Unit One: Research Methodology Flashcards
What is quantitative research?
The aim of quantitative research is to arrive at numerically expressed conclusions and data to characterise the behaviour of large groups or individuals. There are three types of quantitative research, all operate with variables.
What are the three types of quantitative research?
Experimental studies, correlational studies and descriptive studies.
What is a laboratory experiment?
Used to establish the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable. All other variables are controlled.
What are some advantages and disadvantages of laboratory research?
Some advantages include accuracy and precision (allows the precise impact of IV on DV to be measured), allowing a cause-and-effect relationship to be effectively established. Some disadvantages include low realisim due to artificial environment, risk of demand characteristics, experimenter effects and low ecological validity (hard to generalise to other situations)
What is a field experiment?
The researcher manipulates the IV, but it is conducted in a real life environment (rather than a controlled environment)
What are some advantages and disadvantages of field experiments?
Advantages: Higher ecological validity than labroatory experiment, natural setting better reflects real life, lower chance of demand characteristics, less sample bias
Disadvantages: Lack of control can give rise to confounding or extra variables, ethical problems may arise (participants might not know that are part of a study), harder to replicate and record accurate data
What is a quasi-experiment?
Participants are grouped based on a characteristic of interest (such as gender or ethnicity)
What are some advantages and disadvantages of quasi-experiments?
Advanatages: No random assigned, limited active manipulation, high control over experimental variable, can be repeated
Disadvantages: lower internal validity (due to researchers controlling variables, difficult to predict confounding variables), risk of bias (especially when choosing sample), risk of inaccurate data
What is a natural experiment?
Researchers take advantage of naturally occuring independent variables to see the effect on a dependent variable.
What are some advantages and disadvantages of natural experiments?
Advanatages: higher chance of reflecting real life (high ecological validity), more natural behaviour of participants resulting in lower chance of demand characteristics/acting out of social desirability
Disadvantages: no control over confounding variables and external biases, difficult to create cause-and-effect link due to lack of manipulation of IV, difficult to replicate and to test for reliability
What is a correlational study?
Correlational studies are to identity a relationships between two co-variables, which can be both positive or negative. (cannot establish cause-and-effect)
What are some advantages and disadvantages of correlational studies?
Advantages: can predict casual relationships and human behaviours, more cost-effective, statistical analysis and methodology easier to implement
Disadvantages: there is no cause-and-effect relationships, no inferences can be made, possibility of confounding variable
What is qualitative research?
Qualitative research involves the collecting and analysing of non-numerical data to draw conclusions about experiences, opinions and events.
What are the three method for qualitative research?
Case studies, observations and interviews
What are case studies?
A detailed analysis over time of an individual or a particular group. Multiple methods are often used, both qualitative and quantitative research.
