Research methods 1

Question 1

what is a frequency table?

Answer 1

A ‘table is a systematic way of representing data so it is organised in rows and columns. A frequency table displays a record of the amount of times an event happens

Question 1

what is a bar chart?

Answer 1

A type of graph in which the frequency of each variable is represented by the height of the bar. The categories on the x-axis have no fixed order and there is no true zero.

Question 2

what is a histogram?

Answer 2

a type of graph where the frequency of each category of continuous data is represented by the height of the bar. In contrast to a bar chart, the data in a histogram have a true zero and a logical sequence. There are no spaces between the bars.

Question 3

what is normal distribution?

Answer 3

A symmetrical spread of frequency data that forms a bell-shaped curve. The mean, median and mode are all at the same point - the highest peak

Question 4

what is continuous data?

Answer 4

A graph where data that can take any value and can keep expanding over time e.g. height, weight, IQ

Question 4

what is true zero?

Answer 4

The zero point on a graph represents the absence of the variable being measured e.g. weight, height, time

Question 5

Outline one difference between a histogram and a bar chart

Answer 5

A histogram’s bars are touching however, a bar charts bars are separate from each other

Question 6

Identify two features of a normal distribution curve

Answer 6

The mean, median and mode is at the peak of a normal distribution curve, where it is the same, and the distribution curve is symmetrical, meaning that ends of the curves follow the same pattern.

Question 7

what is meant by ‘positive correlation’ ?

Answer 7

When one co-variable increases, the other increases OR when one co-variable decreases the other decreases too.

Question 8

what is meant by ‘negative correlation’?

Answer 8

when one co-variable increases, the other decreases

Question 9

what is meant by ‘no correlation’?

Answer 9

when there is no relationship between the two co-variables

Question 10

define the term ‘correlational analysis’

Answer 10

A research method that aims to study the relationship between 2 or more co-variables. Will vary in strength and could be a positive, negative or no correlation.

Question 11

what is the relationship between the correlation co-efficient and the strength of the relationship?

Answer 11

the higher the correlation coefficient, the stronger the relationship

Question 12

what is a correlation coefficient?

Answer 12

It is how strong or weak a correlation is and can range from -1 (perfect negative), 0 (no correlation) to +1 (perfect positive. -1 being the weakest possible relationship and +1 being the strongest.

Question 13

describe 3 strengths of using correlational analysis

Answer 13

1. they are a good starting point for research, where they tell us that two variables are related.
2. It provides valuable insight about the relationship between variables. This is because the correlational co-efficient indicates the strength the relationship has
3. they help identify patterns between variables which might lead to new research + theories

Question 14

name another advantage of using correlational analysis

Answer 14

A correlation can be used when it would be impossible or unethical to carry out an experiment

Question 15

name 3 weaknesses of using correlational analysis

Answer 15

1. in order for a correlation to be informative, there needs to be a large amount of data for each variable. correlations based on small populations are not very reliable
2. there could be another unknown variable that is intervening with the relationship that may be overlooked, causing incorrect conclusions being drawn about the relationship
3. we have no way in knowing if one variable caused the other or vice versa, which means that cause and effect cannot be established

Question 16

what is meant by ‘correlation’

Answer 16

a mathematical technique used to investigate the relationship or association between two variables, called co-variables

Question 17

what is a ‘scatter diagram’

Answer 17

correlations are plotted on scatter diagrams, where the strength and direction of a relationship between co-variables are represented.

Question 18

where are the co-variables placed across a scatter diagram?

Answer 18

X-AXIS: co-variable that is being measured e.g. number of participants
Y-AXIS: co-variable that is increasing e.g. levels of aggression

Question 19

define the term ‘ethical issues’

Answer 19

When a psychologist conducts research, they must consider ethical issues. There are concerns about what is morally right or wrong when using participants in research. Ethical issues occur when there is a conflict between the needs of the research and the rights of the participants.

Question 20

what is the BPS?

Answer 20

the British Psychological Society is a psychological organisation that puts forward a code of conduct that every psychologist in the UK is made to follow. It explains how participants should be dealt with.

Question 21

what does PCWID stand for?

Answer 21

P - Protection from harm
C - Confidentiality
W - Withdrawal (rights)
I - Informed consent
D - Deception

Question 22

What does protection from harm mean?

Answer 22

Participants shouldn’t be placed at risk, and their physical, psychological and emotional health should be protected at all times.

Question 23

How do you overcome a breach of protection from harm?

Answer 23

The researcher must inform the participant that they have the right to leave at any time. If the participants are left affected as a result of the experiment, researchers are allowed to offer therapy and gain their consent after the experiment.

Question 24

what does Confidentiality mean?

