Data analysis in criminal psychology

Meta anaylsis rerers to a research strategey where instead of conducting new research with participants, researchers examine the results of several previous studies. 

Meta analysis is often conducted when there is a huge body of psychological research or where research may be inconsistant, the studies used are often from different time periods, cultures, or locations.

Evaluation of meta analysis

High in generalisability as it inolves the pairing together of multiple studies, therefore there will be a wide range of evidence from different groups of people

High in reliability as there are multiple studies with similar findings, so it can be shown that it can be repeated to find similar results

There is pracitcal application, can be used to look at the best types of therapy for criminals

Low in validity, analysisng secondary data means there could be aspects of researcher bias you do not know of, and a meta analysis may also be selective in what studies they choose, high levels of bias

Measures the extent to which variables are related

A positive correlation = one variable going up with another

Negative correaltion = one variable accosiated with the decrease in another

No correlarion = no relationship

Evaluation

Reliability is high as it can test for reliability in other studies, for example seeing if correalations can be seen across studies with similar aims/ trying to find the same thing

Validity- low- this is because correlations only look at accosiations between results, so from this information causations cannot be inferred, cause and effect cannot be established

Ethics- there are no ethical issues as you are looking at the results of findings

Applications - can be used in criminal psychology to look at whether stress levels affect EWT up to an extent

Thematic analysis is one of the most common form of analysis in qualitative research. It emphasizes pinpointing, examining, and recording patterns (or "themes") within data.Themes are patterns across data sets that are important to the description of a phenomenon and are associated to a specific research question. The themes become the categories for analysis.Thematic analysis is performed through the process of coding in six phases to create established, meaningful patterns. These phases are: familiarization with data, generating initial codes, searching for themes among codes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and producing the final report.

Grounded theory is a method devised in the 1960's for developing a theory from research evidence. 

Traditional scientific research involves developing a hypothesis that is then tested and adapted following the research.

However grounded theory generall focuses on qualitative research.

The goal of the grounded theory approach is to generate a theory that explains how an aspect of the social world “works”. The goal is to develop a theory that emerges from and is therefore connected to the very reality that the theory is developed to explain

Evaluation of grounded theory

Generalisability low because data will come from a specific culture in a sepcific time fram

Objectivitiy is low because it is very difficult to catagorise concepts without some theory in mind

Validity is high because coding is done carefully and then codes are developed into wider condepts, meaning the p's own thoughts and feelings are used to drive analysis