Research Methods Pt1 Flashcards
What is an advantage of repeated measures design?
Participant variables are eliminated.
Less ps needed in total.
What is a disadvantage of repeated measures design?
Order effects can be a problem if ps get better/worse when doing the experiment more than once.
What is an advantage of independent group design?
Order effects are avoided as ps only do the task once.
Only one set of apparatus is needed so fewer control issues.
What is a disadvantage of independent groups design?
If ps in 1 condition happen to be better at the task than those in the other condition, it may confound the results (participant variables).
What is an advantage of matched pairs design?
Participant variables are minimised and order effects are avoided. Participants are unlikely to work out the aim of the study as they only do it once.
What is a disadvantage of matched pairs design?
Finding people who are alike in important ways for the experiment is difficult, and it is unlikely that they would be exactly the same.
What is an advantage of opportunity sampling?
-It’s quick and cheap.
-Good for characteristics we can assume are the same to everyone.
-Only sampling method choice for some research methods.
What is a disadvantage of opportunity sampling?
-Sample bias is present.
-Can decline to take part so it turns into volunteer sample.
What is an advantage of self selective sampling?
-Quick and practical.
-Can reach a wider variety of ps.
-Ethical, ps consent to taking part.
What is a disadvantage of self-selected sampling?
-Sample bias, confidant to volunteer themselves.
What is an advantage of random sampling?
-Provides an unbiased sample, most likely to be representative.
What is a disadvantage of random sampling?
-Time consuming and often impossible as all members of target population need to be available.
-You have to ask for consent.
What is an advantage of systematic sampling?
-Quick and easy because no calculation is needed.
-It’s unbiased as there’s no researcher influence.
What is a disadvantage of systematic sampling?
-Sample may not be representative as it’s by chance.
What is an advantage of stratified sampling?
-More representative of target population as all subgroups are represented so we can generalise results.
-Unbiased.
What is a disadvantage of stratified sampling?
-Time consuming.
-Ps have to agree to take part.
What is an advantage of quota sampling?
-Balance in sample.
-Representative.
What is a disadvantage of quota something?
-Bias.
-Time-consuming.
What is an advantage of snowball sampling?
-Easy.
-Enables the researcher to locate groups that may be difficult to access.
What is a disadvantage of snowball sampling?
-May not be representative as there may be bias within the sample.
What are the strengths of a structured interview?
-Requires less interviewing skill, can be done by non-professionals.
-Easier to analyse as answers are predetermined.
-Can easily be repeated as questions are standardised.
-In depth data can be gathered.
What are the weaknesses of a structured interview?
-Reliability may be affected by the same interviewer, behaving differently on different occasions.
-The questions may be interpreted in different ways by different ps.
-The answers ps may give maybe restricted by the questions that are asked.
What are the strengths of a semi-structured interview?
-In depth qualitative data can be collected.
-Quantitative data can be collected and analysed.
-Info can be accessed that might not be revealed by using predetermined questions.
What are the weaknesses of semi-structured interviews?
-Interviewer bias may be an issue as the interviewer may lead the ps when asking them to develop their responses.
-Reliability may be affected by the same interviewer, behaving differently on different occasions.
-Questions may be interpreted in different ways by different ps.
-Difficult to analyse.
What are the strengths of unstructured interviews?
-In-depth, qualitative data can be collected.
-Quantitative data can be collected and statistically analysed.
-Information can be accessed that might not have been revealed by using predetermined questions.
What are the weaknesses of unstructured interviews?
-Interviewer bias may be an issue as the interviewer may lead the participants when asking them to develop their responses.
-Reliability may be affected by the same interviewer behaving differently on different occasions.
-Difficult to analyse as there is a lot more data.
-Questions, maybe interpreted in different ways by different participants.
What are the advantages of lab experiments?
-They are easy to control which limits the impact of EV’s.
-There is access to specialist equipment.
What are the weaknesses of a lab experiment?
-Artificial behaviour- ps more likely to change their behaviour as they know they are being studied - these aredemand characteristics.
-Low ecological validity as it is in an artificial environment.
What are the strengths of a field experiment?
-Access to study a wide range of behaviours due to availability of environments.
-Less likely to be aware of research taking place so behaviour will be more natural.
What are the weaknesses of a field experiment?
-More difficult to control which may impact the validity of the results.
