Research methods Flashcards
Define: coding
The process of placing quantitative or qualitative data in categories
Define: content analysis
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
Define: thematic analysis
A technique used when analysis qualitative data
Themes or categories are identified & data is organised according to these themes
Define: case study?
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
Define: inter-observer reliability
The extent to which there is an agreement between two or more observers involved in observations of a behaviour
Define: reliability
It is consistency - the consistency of measurements
We would expect any measurement to produce the same data if taken on successive occasions
Define: test-retest reliability
The SAME test or interview is given to hte SAME ppts on two occasions to see if the SAME results are obtained
Define: concurrent validity
A means of establishing validity by comparing an existing test/questionnaire with the one you’re interested in
Define: ecological validity
Ability to generalise a research effect beyond the particular setting in which it is demonstrated to other settings
Define: face validity
Extent to which test item what the test claims to measure
Define: mundane realism
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
Define: temporal validity
Concerning ability to generalise a research effort beyond the particular time period of the study
Define: validity
Refers to whether an observed effect is genuine
Define: epirical
Method of gaining knowledge which relies of direct observation or testing, not hearsay or rational argument
Define: falsifiability
The possibility that a statement or hypothesis can be proved wrong
Define: paradigm
‘A shared set of assumptions about the subject matter of a discipline & the methods appropriate to its study’ (Khun, 1962)
Define: alternative hypothesis
A testable statement about the relationship (difference, association etc) between two or more variables
Define: null hypothesis
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
Define: probability (p)
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
Define: type I error
Occurs when a researcher REJECTS a null hypothesis that’s true
Define: type II error
Occurs when a researcher ACCEPTS a null hypothesis that’s false
Define: calculated value
The value of a test statistic calculated for a particular data set
Define: critical value
In a statistical test the value of the test statistic that must be reached to show significance
Define: degrees of freedom
The no. values that are free to vary given that overall total values are known
Define: levels of measurement
Refers to different ways of measuring items or psychological variables; the lower levels are less precise
Define: one-tailed test
Form of test used with a directional hypothesis
Define: significance
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
Define: statistical test
Procedures for drawing logical conclusions about the pop. form which samples are drawn
Define: test statistic
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
Define: two-tailed test
Form of test used with a non-directional hypothesis
Define: correlation coefficient
A no. between -1 and +1 that tells us how clearly the co-variables in a correlational analysis are related
