Yr 13 Research Methods Flashcards
What is relability?
Consistency in particularly the consistency of measurments
If a measurement was repeated we would expectt the same data to be produced
This would suggest the same data to be produced
This would sugges the study was reliable
Means you expect the same thing everytime
How can reliability of observations be assessed?
Use a second observer - check inter-observer reliability
Could record it
How can reliability of observeations be improved?
Behavioural categories
Make it more clearer
How can reliability of self-report techniques be assessed?
Re-do questions/interviews
test-retest
How can reliability of self-report techniques be improved?
Reduce the ambigity of questions
reducing confused muddle questions
How can reliability of experiments be assessed?
Repeat the experiment
Bring second experimenter
How can reliability of experiments be improved?
Standardising the procedure
repeat experiment
What is test-retest reliability?
How consistent the results are once you are tested first interview/questionarise and than the seocnd time and fourth
to see how consistent they are
What is inter-interview reliability?
Inter=interview reliability is using a second interview by doing 2 interviews first time or comparing results
What is reduce ambiguity?
Making sure the answers are easy to understand and reduce confusion
What is validity?
Refers to whether data gathered in study is accurate in other words represent reality
Effects of internal validity?
- Social desirability - want to be more desirable and in favourable light
- Investigator effect - body language , gender
- Demand of characeristics - control by single blind
- Confunding variables
- Extraneous bairables (control envirnoment )
Effects of external validity
- Population validity - how far results generalise e.g Asch only used white-middle class Americans
- Ecological validity - How far results generalise to real life e.g Asch lab experiment
- Temporal validity - how far results relate to different periods of time
What is face validity?
When measure looks like it is measuring what is it meant to measure
e.g questions to happiness questionaire related to happiness
only measure inutive measurement
What is concurrent validity?
Whether the current measure is accurate and compared to the previous , validiated measure. If the data gathered is the same using both measures , the countercurrent validity of current measures can be confirmed
e.g comparing results of a stress questionaire to a stress interview
Give an example of an item that might lack face validity?
ASKED A WRITE A QUESTION NAIRE ABOUT OBEDIENCE
Have you ever changed your behaviour to fit in?
Once you havecreated your questionnaire , describe how you might assess it in terms of counter-current validity?
ASKED A WRITE A QUESTION NAIRE ABOUT OBEDIENCE
You could assess this type of questionnaire by relating data gathered by questionnaire and compare it previously to another validiated measure such as an interview of obedience and compare results
Explain why temporal validity may be a problem in research. Identify study that lacks temporla validity?
Findings cannot generalised and not representative to other time periods
IN EACH OF STUDY DESCRIBE TWO FEATURES OF STUDY THAT MIGHT AFFECT VALIDITY OF DATA BEING COLLECTED AND HOW VALIDITY COULD BE IMPROVIED
A psychologists conducts interviews with mothers about their attitudes towards day care
First conducting interview lead to social desirability - Uses mothers not parents - lacking population validity get someone else
Leading Qs - reword Qs
IN EACH OF STUDY DESCRIBE TWO FEATURES OF STUDY THAT MIGHT AFFECT VALIDITY OF DATA BEING COLLECTED AND HOW VALIDITY COULD BE IMPROVIED
A psychologists conducts a study to see if student do more homework in winter or spring term
To do this he asks students to keep a diary how much time they spend on h.w
Demand of caharcteristics
Might change answer
Affect social desirability - lie to bein a favourable light
What is content analysis?
Analyses the content of something e.g interview , transcript , exerts from questionnaires
This research technique allows to indirect study fo person’s behaviour , researchers would study communications for example diary extracts , emails
The aim of content analysis is to identify patterns/trends and look for different themes might involve thematic analysis
What are the steps of content analysis?
- Step 1 - Sampling the data : There may be a lot of data to be analysed would every content be analysed?
- e.g if you were to analyse books tou would look for every page or 5th page? If video do time/event sampling
- Step 2 - Coding the data - this is done by usuing behavioural cateogires , list
- Step 3 - Representing the Data - This would be done by two ways
- Quantative , tally charts
- Qualatative - still do sample and code have more quotes in represrnting data by describing examples in each category
Advantages of content analysis
- Be easily replicated and and compare each copy
- So it is accurate and reliability in content analysis
- It has high ecological validity and based on real-life settings so more generalised
Disadvantages of content analysis
- Investigator bias; Misintrpretation and subjective to interpret diferently compared to other investigators
- Extremely time-consuming
- Lack of objective
- Provides desicription than explanation
*
What is thematics analysis?
- Thematic analusos os ised when analysing qualitative data in order to identify THEMES
- Data can be organised into themes and conlusions made
- Type of content analysis - lengthy/subjective
Steps of thematic analysis
- READ TRANSCRIPT CAREFUL - All items are included . Often re-read and no notes taken to understand meaning and communication of participant
- BREAK UP DATA INTO SMALLER UNITS , CODE UNITS - Each unit will have label and unit more than one label. Researcher develop some ideas of codes when intitally reviewing data
- COMBINE SMALLER CODES INTO LARGER CODES - Larger themes are created by grouping together the smaller codes and instances counted
- IDENTIFY THE COMMON THEMES - General conclusions drawn and fata summarised into tables/graphs
What is empircal methods?
Emprical methods emphaise the importance of data collection basedon direct , sensory experience
Experimental and observational metho are examples
e.g knowledge determined by experience and sense perception . Theory cannot claim to be scientific unless empircally tested
What is objectivity?
Scientific researchers remain critical distance during research
Not allowing their personal opnions or biases to reduce validity of data or influence behaviour of participant
lab experiments most objective
What is replicability?
Testing validity of results
Consistency of results
What is falisability?
It is necessary to create a hypothesis that can be proven wrong
Theory cannot be considered scientific unless it admits the possibility of proven false
What is theory construction?
Theory construction occurs through gathering evidence through observation
What is paradiagm?
It is a set of shared assumptions and agreed methods within a scientific discipline
What is a paradiagm shift?
Result of scientific revolution; significant change in the dpminant unifying theory within a scientific discipline
Reporting investigations
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Method
- Results
- Discussion
- References
What is an abstract?
A summary of research-brief indidual aims , hypothesis , method , results and conlusion
Allows reader to get quick picture of study and results
“The Aim”
What is introduction?
Includes aims and hypothesises and often uses previous research as the reason why this study is conducted
What is method?
Detailed description of what was done and information provided on design on participants /sampling methods and ethics
What i results?
This includes specific of what was found in form of statistics , statistical test or results from content analysis
What is discussion?
This is section fo report informs reader of a more detailed account of what they have found
what this could suggest and done differently next time
What is references?
This provides full detail of resource used including ook journals and articles and websites
Provides extra reading for reader
How to write reference?
Surname and initals of researcher (Year of publication) Title in book , Place of publication , publisher
How are theories constructed?
- Inductive method
- Deductive method
What is the inductive method?
- Involves an obseration e.g Isac notice apple falling off tree
- This produces a testable hypothesis e.g regardless of weight it will fall
- Then conduct a study to test this e.g experiment
- Then draw conclusions e.g all objects fall because of gravity
- Then propose theory e.g law of gravity
What is deductive method?
- Involves an observation e.g children act different compardd to adults
- Propose theory e.g children develop cognitive abilities at different age
- Testable hypothesis e.g children have different cognitive abilities at different stages
- Conduct study to test e.g three mountain study
- Dr aw conclusions - Piaget
