Research methods

Question 1

Define: coding

Answer 1

The process of placing quantitative or qualitative data in categories

Question 2

Define: content analysis

Answer 2

A kind of observational study in which behaviour is usually observed indirectly in visual, written or verbal material

May involve qualitative or quantitative analysis, or both

Question 3

Define: thematic analysis

Answer 3

A technique used when analysis qualitative data

Themes or categories are identified & data is organised according to these themes

Question 4

Define: case study?

Answer 4

A reasearch method that involves a detailed study of a single institution or event

Case studies provide a rich record of human experience but are hard to generalise from

Question 5

Define: inter-observer reliability

Answer 5

The extent to which there is an agreement between two or more observers involved in observations of a behaviour

Question 6

Define: reliability

Answer 6

It is consistency - the consistency of measurements

We would expect any measurement to produce the same data if taken on successive occasions

Question 7

Define: test-retest reliability

Answer 7

The SAME test or interview is given to hte SAME ppts on two occasions to see if the SAME results are obtained

Question 8

Define: concurrent validity

Answer 8

A means of establishing validity by comparing an existing test/questionnaire with the one you’re interested in

Question 9

Define: ecological validity

Answer 9

Ability to generalise a research effect beyond the particular setting in which it is demonstrated to other settings

Question 10

Define: face validity

Answer 10

Extent to which test item what the test claims to measure

Question 11

Define: mundane realism

Answer 11

Refers to how a study mirrors the real world

The research environment is realistic to the degree to which experiences encountered in the research environment will occur in the real world

Question 12

Define: temporal validity

Answer 12

Concerning ability to generalise a research effort beyond the particular time period of the study

Question 13

Define: validity

Answer 13

Refers to whether an observed effect is genuine

Question 14

Define: epirical

Answer 14

Method of gaining knowledge which relies of direct observation or testing, not hearsay or rational argument

Question 15

Define: falsifiability

Answer 15

The possibility that a statement or hypothesis can be proved wrong

Question 16

Define: paradigm

Answer 16

‘A shared set of assumptions about the subject matter of a discipline & the methods appropriate to its study’ (Khun, 1962)

Question 17

Define: alternative hypothesis

Answer 17

A testable statement about the relationship (difference, association etc) between two or more variables

Question 18

Define: null hypothesis

Answer 18

An assumption that there is no relationship (eg difference) in the population from which a sample is taken with respect to the variables being studied

Question 19

Define: probability (p)

Answer 19

A numerical measure of the liklihood or chance that certain events will occur

A statistical test gives the probability that a particular sample did not occur if the null hypothesis for the pop. was true e.g. there was no real effect

Question 20

Define: type I error

Answer 20

Occurs when a researcher REJECTS a null hypothesis that’s true

Question 21

Define: type II error

Answer 21

Occurs when a researcher ACCEPTS a null hypothesis that’s false

Question 22

Define: calculated value

Answer 22

The value of a test statistic calculated for a particular data set

Question 23

Define: critical value

Answer 23

In a statistical test the value of the test statistic that must be reached to show significance

Question 24

Define: degrees of freedom

Answer 24

The no. values that are free to vary given that overall total values are known

Question 25

Define: levels of measurement

Answer 25

Refers to different ways of measuring items or psychological variables; the lower levels are less precise

Question 26

Define: one-tailed test

Answer 26

Form of test used with a directional hypothesis

Question 27

Define: significance

Answer 27

A statistical term indicating that the research findings are sufficiently strong to enable a researcher to reject the null hypothesis under test & accept the research hypothesis

Question 28

Define: statistical test

Answer 28

Procedures for drawing logical conclusions about the pop. form which samples are drawn

Question 29

Define: test statistic

Answer 29

Name given to the value calculated using a statistical test

For each test this values have a specific name such as S for the sign test

Question 30

Define: two-tailed test

Answer 30

Form of test used with a non-directional hypothesis

Question 31

Define: correlation coefficient

Answer 31

A no. between -1 and +1 that tells us how clearly the co-variables in a correlational analysis are related