Unit 1 - Research Methods and Techniques

Question 1

What are the advantages of using a Lab Experiment?

Answer 1

1. The IV is manipulated by the researcher which gives high internal validity
2. Reliable, meaning they can be repeated

Question 2

What are the disadvantages of using a Lab Experiment?

Answer 2

1. The participant is away from their normal environment, meaning low ecological validity

Question 3

What are the advantages of using a Field Experiment?

Answer 3

1. The IV is manipulated by the researcher which gives high internal validity
2. The participant is in his normal environment, meaning high in ecological validity

Question 4

What are the disadvantages of using a Field Experiment?

Answer 4

1. Extraneous variables are more common which lowers the internal validity

Question 5

What is a Quasi Experiment?

Answer 5

When the IV is naturally occurring (ie. cloudy conditions) and not manipulated by the researcher

Question 6

What are the advantages of using a Quasi Experiment?

Answer 6

1. Natural conditions, means it’s high in ecological validity
2. The study variables are impossible to be manipulated

Question 7

What are the disadvantages of using a Quasi Experiment?

Answer 7

1. IV not manipulated by the researcher so they’re hard to control which lowers the internal validity

Question 8

What are the features of a questionnaire?

Answer 8

1. Written method of collecting data
2. Completed by participant either written or verbal
3. Participant known as a respondent
4. Paper-based or electronic format

Question 9

What are the features of an interview?

Answer 9

1. Participant known as an interviewee
2. Involve direct verbal questioning by researcher (over the phone or face to face)
3. Can be structured, semi - structured and unstructured

Question 10

What are the advantages of using a questionnaire?

Answer 10

1. Can collect a lot of varied data from a large group of people
2. Easily kept confidential

Question 11

What are the disadvantages of using a questionnaire?

Answer 11

1. Response rate is often low

2. Respondents may be untruthful

Question 12

What are the advantages of using an interview?

Answer 12

1. Good to meet face-to-face as you can read body language and build a rapport with them

Question 13

What are the disadvantages of using an interview?

Answer 13

1. Usually one at a time, so it’s time-consuming to collect data
2. Lack of confidentiality means that they’re prone to social bias and might not reveal everything

Question 14

What is a structured interview?

Answer 14

The interview ask the same questions to each participant in the same order. Closed questions often used

Question 15

What are the strengths of using a structured interview?

Answer 15

1. Using the same questions means it’s standardised and replicable (high internal validity
2. Responses can be easily compared as closed questions

Question 16

What are the weaknesses of using a structured interview?

Answer 16

1. Cannot ask additional questions, preventing you from following up on an interesting point or seeking further clarification

Question 17

What is a semi-structured interview?

Answer 17

The interviewer will have a set of pre-prepared questions to ask and is expected to ask all of them. However other questions can be developed during the interview tn response given by the interviewee

Question 18

What are the strengths of using a semi-structured interview?

Answer 18

1. May be seen as more friendly and sociable
2. More trustworthy (more detail given?)
3. Can seek further clarification as can as additional questions

Question 19

What are the weaknesses of using a semi-structured interview?

Answer 19

1. Lots of quantifiable data to analyse
2. Qualitative data to clarify and compare is hard
3. Still constrained to pre-determined questions

Question 20

What is an unstructured interview?

Answer 20

The researcher has topics to discuss but no set order and is more like a conversation with questions developed in response to answers

Question 21

What are the strengths of using an unstructured interview?

Answer 21

1. Information can be obtained that might not have been revealed with the pre-determined questions
2. Gives interviewer freedom to ask relevant questions on the spot

Question 22

What are the weaknesses of using an unstructured interview?

Answer 22

1. Difficult to compare as all might be asked very different questions

Question 23

What are leading questions?

Answer 23

The questions asked will lead the participant to answer in a specific way or give a particular answer

Question 24

What is researcher bias?

Answer 24

The researcher interpreting the responses wrong so it fits their theory/ hypothesis.

Question 25

What is a two - tailed correlational hypothesis?

Answer 25

There will be a significant correlation between…..

Question 26

What is a one - tailed correlational hypothesis?

Answer 26

There will be a positive/negative correlation between…

Question 27

What is a null correlational hypothesis?

Answer 27

There will be no significant correlation between….

normally due to chance factors

Question 28

What is a positive correlation?

Answer 28

When both variables increase

Question 29

What is a negative correlation?

Answer 29

When one variable increases and the other decreases

Question 30

What does no correlation mean?

Answer 30

No definite trend - scattered

Question 31

What are the advantages of using correlation?

Answer 31

1. Tells us something new, the strength and direction of a relationship
2. No manipulation of variables
3. Good starting point for research

Question 32

What are the disadvantages of using correlation?

Answer 32

1. No information about cause and effect (limitation)
2. Statistical tests will not always pick up a relationship between variables
3. Doe not require qualitative data which may limit explanations