RM: other Flashcards
observational design (Structured)
record pre-determined list of behaviours + sampling methods
- used if there is too much going on in a single observation
observational design (Unstructured)
- when researcher records everything they see
- used when observations are small + involve few ppts
behavioural categories
when a target behaviour is broken up into components that are observable + measurable
outline 3 main sampling methods
continuous recording, time sampling, event sampling
continuous recording
- commonly used in unstructured observations
event sampling
counting the number of times a particular behaviour occurs in a target group
time sampling
involves recording behaviour within a preestablished time frame
AO3 for structured observations
- quantitive data - easy to analyse
- producing data is easier + more systematic
AO3 for unstructured observations
- qualitative data - more detail
- greater risk of observer bias - may only record behaviours that ‘catch their eye’
AO3 for behavioural categories
- can make data collection more structured and objective
- should be no ‘dustbin’ category where many different behaviours are deposited
self report technique
any method where person is asked to state/ explain their own feeling, opinions, behaviours etc
questionaries
set of prewritten questions used to assess a persons thoughts and/or experiences
open questions (in a questionnaire)
- do not include fixed range of answers
- produce more qualitative data
- rich in detail but harder to analyse
closed questions (in a questionnaire)
- offers fixed number of responses
- easier to analyse but may lack depth + detail
strengths of questionnaires
- cost effective - gather large amount of data quickly as they can be distributed to many people
- data easier to analyse
limitations of questionnaires
- respondents may not always be truthful - social desirability bias
- acquiescence bias - respondents agree with Q’s regardless of context
Interviews
face to face interactions where interviewer asks a set of questions to assess respondents thoughts, behaviours etc
what are the 3 types of interviews
structured interviews, semi structured interviews and unstructured interviews
structured interviews
predetermined questions asked in a set order
unstructured interviews
- works like a conversation
aim is that a general topic will be discussed - no set questions
semi structured interviews
list of predetermined questions for interviewers to ask but an ask follow up questions
AO3 for structured interviews
- easy to replicate due to standardised format
- interviews cannot deviate from topic - may be fustrating
AO3 for unstructured interviews
- more flexibility
- possibility of social desirability bias
what are the 3 types of ‘closed questions’ in a questionnaire
Likert scale, rating scales, fixed choice option
likert scale
respondents indicate agreement /disagreement with a statement using a scale of typically 5 points.
- strongly agree - strongly disagree
rating scales
similar to likert scale
- respondents identify a value that represents their feelings of a particular topic
i.e. 1-5
fixed choice options
includes a list of possible options -
- respondents are required to indicate those that apply to them
What is jargon
Refers to technical terms that are only familiar to those within a specialised area or field
- must be avoided in creating questions
Outline common errors in question design that should be avoided when possible
Overuse of jargon
Emotive language
Leading questions
Double negatives
What is a correlation
A mathematical technique in which a researcher investigates an association between 2 variables
What are the 3 types of correlations
Positive correlations
Negative correlations
Zero correlation- no relationship between variables
Difference between experiment and correlation
experiment - researcher controls/
manipulate IV to measure effect on DV
In a correlation there is not manipulation of one variable
Strengths of correlations
- provide a precise measure of how two variables are related
- can be used as a starting point for conducting research
- relatively quick and economical to carry out
Limitations of correlations
- can only tell us how variables are related but not why
What is standard deviation
Measure of dispersion in a set of scores
Calculates difference between each score + mean
All differences are added up + divided by number of scores = variance
Standard deviation = square root of variance
