship BETWEEN TWO CONTINUOUS VARIABLES (CO-VARIABLES)

Question 18

STRENGTHS of CORRELATIONAL STUDIES

Answer 18

(+) shows both the DIRECTION + STRENGTH of a r’ship, CAN BE used to make PREDICTIONS about BEHAVIOUR

(+) CAN BE used when EXPERIMENTS are INAPPROPRIATE

Question 19

WEAKNESSES of CORRELATIONAL STUDIES

Answer 19

(-) ONLY shows whether there IS A RELATIONSHIP, NOT HOW or WHY CO-VARIABLES ARE RELATED

(-) DIFFICULT to ESTABLISH CAUSE+EFFECT using a CORRELATION

Question 20

CASE STUDIES

Answer 20

IN-DEPTH study of a UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL, SMALL GROUP or EVENT

Question 21

STRENGTHS of CASE STUDIES

Answer 21

(+) HIGH ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY, as it IS a STUDY of REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS

(+) ALLOWS researchers to study cases they COULD NOT PRACTICALLY or ETHICALLY MANIPULATE in an EXPERIMENT.

Question 22

WEAKNESSES of CASE STUDIES

Answer 22

(-) RESEARCHER BIAS, researchers can become TOO INVOLVED and LOSE their OBJECTIVITY

(-) LOW POPULATION VALIDITY

Question 23

LONGITUDINAL STUDY

Answer 23

a STUDY CONDUCTED OVER a LONG PERIOD of TIME

Question 24

STRENGTHS of a LONGITUDINAL STUDY

Answer 24

(+) the SAME PERSON is TESTED NUMEROUS TIMES so PPs VARIABLES are CONTROLLED

(+) DEVELOPMENTAL TRENDS can be spotted, as tests are repeated at regular intervals

Question 25

WEAKNESSES of a LONGITUDINAL STUDY

Answer 25

(-) HIGHT ATTRITION RATE, as research takes SO LONG

(-) PPs are MORE LIKELY to be AWARE of the AIMS, may show DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS

Question 26

CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Answer 26

ONE group of PPs REPRESENTING ONE SECTION OF SOCIETY( eg. young ppl) are COMPARED with PPs from ANOTHER group (eg. old ppl)

Question 27

STRENGTHS of CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES

Answer 27

(+) RELATIVELY QUICK + CHEAP as PPs only need to be tested ONCE for COMPARISON

(+) PPs are EASIER to OBTAIN as there is LESS PRESSURE for them to TAKE PART

Question 28

WEAKNESSES of CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES

Answer 28

(-) DIFFICULT to DETERMINE why there are DIFFERENCES between TWO CO-HORTS as PPs CANNOT ALWAYS be asked about the DIFFERENCES

(-) DATA collected is from a SNAPSHOT in time, its HARDER to IDENTIFY+ANALYSE DEVELOPMENTAL TRENDS in these studies.