Week 3A (Quiz study) Flashcards
QUANTitative Research and terms
What are the 3 main activities in science?
- Theory
- Data collection
- Data analysis?
How do QUANTitative researchers operationalise their conceptual theory?
(4 stages)
- Conceptual stage
- Planning the research
- Conducting the research
- Some research issues
- Conceptual stage includes
QUANTitative operationalise stages
> Research problem
> Literature review
- Planning the research
QUANTitative operationalise stages
> Quantitative research designs
Qualitative research designs
Sampling
- Conducting the research (QUANTitative operationalise stages)
> Data collection
Reliable and validity
Data analysis
- Some research issues (QUANTitative operationalise stages)
> Ethics in research
> Interpreting research results
QUANTitative research is
> Researchers perspective
> Measure/tests (using words)
Concept vs Variable
Relevant to QUANTitative research
> Theoretical
Concept: Pain can be defined as bodily suffering
> Research
Variable (measurable):
Pain can be measured by a pain scale where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst imaginable pain
Proposition vs Hypothesis
Relevant to QUANTitative research
> Theoretical
Proposition: The type of pain medication used will influence the amount of pain relief obtained
> Research
Hypothesis (testable): Increasing the dose of pain medication ‘X’ will decrease score on the pain scale.
Theory vs Knowledge
Relevant to QUANTitative research
> Theoretical
Theory: Narcotics may be more effective in treating pain than anti-inflammatory drugs
> Research
Knowledge (fact for today): Narcotics are more effective in treating pain than anti-inflammatory drugs
6 terms used in QUANTitative research
Theoretic:
- Concepts
- Proposition
- Theory
Research
- Variable
- Hypothesis
- Knowledge
- Concepts
Conceptual definition:
(QUANTitative term)
> Something like what you see in a dictionary
> Gives meaning to a particular concept
> Is usually easily communicated to other people
> Remains abstract, i.e. gives no indication of how the concept could/will be measured
- Concepts
Operational definition:
(QUANTitative term)
> Clearly identifies how the concept can or will be measured
> Also identifies any information that needs to be collected to make those measurements
> Only applicable in a quantitative research (not qualitative)
- Concepts summarised (QUANTitative term)
> An operationalised concept is a variable
> A variable is a concepts that:
- can be measured
- can vary
- has attributes
> Attributes are the characteristic, categories of values of the variable
- Variables
What are 3 types of Variables
QUANTitative term
- Independent variable (IV)
- Dependent variable (DV)
- Extraneous (or confounding) variable
- Variables
1. Independent variable (IV
QUANTitative term)
> Also known as a ‘predictor’ variable
> The variable the researcher manipulates. (represent AGE in research)
> The ‘cause - IV’ in ‘cause and effect’
(I expect AGE to cause the drink driving behaviour’)
- Variables
2. Dependent variable (DV
QUANTitative term
> Also known as the ‘outcome’ or ‘consequence’ variable
> The variable that is observed/measured
> The ‘effect in ‘cause and effect’
(‘I expect the effects of drink driving behaviour to depend on age)
- Variables
3. Extraneous (or confounding
QUANTitative term)
Any variable that is related either to the IV or DV, and whose possible affect needs to be controlled for, so that the effect of the proposed IV on the DV can be isolated (e.g. gender, peer pressure, impulsive nature, etc)
New hypothesis: Males are more likely to drink drive than females… Age is now a confounding variable.
- Variables
(QUANTitative term)
E.g. Hypothesis: The more educated a person is, the less homophobic they are…
- IV?
- DV?
- Extraneous?
IV/predictor: Level of education
DV/outcome or consequence: Level of homophobia
Extraneous/Confounding variables: All factors that affect education level and homophobia level (e.g. peer attitudes, parental attitudes, parental education level etc.)
- Hypotheses
(QUANTitative term)
Hypotheses definition:
Formal or logical statements (derived from the literature) that identify the predicted relationship between the IV and the DV in the population of interest.
- Hypotheses
(QUANTitative term)
Hypotheses consists of
> Formal: Essentially, the last sentence of the literature review
> Logical: Literature review logically justifies your hypotheses
> Crucial element: It contains both the IV and DV
> Population of interest: Who you think the hypothesised relationship holds for?
- Hypotheses
Types of Hypotheses
- Statistical
2. Research
- Hypotheses
Statistical hypotheses
> Also known as NULL (nothing)
> No relationship between the IV and DV
> Statical Ho = Hypotheses of nothing
> See if you can prove yourself wrong
~ Karl Popper (Black swan theory) - Hunt for evidence that does not support you
- Hypotheses
Research hypotheses
> Non-Directional
(2 things that have a relation, without direction)
> Directional
(2 things related with a direction)
> Research
- HA or H1 = Alternative hypotheses (what is actually happening) samples tested not equal
> See if you can prove yourself wrong
~ Karl Popper (Black swan theory) - Hunt for evidence that does not support you
Good science is
> Looking to disprove yourself
> Paying attention to detail
i. e. Education…
- what level of education?
- education in what?
What are the 2 main philosophical paradigms that influence research methods
- Positivism also known as empirical
and - Interpretivism
Positivism
(2 main philosophical paradigm)
QUANTitivism
> Single reality > Deductive or inductive reasoning used > Seek objective truth > World is stable and predictable > Etic view (outsider or world view)
Interpretive
(2main philosophical paradigm)
QUALitativism
> Multiple realities > Inductive reasoning used > Seek subjective experience > The whole is greater than the sum of its parts (Gestaltism) > World is always changing > Emic view (insider's view)
