Types of Data and Self Report Techniques

Question 1

What is Primary Data?

Answer 1

• Collected first-hand by an experimenter which intends to specifically meet the aim of the study
• Normally, expensive and time consuming to gather

Question 2

What is Secondary Data?

Answer 2

• Collected by someone other than the experimenter and has normally already been published
• Easy and inexpensive to gather, may be biased

Question 3

What is Quantitative Data?

Answer 3

• numerical data
• can be easily and objectively analysed
• eg. statistics, mean, median, mode

Question 4

What is Qualitative Data?

Answer 4

• non numerical data
• written or recorded descriptions
• eg. diaries, pictures, written or recorded responses to questions

Question 5

What is Meta-analysis?

Answer 5

• Researchers combine the primary data from a number of smaller studies to analyse it as one large data set
• Used in research where only small samples are possible

Question 6

What are Self-Report Techniques?

Answer 6

• Participants respond about themselves, usually by answering questions about their behaviour, attitudes or feelings
• 2 types: questionnaires and interviews

Question 7

What are Questionnaires?

Answer 7

• Use a set of written questions

- Participants usually respond independently without interference from the experimenter

Question 8

What are Structured Interviews?

Answer 8

• Use a pre-determined set of questions

- Asked in order and without deviation

Question 9

What are Unstructured Interviews?

Answer 9

• Involve a flexible discussion about a topic

- No fixed set of questions

Question 10

What are Open Questions?

Answer 10

• Allow participants to respond freely
• Provide qualitative data
• Give the opportunity to fully explain one’s thoughts
• Can be difficult to analyse as qualitative data is subjective

Question 11

What are Closed Questions?

Answer 11

• Offer fixed answers
• Provides quantitative data
• Can force respondents to give a biased answer
• Easily and objectively analysed