Research Methods Pt1

Question 1

What is an advantage of repeated measures design?

Answer 1

Participant variables are eliminated.
Less ps needed in total.

Question 2

What is a disadvantage of repeated measures design?

Answer 2

Order effects can be a problem if ps get better/worse when doing the experiment more than once.

Question 3

What is an advantage of independent group design?

Answer 3

Order effects are avoided as ps only do the task once.
Only one set of apparatus is needed so fewer control issues.

Question 4

What is a disadvantage of independent groups design?

Answer 4

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).

Question 5

What is an advantage of matched pairs design?

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

What is a disadvantage of matched pairs design?

Answer 6

Finding people who are alike in important ways for the experiment is difficult, and it is unlikely that they would be exactly the same.

Question 7

What is an advantage of opportunity sampling?

Answer 7

-It’s quick and cheap.
-Good for characteristics we can assume are the same to everyone.
-Only sampling method choice for some research methods.

Question 8

What is a disadvantage of opportunity sampling?

Answer 8

-Sample bias is present.
-Can decline to take part so it turns into volunteer sample.

Question 9

What is an advantage of self selective sampling?

Answer 9

-Quick and practical.
-Can reach a wider variety of ps.
-Ethical, ps consent to taking part.

Question 10

What is a disadvantage of self-selected sampling?

Answer 10

-Sample bias, confidant to volunteer themselves.

Question 11

What is an advantage of random sampling?

Answer 11

-Provides an unbiased sample, most likely to be representative.

Question 12

What is a disadvantage of random sampling?

Answer 12

-Time consuming and often impossible as all members of target population need to be available.
-You have to ask for consent.

Question 13

What is an advantage of systematic sampling?

Answer 13

-Quick and easy because no calculation is needed.
-It’s unbiased as there’s no researcher influence.

Question 14

What is a disadvantage of systematic sampling?

Answer 14

-Sample may not be representative as it’s by chance.

Question 15

What is an advantage of stratified sampling?

Answer 15

-More representative of target population as all subgroups are represented so we can generalise results.
-Unbiased.

Question 16

What is a disadvantage of stratified sampling?

Answer 16

-Time consuming.
-Ps have to agree to take part.

Question 17

What is an advantage of quota sampling?

Answer 17

-Balance in sample.
-Representative.

Question 18

What is a disadvantage of quota something?

Answer 18

-Bias.
-Time-consuming.

Question 19

What is an advantage of snowball sampling?

Answer 19

-Easy.
-Enables the researcher to locate groups that may be difficult to access.

Question 20

What is a disadvantage of snowball sampling?

Answer 20

-May not be representative as there may be bias within the sample.

Question 21

What are the strengths of a structured interview?

Answer 21

-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.

Question 22

What are the weaknesses of a structured interview?

Answer 22

-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.

Question 23

What are the strengths of a semi-structured interview?

Answer 23

-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.

Question 24

What are the weaknesses of semi-structured interviews?

Answer 24

-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.

Question 25

What are the strengths of unstructured interviews?

Answer 25

-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.

Question 26

What are the weaknesses of unstructured interviews?

Answer 26

-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.

Question 27

What are the advantages of lab experiments?

Answer 27

-They are easy to control which limits the impact of EV’s. -There is access to specialist equipment.

Question 28

What are the weaknesses of a lab experiment?

Answer 28

-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.

Question 29

What are the strengths of a field experiment?

Answer 29

-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.

Question 30

What are the weaknesses of a field experiment?

Answer 30

-More difficult to control which may impact the validity of the results. -May not be practical to study behaviour that needs specialist equipment.

Question 31

What are the strengths of an online experiment?

Answer 31

-Can access large, diverse samples. -Data collected electronically so can be easy to collect and analyse.

Question 32

What are the weaknesses of an online experiment?

Answer 32

-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.

Question 33

What are the strengths of a natural experiment?

Answer 33

-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.

Question 34

What are the weaknesses of a natural experiment?

Answer 34

-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.

Question 35

What are the strengths of a quasi experiment?

Answer 35

-They are often carried out under controlled conditions, so can compare differences between people.

Question 36

What are the weaknesses of a quasi experiment?

Answer 36

-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.

Question 37

How do you deal and assess the issue of only one researcher carrying out the study (internal reliability)?

Answer 37

Deal: use more than one researcher. Assess: use inter-rater reliability.

Question 38

How do you deal and assess with the fact that the study hasn’t been replicated (external reliability)?

Answer 38

Deal: repeat the study. Assess: use test-retest reliability.

Question 39

How do you deal and assess with the issue of inconsistent instructions to ps (internal reliability)?

Answer 39

Deal: standardisation procedure. Assess: use the same written script of instructions and procedures for all researchers and ps.

Question 40

How do you deal and assess with the issue of key terms not being clearly operationalised (internal)?

Answer 40

Deal: operationalise terms. Assess: check that all ps understand key terms.

Question 41

How do you deal and assess with the issue of questionnaire items being inconsistently answered (internal)?

Answer 41

Deal: standardise questions and possible answers. Assess: use split half reliability.

Question 42

What was the methodology of Kohlberg’s study?

Answer 42

75 American males. Ps were aged 10-16 and then later on they were 22-28. Longitudinal study. Qualitative data collected.

Question 43

What were the procedures of Kohlberg’s study?

Answer 43

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. UK, Taiwan, Canada, Mexican, Turkey.

Question 44

What did Kohlberg find?

Answer 44

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.

Question 45

What did Kohlberg conclude?

Answer 45

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.

Question 46

What is a strength/weakness of the methodology of Kohlberg’s study (cross-cultural)?

Answer 46

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.

Question 47

What is a strength/weakness of the methodology of Kohlberg’s study (longitudinal)?

Answer 47

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).

Question 48

What is a strength/weakness of the methodology of Kohlberg’s study (interviews)?

Answer 48

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.

Question 49

What is a strength/weakness of the ethics of Kohlberg’s study (right to withdraw)?

Answer 49

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.

Question 50

What is a strength/weakness of the ethics of Kohlberg’s study (informed consent)?

Answer 50

It can be assumed that parents gave consent however, children cannot give valid consent as they are unlikely to understand the study.

Question 51

What is a strength/weakness of the ethics of Kohlberg’s study (protection from harm)?

Answer 51

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.