Research revision key words Flashcards
Quantitative data
Data in numerical form
Qualitative data
Data that gives you a feel of what something is like
Covert research
When the researchers identity and purpose is hidden from participants
Validity
A method that produces a genuine picture of how something is
Reliability
Repeatability
Representativeness
Whether or not participants are a typical cross section of a group we are studying
Methodological perspective
Choice of research method dictated by their view on society
Interpretivists
Believe there is no objective reality. Individuals construct their own meanings. This focuses on feelings and motivation. Mostly qualitative data
Positivists
Factual objective reality. Can be measured and is changed by external forces. Mostly quantitative data
free will
interpreivists argue we are different from animals because we have free will. there is no cause and effect
operationalizing concepts
creating a working definition of the key concepts or terms in a hypothesis
hypothesis
a possible explanation that can be tested by collecting evidence to see if something is true or false
pilot study
draft version
sample
a smaller subgroup drawn from a wider group we are interested in
sampling frame
a list of all the members of the population we are interested in studying
random sample
sample is selected by random chance
quasi random sample
picking out every ??th number person from a list
stratified random sample
dividing the population into gender/age/income groups and taking a % of each group
quota sample
similar to stratified but researcher goes out looking for the right number of each sort of person required in each category
detachment
being withdrawn or separate from the participant
rapport
relationship of trust and understanding
artificiality
unreal quality that undermines the validity of research
social desirability effect
when the participant seeks approval from researcher