Answer 24

The participant’s identity and data should be kept anonymous and should be inaccessible. It should not be obvious that a participant has performed in the study

Question 25

how do you overcome a breach of confidentiality?

Answer 25

A participant’s data should be labelled with numbers, initials, or a pseudonym so their data is protected. Participants should be reminded that their data will remain confidential and protected

Question 26

what does the right to withdrawal mean?

Answer 26

The participants have the right to withdrawal and leave at any point before, after or during the experiment.

Question 27

how do you overcome a breach of the right to withdrawal?

Answer 27

participants should always be reminded that they have the right to withdrawal at any point if they wish. If a participant decides to remove their data after the experiment, their data will be deleted, same thing for those who withdrawal at any point.

Question 28

what is informed consent?

Answer 28

Participants should know exactly what the experiment is about and their role in it before agreeing to take part.

Question 29

how do you overcome a breach of informed consent?

Answer 29

if the validity of the experiment will be affected if the full aims of the study is shared to the participants before, as the behaviour of the participants can be altered, the researcher can inform and gather consent from the participants during a debrief after the experiment by telling them the true aims of the study.

Question 30

what is deception?

Answer 30

participants should not be lied or misled about the aims of the study. Participants who have been misled are unable to give their full consent to participate in the study

Question 31

how to overcome a breach of deception?

Answer 31

at the end of the study, participants should be given a full debrief of any information that was not given to the participants prior such as the true intentions, the existence of other groups of participants.

Question 32

what should researchers do when investigating young children?

Answer 32

Researchers should take special care when investigating young children as they are not at an age to give their full informed consent. They might not be able to understand what is actually happening within the study when a researcher explains it to them.

Question 33

what is an issue that can arise when investigating vulnerable groups?

Answer 33

Vulnerable participants (young children, elderly) might not be able to understand that they are in an experiment and might not be aware that they have the right to withdraw at any time.

Question 34

who can provide the informed consent of the experiment to the vulnerable groups?

Answer 34

Informed consent of the experiment would have to be provided by the parents, guardians, or trusted adults of the young child. If appropriate, participants under 16 can be asked to give their own consent. For older people, if they are unable to give consent or understand the aims of the study, a caregiver can provide infomed consent

Question 35

Explain why researchers have to take special care when they wish to investigate the behaviour of young children

Answer 35

A group of young children makes them vulnerable, as they might be unaware of the intentions of the study and they are not of the age to give consent to be a part of the study. Their legal guardians must give the researcher full consent for the child’s participation. A child is vulnerable, causing them to might not be aware that they have the right to withdraw, as they believe that they are not in a study. Informed consent must be provided to the child via the legal guardians. This can affect the validity of the experiment, as the child’s behaviour might be altered as they might be unaware of their right to withdrawal.

Question 36

What is qualitative data?

Answer 36

Data that is represented in words and can sometimes be converted into words for the purpose of analysis e.g. interviews, diary entries

Question 37

what is quantitative data

Answer 37

data that is expressed in numbers, not words and can be counted, usually represented by tallies and graphs

Question 38

what are the advantages of using qualitative data?

Answer 38

The data is in depth and has detail as the participants are free to express their full thoughts and emotions. Qualitative data has more validity than quantitative data.

Question 39

what are the advantages of using quantitative data?

Answer 39

This data can be easily analysed and it is straightforward to make points and comparisons between groups of participants. this means that there is less chance of bias, meaning that it is more reliable than qualitative data.

Question 40

define validity

Answer 40

validity refers to whether a set of results are representative, true and accurate to the conditions of real life

Question 41

define reliability

Answer 41

Reliability refers to whether a set of results is consistent each time the experiment is repeated.

Question 42

Define interviews as a research method

Answer 42

An interview is a research method within which participants give their thoughts, feelings and opinions about a topic to a researcher who is asking them the questions face-to-face. This allows the researcher to collect and analyse the data based on their opinions. It is a self-report method because the interviewee is answering the questions themselves.

Question 43

what are the three types of interviews?

Answer 43

Structured
Unstructured
Semi-structured

Question 44

Name 3 features of a structured interview

Answer 44

The interviewer in a structured interview will usually:
- have an exact script of questions
- ask the questions in order
- prepare questions down to the follow up questions

Question 45

Name 3 features of an unstructured interview.

