Qualitative research & Correlational research

Question 1

what is the purpose of qualitative research

Answer 1

attempts to capture complexity of human behaviour in its natural environment. generally comprised of detailed narratives of behaviour that focuses on the big picture

Question 2

associate quantitative research with:

Answer 2

deductive logic

Question 3

associate qualitative research with:

Answer 3

inductive logic

Question 4

positivism

Answer 4

a philosophical position on how knowledge can be obtained. stresses the importance of OBSERVABLE FACTS (implies universal laws) in the valid accumulation of knowledge.

Question 5

psychology today values:

Answer 5

empiricism but not positivism because laws cannot be established

Question 6

one should conduct quantitative studies if:

Answer 6

if addressing very clearly specified research question, if substantial body of theory has already been established, when quantitative measures provide a good way to collect info

Question 7

one should conduct qualitative studies if:

Answer 7

wish to study the complexity of something in its natural surroundings, if there is a lack of clarity about research question/hypothesis, if not enough body of theory to develop hypothesis

Question 8

key words in correlational research:

Answer 8

association, relationship, how does x vary with y

Question 9

in correlational research, both variables have to be:

Answer 9

continuous

Question 10

correlation cannot specify:

Answer 10

causation

Question 11

correlational research determines if:

Answer 11

there’s a relationship between two variables

Question 12

what are possible explanations for correlation?

Answer 12

causation, reverse causation, another variable is involved

Question 13

positive correlation

Answer 13

A increases as B increases

Question 14

what is the value of r to signify a strong relationship?

Answer 14

magnitude of 0.5

Question 15

negative correlation

Answer 15

A increases as B decreases

Question 16

zero correlation

Answer 16

there is no LINEAR RELATIONSHIP between A and B

Question 17

the difference between quantitative and qualitative research arises in:

Answer 17

data collection and data analysis

Question 18

repeated measures study

Answer 18

participants tested for IV condition multiple times

Question 19

internal validity is a determinant of:

Answer 19

experimental control, the extent to which we know DV is caused by the IV

Question 20

external validity is a determinant of:

Answer 20

generalizability, the extent to which we can generalize our results to different populations

Question 21

What are threats to internal validity?

Answer 21

selection, history, maturation, testing, instrumentation, regression to the mean, experimental mortality, interaction with selection

Question 22

selection (as a threat to internal validity)

Answer 22

if groups are not equal prior to the experiment (ex. non-random selection and/or assignment)

Question 23

history (as a threat to internal validity)

Answer 23

when events occur in the course of an experiment (after IV manipulation but before DV taken) that affects DV

Question 24

maturation (as a threat to internal validity)

Answer 24

when changes occur in the participants over the time during their participation in the experiment which affects DV. Usually associated with repeated measures studies that take place over extended periods of time

Question 25

testing (as a threat to internal validity)

Answer 25

when measuring the DV inadvertently causes a change in future measurements of DV (thus test can only be taken once by each participant)

Question 26

instrumentation (as a threat to internal validity)

Answer 26

when the measurement criterion (procedure, coding) is changed during testing

Question 27

regression to the mean (as a threat to internal validity)

Answer 27

when people with extreme scores are measured multiple times, their scores tend to drift closer to the mean (“ceiling/floor” effects)

Question 28

experimental mortality (as a threat to internal validity)

Answer 28

when participants from different groups drop out of the experiment at different rates, AKA experimental attrition

Question 29

interaction with selection (as a threat to internal validity)

Answer 29

when systematic differences exist between among groups and another threat acts with the pre-existing interaction (ex. selection and history, selection and maturation)

Question 30

what is a way to solve for systematic unaccounted differences?

Answer 30

random assignment

Question 31

pre-test-post-test control group design

Answer 31

random assignment-Observation-Control/Treatment-Observation

Question 32

when is a pre-test-post-test control group design appropriate?

Answer 32

when testing a physiological aspect, likely to get consistent results for the control.

Question 33

what does pre-test-post-test control group design control for?

Answer 33

selection, history, maturation, testing, interaction with selection, regression to the mean (but not maturation of over extended period of time)

Question 34

post-test-only control group design

Answer 34

random assignment-treatment/control-observation: same protection from testing effects but less protection from selection. No check to see if manipulation worked, thus needs a large sample size

Question 35

solomon four group (REQUIRES LARGE N)

Answer 35

random assignment for four groups, observe two groups, control/treatment for all four groups, observe all four groups (group with two observations allows for comparison, group with one observation contributes to generalizability=high in external validity)

Question 36

single-case experimental design

Answer 36

one participant (N=1), involves a manipulated variable and attempts to exert some control over variables. 1. baseline measurement, 2. change one variable at a time, 3. repeated measures

Question 37

when is a single-case experimental design suitable?

Answer 37

limitations on opportunity observe behaviour, no/limited variability between people, when a single negative instance would refute a theory

Question 38

single-case experimental design examples

Answer 38

(A=baseline and Test/Observation, B=treatment and Test/Observation):

• AB
• ABA
• ABAB

Question 39

quasi-experimental designs

Answer 39

cannot use random assignment but manipulates an IV to measure DV

Question 40

when is quasi-experimental design suitable?

Answer 40

if studying a certain group, social condition, if it is unethical to withhold treatment, random assignment is too expensive/time-consuming (thus at least four conditions: pre-existing difference + control/treatment)

Question 41

issue with quasi-experimental design?

Answer 41

not fully experimental (no random assignment) so cannot infer causation)

Question 42

what are two types of quasi-experimental designs?

Answer 42

non-equivalent group design (AB, ABA, ABAB) and interrupted-time series (OOOOOXOOOOO)