-May not be practical to study behaviour that needs specialist equipment.
What are the strengths of an online experiment?
-Can access large, diverse samples.
-Data collected electronically so can be easy to collect and analyse.
What are the weaknesses of an online experiment?
-Can be difficult to monitor ethical issues as ps are not in the presence of the researcher.
-It’s hard to know if the ps are being honest.
What are the strengths of a natural experiment?
-It can be used when it is not ethical to manipulate the IV.
-It has high external validity as it studies real problems as they happen.
What are the weaknesses of a natural experiment?
-Reduced opportunities for study, as events may happen rarely.
-Hard to establish cause and effect due to the lack of control, when the IV is naturally occurring.
What are the strengths of a quasi experiment?
-They are often carried out under controlled conditions, so can compare differences between people.
What are the weaknesses of a quasi experiment?
-You cannot randomly allocate people to conditions so there are likely to be confounding variables.
-Due to being ‘like a lab environment’ could be contrived, therefore lowering the ecological validity.
How do you deal and assess the issue of only one researcher carrying out the study (internal reliability)?
Deal: use more than one researcher.
Assess: use inter-rater reliability.
How do you deal and assess with the fact that the study hasn’t been replicated (external reliability)?
Deal: repeat the study.
Assess: use test-retest reliability.
How do you deal and assess with the issue of inconsistent instructions to ps (internal reliability)?
Deal: standardisation procedure.
Assess: use the same written script of instructions and procedures for all researchers and ps.
How do you deal and assess with the issue of key terms not being clearly operationalised (internal)?
Deal: operationalise terms.
Assess: check that all ps understand key terms.
How do you deal and assess with the issue of questionnaire items being inconsistently answered (internal)?
Deal: standardise questions and possible answers.
Assess: use split half reliability.
What was the methodology of Kohlberg’s study?
75 American males.
Ps were aged 10-16 and then later on they were 22-28.
Longitudinal study.
Qualitative data collected.
What were the procedures of Kohlberg’s study?
P was given 9 hypothetical moral dilemmas that presented a conflict between 2 moral issues. Each p was then asked a series of open ended questions.
The responses were analysed and 58 of child ps were assessed again every 3 years. The same kind of interview was used in 5 other countries to compare to other cultures.
What did Kohlberg find?
Reasoning for answers change with age.
We develop morals in 3 stages.
We pass through these stages in order.
Younger children though at the pre-conventional level (stage 1+2 where you think about yourself).
Then move to level 2, where they obey the law and others approval is important (conventional).
Level 3 (post-conventional), moral reasoning is based on justice and has abstract reasoning.
What did Kohlberg conclude?
Stages are universal, no matter where you are, everyone goes through the same stage.
We become more morally mature as we pass through each stage.
There’s a difference in people’s speed of progression.
What is a strength/weakness of the methodology of Kohlberg’s study (cross-cultural)?
It is cross-cultural so it allows us to see if moral development is universal or culturally relative. However Kohlberg took dilemmas and questions that were created in the USA and used them in other cultures where they weren’t relevant BUT they changed drugs -> food in Taiwan.
What is a strength/weakness of the methodology of Kohlberg’s study (longitudinal)?
It shows moral development over time in the same sample of boys helps reduce impact of p variables. However it takes a long time to complete and there is a high risk of sample attrition (Kohlberg may lose contact).
What is a strength/weakness of the methodology of Kohlberg’s study (interviews)?
They used open-ended questions for boys to give their reasoning on moral dilemmas, gaining qualitative data which allowed Kohlberg to understand the moral reasoning in detail. However, it can be difficult to analyse the data and draw casual conclusions as boys reasoning for each dilemma may have been different.
What is a strength/weakness of the ethics of Kohlberg’s study (right to withdraw)?
They may have been given the right to withdraw however felt obligated to continue due to longitudinal method and feel like they have to stay for the 12 year duration.
What is a strength/weakness of the ethics of Kohlberg’s study (informed consent)?
It can be assumed that parents gave consent however, children cannot give valid consent as they are unlikely to understand the study.
What is a strength/weakness of the ethics of Kohlberg’s study (protection from harm)?
The dilemmas were sensitive in content so it could have been stressful or difficult for the child to think about. However, they were hypothetical and less harmful than putting the children in real moral dilemmas.
