Quantitative methods

Question 1

Identify quantitative methods used within Sociology

Answer 1

Questionnaires
Structured interviews
Official statistics
Surveys

Question 2

What is a social survey? Explain why social surveys might be used.

Answer 2

Social Surveys are typically questionnaires designed to collect information from large numbers of people in standardised form. They are usually questionnaires or structured interviews. They are good in collecting large amounts of data in short amounts of time and are cost effective. They can reach a large audience and are easy to analyse too.

Question 3

What is a longitudinal survey?

Answer 3

A study which follows the same sample or group over an extended period of time.

Question 4

Why might longitudinal surveys be conducted?

Answer 4

To observe how something changes over time or identify patterns.
To discount participant variables by using repeated measures rather than independent measures.

Question 5

What are the disadvantages of longitudinal surveys?

Answer 5

Sample attrition might occur- participants may drop out of the study. The drop outs may not be typical of those who stay in, which might make the sample less representative.

Large amounts of data can be difficult to analyse and results cannot be obtained quickly.

Can be costly

Question 6

What are the different methods for obtaining a representative sample?

Answer 6

Using a stratified, random or sample.

Using a large sample

Question 7

What is simple random sampling?

Answer 7

The sample is selected purely by chance. Everyone has an equal chance of being selected- a large enough random sample should reflect the different characteristics such as gender and class of the whole research population.

Question 8

What is systematic sampling?

Answer 8

Choosing every nth participant.

Question 9

What is stratified random sampling?

Answer 9

The research stratifies the population and the sample is then created in the same proportions.

Question 10

What is quota sampling?

Answer 10

The population is stratified and then each interviewer is given a quota which they have to fill with respondents who fit these characteristics.

Question 11

Explain how field experiments may be used in Sociology.

Answer 11

A field experiment takes place in the subject’s natural surroundings and participants are usually unaware they are being studied which discounts the Hawthorne effect.

Question 12

Explain why experiments are used fairly rarely within Sociology.

Answer 12

Experiments are not a common research method in sociology as it is very difficult to control variables and sociological concepts are difficult to observe and study in experiments, particularly as they are restricted in sample.

Question 13

Explain what is meant by comparative research

Answer 13

The comparative method is not a real experiment, but is still designed to uncover cause and effect relationships by comparing differences between groups:

Step 1: Identify 2 groups of people (or units, e.g. schools) who are alike in all ways but the one variable the researcher is interested in.

Step 2: Compare the two groups to see if this one difference between them has any effect.

Question 14

Outline Rosenthal and Jacobson’a (1968) labelling experiment

Answer 14

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Question 15

What is a structured interview?

Answer 15

An interview which has preset questions which the interviewer sticks to and does not stray from. It is like a questionnaire but face-to-face.

Question 16

What are the advantages of a structured interview compared to a questionnaire?

Answer 16

They are conducted in person and so the researcher is more able to form a connection with the participant which might lead to them answering questions more honestly. Doing it face to face might also help counter people mindlessly ticking answers and order bias and force them to take more time. It also helps retain attention.

Question 17

What are the disadvantages of a structured interview compared to a questionnaire?

Answer 17

It isn’t fully anonymous so people might be impacted by social desirability bias or feel uncomfortable to talk about sensitive topics such as ones they think they’ll get into trouble for.

It takes longer and might be more costly as well and reach a smaller sample.

Question 18

What are the advantages of a structured interview compared to a qualitative interview?

Answer 18

The research is easier to analyse as it lends itself to statistics

Can be quicker and prevent participants going off topic

Has greater reliability

Question 19

What are the disadvantages of a structured interview compared to a qualitative interview?

Answer 19

Researchers might not ask the right questions and participants aren’t free to expand on the questions themselves.

Participants cannot receive clarification around questions.

The data is less rich and might not be representative of the actual views of the participant.

Participants may feel unheard.

Researcher bias while making questions will have a stronger impact.

Question 20

What are the weaknesses of survey (questionnaires or structured interview) methods in Sociology?

Answer 20

Participants cannot receive clarification around questions.

The data is less rich and might not be representative of the actual views of the participant.

Less detail and less in depth.

Question 21

Why might a researcher want to combine quantitative methods with qualitative methods?

Answer 21

They might want to use quantitative methods for preliminary research before collecting qualitative data e.g. identify a correlation before properly investigating it

They produce a more holistic image when put together- the qualitative methods might be used to produce statistics and more reliable information and the quantitative data to explain these statistics.

Different aspects of the same research might be better studied using one method over the other.

Question 22

Explain the advantages of a stratified sample

Answer 22

+ representative sample

+ gives research better external validity

Question 23

Explain the strengths and weaknesses of a simple random sample.

Answer 23

+ fair and free of researcher bias
+ can be used to produce a representative sample.
+ quick and cost-effective

• can still produce an unrepresentative sample

Question 24

What is a structured observation?

Answer 24

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Question 25

What are the strengths of a structured observation?

Answer 25

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Question 26

What are the weaknesses of a structured observation?

Answer 26

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