Research Methods
What are two characteristics of a case study?
1: Case studies typically focus on a single individual, group or organization that is unusual in some way; the researcher generally collects a detailed case history including secondary data from school reports or hospital records for example; this allows the researcher to gain necessary insight before collecting their own primary data.
2: Case studies often comprise data that has been gathered using a variety of techniques including interview, observation and the use of standardised tests for example. This is known as method triangulation and results in a rich and detailed insight into the behaviours of interest.
What are two characteristics of a experiment?
1: Experimenters decide on a single variable, the independent variable (IV) which they manipulate (or deliberately alter) in order to see whether this brings about a change in a second variable, known as the dependent variable (DV) which is measured in some quantitative way.
2: All other variables which might affect the dependent variable are held constant (controlled) meaning any change in the DV can be said to have been caused by the IV and this means that the findings of experimental studies can be said to have strong internal validity.
What are two characteristics of volunteer sampling?
1: A volunteer sample means that researchers advertise for participants by placing notices, posters and adverts in places where potential participants might see them, often in newspapers or nowadays on social media. Participants who are interested then get in touch with the researcher in order to make contact and see whether they are suitable to take part.
2: People who volunteer often have a vested interest in the line of research being under-taken and often share certain similarities in terms of their personalities, life-styles, educational and socio-economic backgrounds.
What does D stand for in CAR DUD
Debriefing or Deception
What does E stand for in CARE?
Equitable Treatment
What are two characteristics of a unstructured interview?
1: Unstructured interview have a clear research objective and the interview schedule will include broad topics or themes for discussion; there may or may not be a list of starter questions but the defining features of this style of interview are flexibility and freedom; the direction of the interview is determined by the interviewee and the interviewer bases any questions asked on their previous responses.
2: Unstructured interviewers need more training and experience to collect credible data; it can be hard to keep the interview on track and achieve the research objective when there is no 'script' as such; eliciting relevant information without asking leading questions and with minimal guidance in the interview schedule requires practice and skill.
What are two characteristics of a semi-structured interview?
1: A semi-structured interview is more flexible than a structured interview; while there is a pre-determined set of questions in the interview schedule, the interviewer may deviate from this, asking follow-on questions if the interviewee presents an unanticipated and relevant view; the interviewer may also rephrase questions and alter the order as appropriate.
2: The semi-structured Interview schedule may include both open and closed questions: open questions prompt longer, richer answers from respondent allowing them to elaborate in their own words without being guided in any particular direction by the interviewer while closed questions result in brief, precise answers of just a few words.
What are two characteristics of random sampling?
1: Every member of the target population has an equal chance of being selected and participants can be selected by drawing names from a hat or allocating everyone a number and then using a bingo machine or another form of computerized random number generator to select the numbers.
2: A random sample should give a representative sample as the randomisation should ensure that the sample is not biased in any way. It should be possible to generalize from a random sample to the rest of the target population.
What does U stand for in CAR DUD?
Undue stress or harm
What does R stand for in CARE?
Risks of misapplication
What are two characteristics of a correlation experiment?
1: Correlational studies have no manipulated variable and therefore do not seek to establish causal relationships as is the case with experimental studies; they have two or more measured variables known as co-variables which are measured using quantitative data, e.g. through some sort of rating scale.
2: Correlational studies are common in areas of psychology where it may not be possible to ethically or practically manipulate variables as part of an experiment; as there is no attempt to establish causality, internal validity relates solely to the extent to which the instruments used to measure the co-variables provide accurate and meaningful data.
What are two characteristics of field experiment?
1: Field experiments also seek causal relationships between a deliberately manipulated independent variable and a measured or dependent variable yet they do not take place under controlled conditions, instead they are conducted in real-world environments where participants can be found going about their daily business, e.g. at a cinema or shopping centre.
2: Participants in field experiments are often unaware that they are being observed as part of an experiment, meaning that their behaviour is more natural, while this increases the ecological validity of the findings, the inability to control extraneous variables due to the natural setting decreases internal validity.
What are two characteristics of convenience sampling?
1: Opportunity sampling involves selecting those people who are readily available to participate. The sampling method is quick, easy and convenient as you simply choose those people who are around at the time that you wish to do the study.
2: Often psychology lecturers use students in their classes to take part in their research and often university students have to participate in a certain number of studies to gain credits for their degree, providing a never-ending stream of participants for their opportunity samples.
What does R stand for in CAR DUD?
Right to Withdraw
What does N stand for in PLAN?
Neutrality in Language
what are two characteristics of naturalistic observation: non-participant experiment?
1: The observer collects data from participants' in their natural environments without any deliberate manipulation of the setting; while tallying can be used to collect quantitative data, the researcher may record qualitative 'field notes', describing behaviours of interest while diagrams and sketches may also be used.
2: In a non-participant observation the researcher remains separate from the activities of the group and does not interact with participants whilst conducting the observation; this lack of involvement means that the researcher is free to focus entirely on the data collection, arguably leading to a more accurate record of events.
What are two characteristics of a focus group?
1: A focus group comprises 8-12 people who are interviewed together about a topic of common interest; this size group works well allowing all members to have their say; people who share similar experiences tend to bond together, developing a sense of belonging and trust which helps them to talk freely about even sensitive issues.
2: In a focus group the researcher become the group facilitator and their role is to monitor the discussion, keep the group on the topic if they veer off into an irrelevant topic; they must ensure that all issues raised are responded to and explored as fully as possible within the time available.
What are two characteristics of purposive sampling?
1: Participants are chosen because they possess specific characteristics that make them suitable for the research project. Sometimes people are handpicked to get a more diverse set of participant for the study and this is called maximum variation type; for example an acculturation researcher might seek try to get a diverse sample including refugees, immigrants, sojourners and international students
2: Researchers may also attempt to get a more homogenous sample, meaning they carefully select people who all share very similar experiences and/or have similar backgrounds in order to get a more representative view of that 'type' of person; this is known as 'homogenous type' sampling.
What does A stand for in CAR DUD?
Anonymity
What does A stand for in PLAN?
Accuracy/ Objectivity & Reflection
What are two characteristics of a quasi experiment?
1. It is not possibly to randomly allocate participants to the experimental (treatment) and/or control groups, as these groupings are outside of the control of the experimenter.
2. The fact that participants cannot be randomly allocated in a quasi-experiment means that the findings can be said to lack internal validity as there may be uncontrolled variables
What are two characteristics of a covert naturalistic observation?
1: The observer collects data from participants' in their natural environments without any deliberate manipulation of the setting; while tallying can be used to collect quantitative data, the researcher may record qualitative 'field notes', describing behaviours of interest while diagrams and sketches may also be used.
2: In a covert observation, participants are unaware of the observer and according to the BPS this is ethical if the study takes place in a public setting; data collected will be more credible as behaviour will be less inhibited and unaffected by demand characteristics or evaluation apprehension for example.
What are two characteristics of snowball sampling?
1: This sampling method involves asking people who are already part of the sample and have been chosen via some other means, e.g. volunteer or opportunity sample, whether they can think of anyone they know from their own social circle, who meets the criteria and might like to become part of the study.
2: It is called snowballing because when a snowball rolls down a hill it gathers more snow and gets bigger and bigger - likewise the size of the snowball sample increases as new members suggest the contact details of friends and acquaintances, who meet the criteria and might wish to participate - once approached by the researcher, they may also give their informed consent and so the sample grows.
What does C stand for in CAR DUD?
Consent
What does P stand for in PLAN?
Privacy/ Anonymity protection