Research methods
- Created by: emilyanderson
- Created on: 19-04-17 13:23
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- Research methods
- Experiment
- Lab experiment
- strength is that good control of extraneous variables
- weakness is that the artificial situation can cause behavior to be unrepresentative
- study conducted in artificial environment
- field experiment
- a strength is that their behaviour is likely to be representative
- a weakness is that control of extraneuous variables is diffiult and replication is harder
- researcher manipulates iv in natural setting for participants
- quasi experiment
- a strength is that they can be used to study real world issues
- only possible when naturally occuring differences arise
- experimenter makes use of existing difference in situaions. iv naturally occurring
- Experimental design
- Matched pairs
- a strength is that no order effects
- a weakness would be that matching participants is time consuming and difficult
- arranaged into pairs that are similar in relevant ways to the study
- Repeated meausres
- good when participants are hard to find as less of them needed
- order effects such as practice and fatigue could distort the results
- each participant performs both levels of iv
- independent measures
- a strength would be that there are no order effects
- a weakness would be that more participants are needed
- different participants used at each level of the iv
- Matched pairs
- Variables
- Independent variable
- factor that is manipulated by experiemnter
- dependent variable
- the factor that is measured by the experimenter
- Independent variable
- Lab experiment
- correlation
- Measured variables
- scatter diagrams
- Positive
- both variables increase in the same direction
- negative
- as one variable increases the other decreases
- no correlation
- Positive
- the relationship between two variables
- strength would be that can demonstrate the presence or absence of a relationship
- a weakness is that it doesn't establish a cause and effect
- correlation coefficient
- Self report
- questionnaires
- self report method that uses written questions
- Interviews
- structured
- asks predominantly closed questions in a fixed order and are scripted
- strength everyone is treated the same way
- unstructured
- starts with general question then depends on the answers of participant and may be a list of topics to cover
- a strength is that new themes that arise can be explored
- semi- structured
- participants respond verbally to questions asked by interviewer
- people may be less inclined to tell the truth than in a questionnaire, social desireablitiy
- structured
- questionnaires
- Observation
- Structured
- records specified range of behaviors in pre-decided and pre defied categories
- a strength is that categories that are pre determined are agreed by the observers which betters the reliability
- a weakness is thast predetermined categories can be limiting when new behaviours appear
- records specified range of behaviors in pre-decided and pre defied categories
- unstructured
- records non- specified, wide range of behaviors any that seem relevant
- strength is that there are no restrictions on the behaviors that can be recorded
- weakness is that by attempting to write down everything observers may miss important aspects
- records non- specified, wide range of behaviors any that seem relevant
- observer role
- covert
- participants are unaware
- strength is that participants more likely to act as they normally would
- if observers are identifies or suspected then validity is compromised
- participants are unaware
- overt
- participants are aware
- a strength is that the technique is more ethical as informed consent can be applied
- a weakness is thattheir responses may not be how they would normally react
- participants are aware
- Participant
- researcher engaged with participants as part of the social setting
- a strength is that an insight into the participants real emotions and motives
- a weakness is that being involved can make the observer subjective
- researcher engaged with participants as part of the social setting
- Non- participant
- researcher not engaging as part of social situation
- a strength is observers can remain objective as they are not involved
- a weakness is that if unaware it raises ethical issues such as informed consent and right to with draw
- researcher not engaging as part of social situation
- covert
- sampling
- event sampling
- uses a checklist of possible activities which are tallied as they occur
- strength it can record every occurrence of each behaviour
- weakness is that it gives no indication of how much time is spent on each behaviour
- uses a checklist of possible activities which are tallied as they occur
- time sampling
- limited list of possible activities. recorded in relation to short specified time intervals.
- strength - gives an indication of what order the events happen in
- Weakness- records are difficult to obtain as timings have to be precise. if indictaed by noisy timer you could get demand characteristics
- limited list of possible activities. recorded in relation to short specified time intervals.
- event sampling
- naturalistic
- behaviors are observed in participants normal envronment
- a strength is that participants act more realistically
- a weakness is that extraneour variables can rarely be controlled
- behaviors are observed in participants normal envronment
- controlled
- recorded where there has been some manipulation of the environment by the researchers
- a strength is that extraneous variables can be controlled
- a weakness is that participants in an unfamiliar environment may react differently to usual
- recorded where there has been some manipulation of the environment by the researchers
- Structured
- Experiment
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