Research methods

Question 1

What is a case study

Answer 1

To study a case in psychology is to promote a detailed and in-depth analysis of an individual group, institution or event. Case studies tend to take place over a long time (longitudinal) and may involve gathering data from family and friends of the individuals as well as the person themselves

Question 2

What type of cases are used in case studies

Answer 2

Unusual and typical. Case studies often involve analysis of unusual events such as a person with a rare disorder or the sequence of events that led to the 2011 riots. Case studies may also concentrate on the more typical cases such as elderly person’s recollections of their childhood.

Question 3

What type of data to they use (case studies)

Answer 3

qualitative data. Researchers will construct a case history of the individual or event concerned perhaps using interviews, observations, questionnaires or a combination of all of these. Data is mainly quantitative. Psychological tests may also be used to assess e.g. intelligence or personality. These are likely to produce quantitative data.

Question 4

One advantage

Answer 4

Rich in detail

Question 5

2nd avantage

Answer 5

Enables study of unusual behaviour

Question 6

One disadvantage

Answer 6

Prone to researcher bias

Question 7

Another disadvantage

Answer 7

Participants accounts may be biased

Question 8

What is content analysis

Answer 8

Is a type of observational research. People are studied indirectly via the communications they have produced:
Spoken interaction, written forms, Examples from media like books.

Question 9

What data does coding produce

Answer 9

Quantitative. Coding is the first stage of content analysis. Some data sets can be extremely large e.g.interviews. So info needs to be categorised into meaningful units. May involve counting up the number of times a certain number appears in text to produce quantitative data. E.g. newspaper reports may be analysed for the number of times crazy is used when mentioning mentally ill people.

Question 10

What data does thematic analysis produce

Answer 10

Qualitative data. A theme in content analysis refers to any idea that is recurrent i.e. keeps cropping up in what’s being studied. Themes are more descriptive than coding units. For E.g. mentally ill people being described as mad can be categorised into stereotyping

Question 11

One advantage of thematic analysis

Answer 11

Many ethical issues may not apply (mags already in public)

Question 12

Another advantage of thematic analysis

Answer 12

A flexible method can be adapted to produce both types of data. Reduces validity of conclusions drwn

Question 13

A disadvantage of thematic analysis

Answer 13

Communication is studied out of context may interpret info differently to author

Question 14

Another disadvantage of thematic analysis

Answer 14

May lack objectivity especially when more descriptive bias may threaten validity of findings and conclusion. Reflexivity addresses reduced objectivity. Personal viewpoints are seen as an important part of the data collected.

Question 15

What is the aim of a study

Answer 15

An intention of investigation
‘to see if’
‘to investigate whether’

Question 16

What is the hypothesis

Answer 16

Statements of expected outcome
‘a prediction you are testing. Either you are right or wrong’
‘what we will find is’
Come in pairs: alternative + nullMust be clear + operationalised

Question 17

What is the null hypothesis

Answer 17

Predicts IV has no effect on DV

Question 18

What is the alternative hypothesis

Answer 18

Predicts that there will be a significant effect on DV because of the IV

Question 19

What is are the 2 types of hypothesis

Answer 19

Directional (one tailed) = specific about effect that IV will have on DV e.g. ‘girls will score higher than boys in A level
Non-directional (two-tailed) = Say IV will affect DV but not specific about how this will be e.g.‘a significant difference in A level scores of boys’ and girls’

Question 20

When do you use both of these hypothesis

Answer 20

Directional = sufficient background evidence (previous research) 
Non-directional = if evidence is unclear + researcher wants to suggest they are avoiding bias

Question 21

Types of variables

Answer 21

DV=dependent variable = measuredIV = independent variable = manipulatedCV = controlled variable = kept constant

Question 22

What are extraneous variables

Answer 22

Things that could influence DV = therefore should be controlledE.g. P&E effects, individual differences

Question 23

What are confounding variables

Answer 23

Variables that have already effected DV

Should have been controlled

Question 24

What are operationalised variables

Answer 24

Each variable should be operationalised in order to make the hypothesis clear and testable

Question 25

What are the types of experimental variables

Answer 25

Conditions under which an experiment is carried at
Dependent on:
how much control we have over IV
How much control we have over extraneous variables
Decision between reliability OR validity
Lab, field, quasi + natural

Question 26

What are the experiments and their var

Answer 26

One variable kept constant

A researcher causes the IV to vary and records the effect of the IV on the DV. There are different levels of the IV