Issues in Psychology

Strengths

• A strength of a study having high ethics is that the research is more likely to be published. If a study is low in ethics, the research my not be approved or published in any psychology journal.
• A strength of having low ethics in a study is that the findings are likely to be more useful, this is because it is likely to be higher in ecological validity.

Limitations

• A limitation of having low ethics in a study is that harm may come to participants. This is a limitation, because (morally) harming participents is wrong, it can also lead to damaging the reputation of the psychological research.
• A limitation of having high ethics is that it can lack reliability and validity. This happens because if the participants have fully informed consent, demand characteristics and the social desirability effect is more likely to effect the results.

Strengths

• A strength of having high ecological validity is that the study will be more true to life, therefore more valid.
• A strength of low ecological validity is that there would be high levels of control. This is because if the research is more of a lab experiment, rather than being naturalistic - the variables can be manipulated and controlled for.

Limitations

• A limitation of high ecological validity is that there is often low acuracy of measurment or lack of control.
• A limitation of low ecological validity is that may be a lack of qualitative data when using lab experiments, so the research can be reductionist.

Strengths

• A strength of a longitudinal study is that the participant's development over time can be observed.
• Another strength is that the researcher can get a more in deapth and detailed idea of what they are measuring.

Limitations

• A limitation of a longitudinal study is that it can be very costly and time consuming.
• Another limitation is that the study is less likely to be replicable.

Strengths

• A strength of a snapshot study is that there are instant results
• Another strength is that it is more likely to be recplicable

Limitations

• A limitation of a snapshot study may include having a lack of validity of results to reflect behaviour over time
• Another limitation is that there is no understanding of changes over time

Strengths

• A strength of qualitative data is that it has a lot of detail, this gives the researcher greater insight into what they're studying
• Another strength is that results don't have to fit into boxes, meaning this can be more holistic

Limitations

• A limitation of qualitative data is that it is harder to analyse and make comparisons
• Another limitation is that it can be very time consuming to go through all of the data

Strengths

• A strength of quantitative data is that it is easy to analyse and compare
• Another strength is that the findings are more reliable and replicable

Limitations

• A limitation of quantitative data is that it lacks descriptive, indepth data, which reduces the opportunity to explain behaviour
• Another limitation is that it can be reductionist, as every answer has to 'tick a box'/ fit in to a certain catagory