Quantitative and Qualitative methods Flashcards
What is quantitative research?
Measures quantity and numerical data
What are the features of quantitative research? List 5 features
1) Measures quantity
2) Data is numerical
3) Experimental methods (follows hypothetico-deductive approach) which have testable hypotheses
4) Focuses on describing, predicting and identifying causes of behaviours
5) Large samples (typically)
What are the features of qualitative research? List 5 features
1) Measures description/quality
2) Data is often text based
3) NOT experimental methods (follows inductive approach)
4) Focuses on investigating the underlying meanings of behaviours
5) Small samples (typically)
Which research (quantitative or qualitative) would interview participants and ask them open-ended questions when collecting data?
Qualitative
Which research (quantitative or qualitative) would provide participants with an MCQ test to test their intelligence on a particular subject?
Quantitative
Which research (quantitative or qualitative) focuses on behaviour induced when conducting the study rather than the meaning behind the behaviour?
Quantitative
Which research (quantitative or qualitative) focuses on the meaning behind the behaviour rather than only the behaviour induced when conducting the study?
Qualitative
What are the 3 disadvantages of Quantitative research?
1) Might oversimplify the complexity of human behaviour
2) Fails to recognise the subject in nature of research with humans (motive behind certain behaviours)
3) Does not recognise the difference in people (handle participants as a collective rather than individuals with individual differences)
What are the 2 disadvantages of Qualitative research?
1) Can’t apply traditional notions of validity and reliability
2) Often not appropriate to make generalise predictions (data from an interview with 1 person can be very different from another interviewee; not generalisable)
What are the 2 disadvantages of Qualitative research?
1) Can’t apply traditional notions of validity and reliability
2) Often not appropriate to make generalise predictions (data from an interview with 1 person can be very different from another interviewee; not generalisable)
What are the 3 approaches of quantitative research?
1) Descriptive
2) Relational
3) Experimental
What is a descriptive, quantitative research approach?
Allows us to DESCRIBE a behaviour or phenomena
What is a relational, quantitative research approach?
Allows us to PREDICT a behaviour or phenomena based on its relationship with another behaviour or phenomena (correlation)
What is an experimental, quantitative research approach?
Allows us to DETERMINE the CAUSE of a behaviour or phenomena (causation)
Which quantitative research approach allows us to DETERMINE the CAUSE of a behaviour or phenomena (causation)?
Experimental approach
Which quantitative research approach allows us to PREDICT a behaviour or phenomena based on its relationship with another behaviour or phenomena (correlation)?
Relational approach
Which quantitative research approach allows us to DESCRIBE a behaviour or phenomena?
Descriptive approach
What type of quantitative conclusion (descriptive/relational/experimental) is this?
The most common A levels held by students enrolled on the Engineering degree are Maths and Physics
Descriptive
What type of quantitative conclusion (descriptive/relational/experimental) is this?
Students who obtain Maths and Physics A levels will go on to take an Engineering degree
Relational
What type of quantitative conclusion (descriptive/relational/experimental) is this?
Obtaining Maths and Physics A level causes individuals to take an Engineering degree
Experimental
What makes research experimental?
- Manipulation of at least 1 or more variables (independent variables)
- Other variables that are not tested for causation and may affect the outcome must be kept constant (control variables)
- Determines any differences arise as a direct result of variable manipulation
Match the conclusions with the type of quantitative research
a. Hangover intensity is greater following nights on cider than nights on beer
b. Hangover intensity will be greater following nights on cider than nights on beer
c. Cider causes a more intense hangover than beer
- Experimental
- Descriptive
- Relational
- C
- A
- B
What are the main aims of Triangulation?
- Maximise validity and reliability of research
- Double checks results of 1 method by using another method in the same piece of research
What does Triangulation imply?
All methods are limited in some ways
What is Triangulation?
The use of multiple methods or data sources in qualitative research to develop a comprehensive understanding of a behaviour or phenomena (Patton, 1999)
e.g. To understand a certain behaviour, we can conduct interviews (qualitative), controlled experiments (quantitative;experimental) and surveys (quantitative; relational)
What is Methodological pluralism in Triangulation?
The use of multiple methods in order to discover different aspects of a theory
What term is used to describe the use of multiple methods in order to discover different aspects of a theory?
Methodological pluralism in Triangulation
What is Methodological Triangulation?
Combining the findings of methodologically varying studies which can further support a theory
What term is used to describe combining the findings of methodologically varying studies which can further support a theory?
Methodological Triangulation
Carol collects some data to see if the time of the lecture impacts how well students are learning the Research Methods lecture content. She splits the students into 2 groups. Group 1 has their lecture at 10am on Monday and Group 2 has their lecture at 12pm on Monday. She finds that Group 2 shows better performance on her quiz than Group 1. What type of research is Carol conducting?
a. Qualitative research b. Descriptive research c. Relational research d. Experimental research
D
Carol decides to collect some more data to see if her results are meaningful. She runs focus groups with some students to ask them about what factors influence their ability to remember information. She also sends out questionnaires to find out whether the students are ‘early birds’ or ‘night owls’.
What approach is Carol using to develop her theory?
a. Hypothetico-deductive approach b. Inductive approach c. Methodological triangulation d. Selection
A
Which of the following is NOT a quality of Qualitative Research?
a. Often text-based data b. Uses large samples c. Asks more open-ended questions d. Focuses on understanding the meaning of behaviours
B
