Research Module 1 1st year Flashcards
What is research?
Research is the search for knowledge to establish facts
Why do we need to conduct research in psychology?
To gather information
Draw conclusions
To analyse an area of interest
and to add on previously existing theories
What might a psychologist research?
Development
personality
learning
culture
evolution
gender etccc
Before the research is conducted a hypothesis must be given. Give examples
A hypothesis is what the researcher expects to happen or find from the research.
Ex: males will be more affected by learning disorders.
Test anxiety decreases as a result of effective study habits
Research methods in psychology can be divided into 2 main categories. Mention them
Quantitative and Qualitative Methodology
Before conducting a research study, the researcher needs to present the participant/s with an information sheet. What does this sheet include?
The sheet includes who is going to participate in the study and why the study is being done.
Who is going to see and listen to the recording and data as well as when they will be erased? Pointing to the participant’s duties.
Time needed for the participation.
Who will participate in the study etc.
Explaining the terms of confidentiality
The participant can withdraw at any time of the research, with no need for explanation. (the rights of the participant)
If the participant agrees with all the terms he or she has to sign the consent form
What is the main difference between quantitative and qualitative methodology?
How one collects the data and how one analyses the data
How does a researcher know which methodology is best to use?
It depends upon the subject being studied.
For example if generalisations to the entire population will take place,the researcher would opt for a QUANTITATIVE method.
If the researcher is more interested in the subjective experience of people or the meaning behind the experience, the researcher would opt for a QUALITATIVE methodology
What is quantitative research?
This type of methodology gathers information which is NUMERICAL form.
Quantitative methodology assumes that objectivity is key to coming up with a conclusion that can help generalise the behaviour
How is Quantitative data measured?
By nominal, Likert or rating scales
Nominal data: total number of
Rating scales: ex: how much do you enjoy going to Paceville ex: from 1-5
Likert scales: mothers should stay at home : strongly agree,agree,netural etc
Give some advantages and disadvantages of Quantitative methodology
Advantages: can generalise (predictive power)
allows to measure data
very precise in terms of measurement
shows the relationship between independent and dependent variables
Disadvantages:
A large sample of the population must be studied
Individual differences are not appreciated
may oversimplify the complexity of human nature
Mention some research tools used when quantitative methodology is used. (Data collection tools)
Experiments
Surveys/questionnaires (structured interviews)
Structured observations
Correlational studies
What is validity and reliability?
Validity: refers to the extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure
Reliability: refers to the consistency of a measure. A study is considered reliable if we get the same results at different times
The higher the validity and reliability levels, the safer it is to generalize the results to the entire population
What is a qualitative methodology?
It gathers information which is not in numerical form but focuses on descriptive data.
It aims to focus on the meaning people attach to their experiences. There is no need to obtain a large sample of the population.
No generalisations.
People are often chosen because of their experiences.
What are the main data collection tools in qualitative methodology?
Semi-structured or unstructured interviews
Unstructured or semi-structured observations
case-studies
Give me some advantages and disadvantages of qualitative methodology.
Advantages:
gains detailed and rich information
Useful for studies at an individual level
Gives results that are more true to life
It goes in-depth about how people feel or think
Disadvantages:
very time-consuming
Does not allow for generalisations
Difficult to analyse
It gives a subjective view of its study and its participants
True or false.
In qualitative methodology, we are interested in validity and reliability
False
In qualitative, we are much more focused on the meaning behind an experience to construct a theory
What do we use when quantitative and qualitative methodologies are used?
Triangulation.
Triangulation is done by using different approaches to obtain data in the same study.
How many types of triangulation are there?
4
Data: use data from different sources or at different times
Research: different researchers to increase credibility
Theoretical: the use of multiple perspectives to interpret the results of a study
methodological: Sing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies
When triangulation is used it increases credibility and trustworthiness
What is a sample?
A sample is a subset of the population being studied. The sample represents the larger population. This is a way how to gather information without having to measure the entire population.
True or false.
When we want to get a large sample and generalize it to the entire population, its qualitative methodology
FALSE
QUANTITATIVE
How can we classify sampling techniques?
Probability and non-probability sampling
Which methodology is used for probability and non-probability sampling?
Probability sampling: Quantitative (representative of the entire population)
Non-probability sampling : Qualitative
What are the different types of probability sampling?
Probability: random and stratified
What are the different types of non-probability sampling?
Non-probability: purposive
snowball
convenience
cluster
volunteer
quota
Which sampling techniques give the population an equal chance of being chosen?
Random and stratified
Which sampling techniques do NOT give an equal chance of being chosen?
All the non-probability samples
How is random sampling carried out? (Probability sampling and quantitative methodology)
A random sample is when a subset of individuals are chosen randomly from a population. Researchers obviously cannot obtain data from every single person in a population, so a sample is taken to represent the larger group. This can be done by writing down all the names of the participants if the group is small enough,or if the group is too large a random computer generator is used to choose the sample. However, there might be a problem in this type of sampling technique because not everyone might be willing or wanting to participate, so this could cause a bias especially when dealing with a sensitive topic.
Give some advantages and disadvantages of random sampling.
Advantages: avoids bias if everyone is willing to participate, gives participants an equal opportunity to be chosen, and can be used with a large sample population.
Disadvantages: does not offer proportionality.
There might be a sampling bias if not everyone is willing to participate.
What is stratified sampling?
This type of sampling techinque is done when the researcher wants to highlight certain characteristics of the topic being studied.
It is done by dividing the population into strata and then taking a random sample from each.
Give some advantages and disadvantages of stratified sampling
Advantages: offers proportionality,,
strengthens accuracy, and its more representative of the entire population
Disadvantages:
The proportion of the strata must be known and accurate to work properly
Accurate data population data may not be available and it could be hard to identify people’s age or background
What is cluster sampling?
Used when it is impossible to gather all participants from a target population, especially if they are scattered geographically.
Cluster sampling works by dividing the population into many small subdivisions (called clusters) then a random sample is taken. This is useful when the members of the population are scattered geographically.
Give some advantages and disadvantages of cluster sampling
Advantages: cheaper, quicker and easier
The researcher can also increase his sample size since the population chosen is more accessible
Disadvantages: part of the population is excluded from taking part,
What is convenience sampling?