Answer 45

The interviewer in an unstructured interviewer will usually:
- treat the interview like a conversation
- have barely, if any prepared questions in advance as they will have a general aim
- will develop new follow-up questions to enhance the interviewee’s responses

Question 46

Name 3 features of a semi-structured interview

Answer 46

The interviewer in a semi-structured interview will usually:
- have a certain number of questions prepared in advance
- will be able to develop follow-up questions in real time
- use this structure in job or college interviews, as well as radio and television, as they tend to develop follow-up questions on the spot

Question 47

Give some strengths of interviews

Answer 47

Interviews provide extensive information as an experienced researcher can be able to produce follow-up questions that can provide insight into a person’s thoughts and feelings towards a given topic

When asked about a sensitive or personal topic, interviewee’s might be able to provide better insight and open up about that topic, rather than writing it down on paper as some find it difficult to express emotions on paper. A good researcher can hopefully build a good relationship and rapport with the interviewee, allowing for better data to be obtained.

Question 48

what data does interviews mainly produce?

Answer 48

qualitative data

Question 49

What are closed questions and what data do they produce? Provide an example

Answer 49

A type of question that has a fixed amount of answers. Answers are limited. Quantitative data is produced as a result
e.g:
Did you have pasta for dinner?

Question 50

What are open questions and what data do they produce? Provide an example

Answer 50

A type of question that has an unlimited amount of answers. The interviewee is able to freely answer the question according to their thoughts and feelings. Qualitative data is produced as a result.
e.g: What did you eat for dinner?

Question 51

Give some weaknesses about interviews

Answer 51

Interviewee’s, especially faced with sensitive topics, unless comfortable with the interviewer is unlikely to give insight on that topic as they might not want to disclose personal information face-to-face.

Interview data can be difficult to analyse as the researcher might end up with lots of information -some irrelevant- so drawing general conclusions might be difficult. The conclusions drawn by the researcher might be biased as they might change the results according to match the needs of their experiment.

Question 52

What is a questionnaire?

Answer 52

A set of written questions to find out a person’s thoughts or attitudes on a particular topic. It can be used as a research method on its own or as a way of measuring behaviour in an experiment. It is a self-report method, like interviews.
A questionnaire doesn’t have to be face-to-face and can be completed either on the phone, internet or sent by post.

Question 53

What are some strengths of using questionnaires?

Answer 53

A strength of using questionnaires is that they produce data that is easier to analyse rather than interviews as they usually tend to be mainly closed questions which can be converted into quantitative data. Comparisons can be easily made between groups.

Another is that questionnaires allows a large amount of results to be gathered quicker. It can take a long time to make the questionnaires, but once they are finished, they can be sent out to many people at a time. The larger amount of participants, the more generalisations that can be made.

Question 54

What are some weaknesses of using questionnaires as a research method?

Answer 54

A disadvantage is that participants might not answer questionnaires truthfully, as they might wish to choose answers that paint them in a better light. This is called a “social desirability bias”. This means that the data collected is low in validity.

Another disadvantage is that participants might be faced with ambiguous or leading questions that can be misinterpreted and are misleading, which is another reason why questionnaires might lack validity.

Question 55

what is a social desirability bias?

Answer 55

When participants are faced with a questionnaire, they might not truthfully, so they can portray themselves in a more positive light.

Question 56

What is essential when writing an open question?

Answer 56

• don’t use question marks at the end of your open question!!!
• avoid using double barrel questions (where two questions are asked in one)
• avoid using ambiguous terminology and make sure that assumptions about the participants are not being made
• avoid using leading questions as this might confuse the participants
  e.g:
  What are the benefits of using TikTok in order to communicate with friends

Question 57

what is essential when writing a closed question?

Answer 57

• create options so that the participant can easily answer the question
• use numbers as a scale, which can be easily converted into quantitative data
  e.g:
  How much stress did you feel during the test?
  A lot of stress = 3 Very little stress = 2 No stress = 0

Question 58

what is primary data?

Answer 58

Primary data is data that has been obtained first-hand by the researcher for the purposes of a research project. It produces both quantitative and qualitative data e.g. interviews

Question 59

what is secondary data?

Answer 59

secondary data is data that has been obtained second-hand by another researcher before the current investigation. It produces both quantitative data and qualitative data e.g. diary reports, online reports

Question 60

What is an advantage of using primary data?

Answer 60

Primary data is good because the researcher knows the data collected perfectly fits the aims of the study and it is authentic because it comes first-hand from the participants themselves. This means the data is more useful

Question 61

what is a disadvantage of using primary data?

Answer 61

It takes more time and effort to design and set up an experiment in order to collect data rather than secondary data. It is much quicker and efficient using secondary data because it is tried and tested

Question 62

what is an advantage of using secondary data?

Answer 62

it is much quicker and efficient because the data is very easy to access, and is already checked, meaning it is less effort and cheaper.

Question 63

what is a disadvantage of using secondary data?

Answer 63

sometimes, the data that is collected from other people can sometimes be out-of-date, poor quality or not quite completed. The data might not fit exactly what the researcher wants for the experiment. this might waste lots of time.