The contribution of quantitative and qualitative research methods Flashcards
What is meant by quantitative research methods?
research methods based on quantifiable (numbers) data. They are associated with the natural-science approach based on the hypothetico-deductive model.
Name and describe six assumptions of quantitative research
• Realism: phenomena in the world have an existence outside people’s mind (realism), which can be
discovered by using the scientific method.
• Causality: the main aim of research is to find universal causal relationships.
• Confounds and noise: the presence of confounding and random variables (noise) are to be avoided.
• Bias: standardized measurements and instruments are used to avoid researcher biases.
• Falsification: researchers continuously evaluate the truth of their conclusions.
• Nomothetic approach: studies are in search of universal principles that exceed the confines of the study.
The various quantitative research techniques are divided into what 3 broad orientations?
(1) descriptive research,
(2) relational research and
(3) experimental research.
What is involved in descriptive research?
The focus in this orientation is on observation. Data are gathered in a numerical form, by collecting measurements or counting frequencies of occurrence.
Give two reasons why the majority of descriptive studies involve the collection of a few data points per participants from a large group of participants
- The larger the sample, the more representative it becomes.
* Large numbers of observation yield more precise statistics.
What does relational research involve?
To find out whether 2 variables are related measures of both are collected and correlated.
Why is calculating and using statistical correlation co-efficients important?
Calculating and using statistical correlation coefficients is important, because people are prone to illusory correlations. (perception of a correlation between events for which no independent evidence can
be found. )
Name a statistical technique often used in relational research
Factor analysis = a statistical technique calculating how many factors are needed to account for the
correlations between the variables measured and how they relate to the factors.
When is experimental research needed? What is important to do to insure that you are measuring what you are supposed to be measuring?
Because correlations do not allow certainty about cause and effect relationships, therefore, experimental research is needed. . It is important to control for confounding variables to be sure that resulting changes are due to the independent variable.
Name four weaknesses to quantitative research
No interest in individuals-Quantitative research is designed in such a way that each participant returns 1 or a few numbers, to be used in statistical analysis. There is a lack of interest in the person behind the participants, which is particularly concerning when it concerns real-life situations.
Quantitative imperative = a bias only to find measurable topics interesting because quantitative research methods require numerical data. Because of this, aspects of mental life that can’t be captured by numbers have been considered less important.
Emphasis on falsification= The emphasis on falsification is primarily geared towards erasing wrong theories rather than generating new ones. As a result, it is not unusual to see theories that have been discredited for some time still being rejected, just because it is easy to disprove them. Thus, progress can be very slow.
Better suited to testing general theories than finding solutions to specific problems
Describe the six assumptions underly qualitative research
• Idealism: there is little to no evidence for a reality outside people’s minds. The only reality that matters is
the reality as perceived and constructed by people.
• Control: attempting to control the situation makes the setting artificial and thus, doesn’t help to make the
‘real world’ visible.
• Immersion: the researcher is immersed in the situation that is being studied, so that the meaning can be
understood. The researcher approaches the situation open-mindedly and sees what comes out.
• Ideographic approach: the conclusions of the study stay limited to the phenomenon under study.
• Induction: instead of reliance on the hypothetico-deductive model, more attentions is on inductive
reasoning and bracketing.
• Evidence-based: even though the data are typically not numbered, conclusions still need to be able to be
verified by others. Research is not intuition and opinion based.
What is meant by bracketing?
Requirement in qualitative research to look at a phenomenon with an open mind and to free oneself from preconceptions (such as hypotheses).
What is the most frequently used technique of data collection in qualitative research?
The semi-structured interview. It allows a limited set of core question while still allowing the participant to lead the way.
Name and describe a group format of the semi-structured interview
Focus group = technique in which a group of participants freely discusses a limited set of questions.
What is meant by a transcription?
Transcription- The raw data of interviews consist of auditory or visual recording. These are transcribed in written form, so that they can easily be referred to.
How is the data analysis conducted?
For the analysis the written forms are rewritten as a flow chart of core ideas, based on close readings. Statements are classified into a number of themes and clear ideas of how they are interconnected.
What three main approaches are used in qualitative research?
(1) grounded theory = research method that tries to understand what is going on in a particular situation and which, on the basis of analysis and induction, tries to come to a theoretical insight grounded in the data. (what is going on here?, what is the main problem of the participants?)
(2) interpretative phenomenological analysis = research method that tries to understand how a phenomenon is experienced by the people involved (how is this perceived by the participant?, what meaning did she attach to this event?)
(3) discourse analysis - research method that aims to discover how social relations between people are determined by the language they use. Language is the only topic worth investigating, because it makes the world in which humans live. (How do participants use language to manage social interactions? Or to achieve objectives?)
What limitations are there to grounded theory? (3)
• It largely assumed the existence of an objective reality that was to be discovered.
• It stressed the importance of inductive reasoning and verification.
• It did not take into account the fact that the data provided by the participants actually comprised their
perceptions and interpretations of what was happening.
What approach did Edmund Husserl come with and what practice did this lead to?
Husserl came with an approach that stressed that psychology should be reflective of consciousness as experienced from the first-person point of view. This led to interpretative phenomenological analysis.
What strengths are associated with Qualitative research?
• Direct focus: the focus is on understanding a problem and working towards a solution directly, not by
trying to reach the truth via rejecting false explanations (as in quantitative research).
• Generation and elaboration: because they involve intensive investigations, they are well suited for finding
new ideas which can be taken on later by quantitative studies.
• Participants’ needs: there is much better feeling for participants’ needs, which decreases the risk of advice
that is perceived as unhelpful by them.
What limitations are associated with qualitative research?
• Deciding between theories: the methods are not that good for deciding between ideas and theories, because
there is no external criterion.
• Introspection: methods are based on introspection, which (as we have seen) has its own limitations.
• Researcher’s involvement: the researcher has an impact on the interview and the analysis, which may be a
disadvantage in high-stakes situations (like personnel selection or university admission).
Quantitative psychologists that argue against qualitative methods come with what three arguments?
- It throws away all the progress that has been made and throws psychology back to before it was scientific.
- It rejects the existence of an objective reality, which is why science exists.
- It doesn’t provide researchers with new information and devalues psychological research to pop psychology.
Qualitative psychologists that argue against quantitative methods come with what three arguments?
- It clutches at the scientific method just for status and money, not for understanding of human functioning.
- It is misguided in its search for the objective reality.
- There is no objective reality, so quantitative methods have nothing to tell us about human functioning.
What does this group of psychologists argue that one group must go?
The group of psychologists that stresses the incompatibility of the methods emphasize the different world views that underlie them. They hold the position that they are so contradictory that we should eliminate 1 of them. Attempts to reconcile the 2 are seen as attempts to regain lost ground.
