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.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of case studies?
Advantages: flexibility to collect data with a variety of methods, high ecological validity due to to natural environment, ability to draw inferences accurately
Disadvantages: difficult to generalise and apply to other situations, cannot be replicated, risk of researcher bias, labor-intensive, small sample space
What are observational studies?
Observational studies occur on naturally occurring behaviour and may be participant or non-participant. Observations may be overt or covert.
What are some advantages and disadvantages of observational studies?
Advantages: Natural surroundings, easiest method, high accuracy (especially if covert, removes participant bias), less active manipulation and participant cooperation
Disadvantages: Historical bias or confounding variables may affect results, raises ethical concerns, researcher bias, time-consuming
How does sampling apply to experimental studies?
- Random
- Stratified (layers)
- Self-selected
- Opportunity
How does sampling apply to correlational studies?
- random
- stratified
- self-selected
- opportunity
How does sampling apply to qualitative studies?
- Quota sampling
- Purposive sampling
- Theoretical sampling
- Snowball sampling
- Convenience sampling
How does generalisability apply to experimental studies?
- External validity (population and ecological validity)
- Construct validity
How does generalisability apply to correlational studies?
- population and construct validity
How does generalisability apply to qualitative studies?
- sample-to-population generalisation
- case-to-case generalisation
- theoretical generalisation
How does credibility apply in experimental studies?
- internal validity: to what extent is the DV influenced by the IV and some other/confounding variable?
- controlling confounding variables: eliminating or keeping constant in all conditions
How does credibility apply in correlational studies?
- no special term used, “validity” and “credibility” are interchangeable
- credibility is high if no bias is concerned
