RESEARCH METHODS - SOCIAL Flashcards
What are questionnaires?
respondents record their own answers and the questions are predetermined, provided in written form - there is no face-to-face contact
What are the strengths of questionnaires?
A means of finding out what other people think and feel, which is not true for other methods
Can be easily repeated so that data can be collected from large numbers of people relatively quickly because they can all do it at the same time
Respondents may feel more willing to reveal personal/confidential information in a questionnaire than in an interview because they feel anonymous
What are the weaknesses of questionnaires?
People don’t always tell the truth which could be because they simply don’t know what they think about a particular topic or don’t know how they’d behaviour in a particular situation
Lack of honesty could be because they don’t want to look foolish/unlikeable so they present themselves in a way that makes them ‘look better’ - social desirability bias
The sample may be biassed because only certain types of people fill in questionnaires, making the results less generalisable to the whole population
What are closed questions?
has a fixed number of possible answers and provide quantitative data
What are the strengths of closed questions?
Easy to analyse because data is in numbers which can be summarised using averages as well as simple graphs, this makes it easier to draw conclusions or comparisons
Answers are more objective because they are more likely to be interpreted in the same way by any researcher
What are the weaknesses of closed questions?
May not permit people to express their precise feelings because the researcher determined the choice answers, therefore may be low in validity and not uncover new insights
Oversimplifies reality and human experience because it suggests that there are simple answers, whereas people are likely to think there are several answers that reflects their view
What are open questions?
invites respondents to provide their own answers and produce qualitative data
What are the strengths of open questions?
Provides rich details of how people behaviour as they are given free range to express themselves, and aren’t restricted to preconceived categories increasing validity
The fact the participant can provide any answer means the researchers may collect unexpected findings and make new insights
What are the weaknesses of open questions?
More difficult to draw conclusions because there’s likely to be a wide range of answers, therefore more likely to look for patterns rather than use descriptive statistics
Interpreting what people mean is likely to be subjective, which decreases reliability
What is a ranked scale, and what are the strengths and weaknesses?
a kind of closed question where respondents are asked to give an assessment of their views using a scale (eg 1-5)
Strengths
A reasonably objective way to present feelings and attitudes in relation to the topic
Produces quantitative data which is easy to analyse and represent in graphs, so easier to draw conclusions
Weaknesses
Participants may prefer to respond in the same way to all questions, regardless of the content (eg tendency to select the middle value)
Social desirability bias may be an issue in terms of the validity of responses given
What is a random sample, and what are the strengths and weaknesses?
a sample of participants produced using a random technique such that every member of the target population has an equal chance of being selected (eg giving everyone in the target population a number and then use a random number generator to select participants)
Strengths
Unbiased and all members of the target population have an equal chance of being selected
It is possible to choose specific subgroup in the target population first, which makes it easier to randomly select participants
Weaknesses
Takes more time and effort than other techniques because you need to obtain a list of all the members of the target population, then contact the people to ensure they’d be willing to take part
Random samples are often not random because all the participants identified can be accessed or agree to take part therefore final sample may be more volunteer or opportunity
What is a stratified sample, and what are the strengths and weaknesses?
participants are selected from different subgroups in the target population in proportion to the subgroup’s frequency in that population (eg 30% of the target population may be 10-12 so 30% of the sample is)
Strengths
This is the most representative of all the sampling techniques as all subgroups are represented and they are in proportion to the numbers in the target population
Specific subgroups can be chosen according to the variables being considered to be important by the researcher - this increases control over possible extraneous variables
Weaknesses
The decision about which subgroups to use may be biassed, therefore reducing the representativeness of the sample
This method involves a very lengthy process and those participants selected may not always agree to take part
What is a volunteer sample, and what are the strengths and weaknesses?
a sample of participants produced by asking for people willing to take part
Strengths
A convenient way to find willing participants and the researchers need committed participants for time-consuming studies - volunteers less likely to drop out
May be a good way to get a specialised group of participants - purposive sampling - for example if you wanted to study the behaviour of medical students it would make sense to put up an ad on the noticeboard of a medical school rather than a shopping mall
Weaknesses
Sample is biassed because volunteers are more likely to be highly motivated and/or with extra time on their hands than the population in general meaning there is volunteer bias
Volunteers may also be more willing to be helpful and therefore may be more prone to guessing the aim of the study and responding with demand characteristics
What is an opportunity sample, and what are the strengths and weaknesses?
a sample of participants produced by selecting people who are most easily available at the time of the study
Strengths
The most convenient technique because it takes little preparation, as you just use the first participants you can find - meaning less time consuming
It may be the only technique available because the whole target population cannot be listed
Weaknesses
Inevitability biassed because the sample is drawn from a particular part of the target population which has unique characteristics and not likely to be representative
Participants may refuse to take part so the final sample also has the weakness of a volunteer sample, such as being more likely to respond to demand characteristics
What are the strengths and weaknesses of quantitative data?
Strengths:
Easier to analyse because the data is in numbers which can be summarised using descriptive statistics - generally makes it easier to draw conclusions
Quantities are more objective measures and are therefore reliable, which gives the measurements more credibility because they’re not biassed
Weaknesses:
May not express the participants’ precise feelings because the answers are fixed, therefore the data may be low in validity
Oversimplifies reality and human experience as it suggests that there are simple answers, making it reductionist
