Research Methods

Question 1

A case study:definition

Answer 1

Detailed and in depth analysis of an individual or group
Often an analysis of unusual individuals or events such as a person with a rare disorder
Usually involves qualitative data:researcher will incude history of the individual through interviews,observations,questionnaires
Usually take place over a long period of time

Question 2

Case study strength:

Answer 2

Offer rich detailed insights that may shed light on a very unusual and typical forms of behaviour
Contribute to our understanding of normal functioning eg the case of HM
Generate hypotheses for future study and one solitary

Question 3

Case study weakness:

Answer 3

Generalisation of findings id an issue since dealing with a small sample size
Information that makes it to the final report is based on the subjective selection and interpretation of the researcher
The fact that personal accounts from the participants family and friends may be inaccurate and memory decay thus leads to low validity

Question 4

Content analysis:

Answer 4

Studying behaviour indirectly though things people produce for example newspaper,journal and emails .
Allows us to have insight into their view and ideolgies

Question 5

Content analysis:strength

Answer 5

-Strong external validity as the data is already in the real world so it has high mundane realism
-produces a large data set of both qualitative and quantitative data that is easy to analyse
-easy replications
-ethical issues like Leighton of privacy and confidentiality etc are avoided as the data is already in the public

Question 6

Content analysis:weakness

Answer 6

-observer bias is presented but it can be eliminated through inter observer reliability
-interpretative bias:the research may ignore some things and pay attention to other
-content of choice to analyse can be biased by the researcher

Question 7

Reliability:

Answer 7

Refers to how consistent the findings are from an investigation measuring device.
It’s reliable when it produces consistent results every time it is used.

Question 8

Ways of assessing reliability:TEST RE TEST

Answer 8

This involves administering the same test or questionnaire to the same person on different occasions .
If the test/questionnaire is reliable then the results obtained should be the same or at least similar each time administered
Mostly used for questionnaires or interviews
There must be a sufficient time between the test and retest to ensure that the patronage cannot recall their answer to the question but not long where there views and attitudes change
The two sets of scores will be correlated to make sure they are similar
If the correlation turns out to be positive then the reliability is assumed to be good

Question 9

Ways of assessing reliability:INTER OBSERVER RELIABILITY

Answer 9

Conducting an observation in teams of at least two
In order to check that observers are applying behavioural categories in the same way or it may be reported at the end of the study to show that the data collected was reliable
Observers watch the same event but record their data independently
The data collected should be correlated to test it’s reliability

Question 10

Improving reliability:QUESTIONNAIRES

Answer 10

Comparing two sets of data should produce a correlation that exceed +.80
Replace open questions with closed questions this is so it’s fixed and less ambiguous
Questions are not ambiguous or complex

Question 11

Improving reliability:INTERVIEWS

Answer 11

-the same interviews each time if not then they must be properly trained so they are not asking too many ambiguous or leading questions
-Structured interviews so the interviewers behaviour is more controlled by the fixed question and not free flowing

Question 12

Improving reliability:EXPERIMENTS

Answer 12

-lab experiment are seen as reliable due to the strict controls such as instructions and the conditions
Leads to a precise replications

Question 13

Improving reliability:OBSERVATIONS

Answer 13

-making sure that the behavioural catergoes have been properly operationalised and that they are measurable and self evidence
-categories should not overlap

Question 14

Validity:

Answer 14

The extent to which an observed effect is genuine for example does it measure what its support to/can it be generalised beyond the research setting which it was found in
Its possible for studies to be seen as reliable but not valid

Question 15

Internal validity:

Answer 15

Refers to whether the effects of the observer experiences are due to the manipulation of the independent variable and not another factor.
One major threat to internal validity of a study is if participants respond to demand characteristics

Question 16

External validity:

Answer 16

This relates to factors outside the investigation such as generalising to other settings,populations and people

Question 17

Ecological validity:

Answer 17

Generalising findings from one setting to other settings most particularly everyday life
This is a form of external validity

