RM - Types of data

Question 1

What are another two main types of data apart from quantitative and qualitative which show where the data is collected/is from?

Answer 1

Primary and secondary

Question 2

Is the dependent variable in an experiment quantitative or qualitative?

Answer 2

Quantitative

Question 3

What type of questions collect quantitative data?

Answer 3

Closed

Question 4

In an observational study, is a tally of behavioural categories quantitative or qualitative?

Answer 4

Quantitative

Question 5

How can qualitative data be turned into quantitative data?

Answer 5

By placing the data in categories and then counting frequency.

Question 6

What type of questions collect qualitative data?

Answer 6

Open

Question 7

What are 5 bullet points describing quantitative data?

Answer 7

• Quantity.
• Deals with numbers.
• Data which can be measured.
• Psychologists develop measures of psychological variables.
• Looking at averages and differences between groups.

Question 8

What are 5 bullet points describing qualitative data?

Answer 8

• Quality.
• Deals with descriptions.
• Data that is observed but not measured.
• Observing people through the messages they produce and the way they act.
• Concerned with attitudes, beliefs, fears and emotions.

Question 9

What are the strengths of quantitative data?

Answer 9

Easy to analyse using descriptive statistics and statistical tests.
Therefore, conclusions are easily drawn.

Overall, it can produce reliable information that can be presented in a wide variety of ways.

Question 10

What are the limitations of quantitative data?

Answer 10

Data may oversimplify reality.

Question 11

What are the strengths of qualitative data?

Answer 11

Provide rich and detailed information about people’s experiences.
Can provide unexpected insights into thoughts and behaviour because the answers are not restricted by previous expectations.

Overall, its power lies in helping researchers tease out the underlying meaning in what people do or say.

Question 12

What are the limitations of qualitative data?

Answer 12

The complexity makes it more difficult to analyse such data and draw conclusions.

Question 13

Are primary and secondary data quantitative or qualitative?

Answer 13

Can be quantitative and/or qualitative.

Question 14

What does the collection of primary data involve?

Answer 14

Designing the study, gaining ethical approval, piloting the study, recruiting and testing participants, and finally analysing the data collected and drawing conclusions.

Question 15

What might primary data be?

Answer 15

Might be an experiment, possibly with a questionnaire and/or an observational element to measure the dependent variable.Or it could just involve a questionnaire or just an observation.

Question 16

What would primary data be specifically related to?

Answer 16

The aims and/or hypothesis of the study.

Question 17

What data could be used as secondary data?

Example?

Answer 17

Data collected by themselves but for a different study or collected by another researcher.

For example, government statistics or data held by a hospital.

Question 18

What studies often uses secondary data?

Answer 18

A correlational study.

Review studies conducting a meta-analysis on such data.

Question 19

What are the strengths of primary data?

Answer 19

Researcher has control over data so the data collection can be designed so it fits the aims and hypothesis of the study.

Despite the limitations - it is a key aim of most psychological research studies.

Question 20

What are the limitations of primary data?

Answer 20

Very lengthy and expensive process - designing a study takes a lot of time and then time is spent recruiting participants, conducting the study and analysing the data.

Question 21

What are the strengths of secondary data?

Answer 21

Simpler and cheaper to access someone else’s data as significantly less time and equipment is needed.

Despite being ‘borrowed’ data, it plays an important role in things like review studies, meta-analyses and correlational studies.

Question 22

What are the limitations of secondary data?

Answer 22

The data may not exactly fit the needs of the study.

Question 23

What is primary data?

Answer 23

Information observed or collected directly from first-hand experience.

Question 24

What is secondary data?

Answer 24

Information used in a research study that was collected by someone else or for a purpose other than the current one. For example, published data or data collected in the past.