Question 18

Temporal validity:

Answer 18

This issues whether findings from a particular study hold true over time
If they can be generalised to other historical times and eras
An example of external validity

Question 19

Assessment of validity:

Answer 19

Face validity:whether a test,scale or measure appears on the face of it to measure what it is supposed to measure.
This can be determined by simply eyeballing the measuring or passing if to an expert to check

Question 20

Assessment of validity: Concurrent validity:

Answer 20

Of a particular test or scale is demonstrated when the results obtained are very close to or match those obtained on another recognised and well established test

Question 21

improving validity: Experimental research

Answer 21

-through using a control groups means the research is better to assess whether the changes in the dv is dude to the effect of the iv
-standardise procedures to minimise the impact of partners reactivity and investigator effects on the validity of the the outcome
-the use of single or double blind procedure is deigned to achieve the same aim as it reduces demand characteristics

Question 22

improving validity:Questionnaures

Answer 22

-incorporate a lie scale within the question in order to assess the consistence of the responders prisoner and to control the effects of social desirability bias.
-ensuring the respondents that all data submitted will remain anonymous

Question 23

improving validity:observation

Answer 23

-minimal intervention by the researcher
-cover observations nearing that the behaviour of those observed is more likely to be natural and authentic
-behavioural categorise are not too broad or overlapping or ambiguous

Question 24

improving validity:qualitative methods

Answer 24

-qualitative methods produce higher ecological validity as they are in depth and detailed associated with case studies and interviews
-through triangulation:the use of a number of different sources of evident for example evidence from families friedbds,observation and diary

Question 25

Nominal data:

Answer 25

Data is represented in a form of categories referred to as categorical data
Nominal data is discrete in that one item can only appear in one of the categories

Question 26

Ordinal data:

Answer 26

Ordered in some sort of way
It does not have equal intervals between each unit
Lacks precision because it is based on subjective opinion rather than objective measure
Referred to as unsafe data because it lacks precision

Question 27

Interval data:

Answer 27

Based on numerical scales that includes units of equals precisely defined size
More detailed is persevered than ordinal data

Question 28

type 1 error:

Answer 28

Is when the null hypothesis is rejected and the alternative hypothesis is accepted which it should have been the other way round because in reality the null hypothesis is true
Due to when the researcher has claimed to find a significant difference or correlations when one does not exist

Question 29

Type 2 error

Answer 29

The opposite of type 1 when the null hypothesis is accepted but it should have been the arrange hypothesis because in reality the alternative hypothesis is true
This is a pessimistic error or false negative
Type 1 occurs when the significance level is too lenient for example 10% or 0.1 father than 5%
Type 2 occurs when the significance value is too low ego 1% or 0.01

Question 30

Scientific report:

Answer 30

Abstract
Introduction
Method
Results
Discussion

Question 31

Abstract:

Answer 31

The first section in a journal article
A short summary around 150 to 200 words
Includes elements of the aim,procedures,results and conclusion
Allows psychologists to see if the investigation is credit worthy

Question 32

Introduction:

Answer 32

Literature fire of the general area of investigation
Detailing relate theories,concepts and studies that are related to the current study
Beginning broadly and gradually becoming more specific until the aims and hypothesis is presented

Question 33

Method:

Answer 33

Split into several sub sections
Details so other researchers are able to precisely replicate the study if they wish
The design
Sample
Materials used
Procedure
Ethics

Question 34

Results:

Answer 34

Summarise key findings
Likely to feature a descriptive statistics such as tables,graphs and charts
Inferential statistics should include statistical test,calculated and critical values the lrvkd of significance
Any raw data collected

Question 35

Discussion:

Answer 35

Summarise the results in verbal rather than statistical form
Rhys should be discussed in the context of the evidence found or any relegate research should be considered
Mindful of the limitations and discuss it
Wider implications of research

Question 36

Referencing:

Answer 36

Author,date,title of books,place of publication and publisher