Research methods advantages and disadvantages – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
Naturalistic Observation
answer
Systematically observig people in their natural environment, includes conceptualisation and operationalisation of variables
question
Naturalistic Observation: Advantages
answer
Insight into real-world behaviour, examine behaviours that can't be manipulated
question
Naturalistic Observation: Disadvantages
answer
Time consuming, subjective interpretation
question
Participant Observation
answer
Researcher interacts with people being observed in order to observe and record their behaviour
question
Participant Observation: Advantages
answer
Obesrve behaviours that aren't usually accessible, unique perspective of participation
question
Participant Observation: Disadvantages
answer
Subjective Interpretation
question
Contrived Observation
answer
Observing behaviour that has been manipulated by the researcher
question
Contrived Observation: Advantages
answer
Don't have to wait for behaviour to occur on its own
question
Contrived Observation: Disadvantages
answer
Less natural than other forms of observation
question
Type 1 Error
answer
Reject a true null hypothesis, alpha-level
question
Type 2 Error
answer
Don't reject null hypothesis when it is false, beta-level
question
Effect size
answer
strength of association between variables
question
Effect size examples
answer
Pearson's correlation, Cohen's D
question
Cohen's D Formula
answer
difference between means/standard deviation
question
Confidence Intervals
answer
Where the true population mean is likely to lie
question
Confidence Intervals: Rules
answer
Sample size increases - CI narrows; Higher confidence required - CI widens
question
Independent Samples T-tests
answer
Two samples obtained from two populations to be compared
question
Independent Samples T-tests: Assumptions
answer
Populations follow normal distribution, Equal variance, Samples sizes equal
question
Independent Samples T-tests: DF
answer
n - 2
question
Descriptive Uncertainty
answer
Uncertainty of random error; small sd = less uncertainty
question
Interential uncertainty
answer
More information/less error = smaller p-value
question
Bonferroni Correction
answer
p-value to the power of n to provide new p-value
question
Independent Samples T-tests: Disadvantages
answer
Subject to "noise factors"
question
Observer Error
answer
Human error in measurement process
question
Observor Error: examples
answer
Maturation, Experimentation, Faciliatated Communication
question
Environmental Error
answer
Changes between measurements in the environment
question
Environmental Error: examples
answer
History
question
Participant Error
answer
Changes in participants between measurements
question
Participant Error: Examples
answer
Demand characteristics, expectations/placebo effect, mortality, regression to mean, instrumentation, selection differences, order/practice/fatigue, repeated testing
question
Controls for Error
answer
Type of experimentation, pilot testing, counterbalancing, deception, debriefing and research communication
question
Quasi-Experimentation
answer
Designs that approximate a true experiment
question
N=1 Designs
answer
Single Case design, for unusual cases or expensive manipulations, or when it isn't necessary to have a large group
question
N=1 Design: Types
answer
Reversal (ABA), Multiple Baseline (across subjects, behaviours, or situations)
question
N=1 Design: Constraints
answer
Permanent or enduring manipulations cannot use reversal design, nor when it would be unethical to reverse a beneficial manipulation
question
Programme Evaluation
answer
Research on proposed and implented programs to improve something
question
Programme Evaluation: Needs assessment
answer
Do people need to change?
question
Programme Evaluation: Programme theory assessment
answer
Do you have valid assumptions about the cause of the problem, and therefore why the program will work?
question
Programme Evaluation: Process evaluation
answer
a manipulation check; Is the programming doing what it advertised it would do?
question
Programme Evaluation: Outcome evaluation
answer
Did the programme reduce the problem?
question
Programme Evaluation: Efficiency assessment
answer
Is the programme worth the cost?
question
One Group Posttest/One group pretest-posttest
answer
No control group, and many threats to validity (history, maturation, testing, instrumental decay, regression toward mean, differential attrition)
question
Nonequivalent control group design
answer
No pretest, so is hard to verify change despite the fact that there is a control group as we do not know if the two groups are equivalent or not
question
Nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest
answer
If the pretest scores are similar, therefore the groups are comparable
question
Quasi-Experimental: Statistical test
answer
t-tests and ANOVA
question
Cross-sectional
answer
Data collected at one point in time on participants of different ages
question
Cross-sectional: Advantages
answer
Can make general comments about how individuals of different ages perform
question
Cohort
answer
Data collected at regular intervals from individuals of a specific age
question
Cohort: Advantages
answer
Tells you whether there are general changes in time over how a certain age group is thinking or behaving
question
Longitudinal
answer
Data colected from a single cohort at regular intervals over time
question
Longitudinal: Advantages
answer
Obtain information about causality, and can see individual changes over time
question
Longitudinal: Disadvantages
answer
Expensive, time-consuming, and limiting to one cohort
question
Sequential
answer
Hybrid between cross-sectional study (at time 1), and longitudinal study (follow the cohort through subsequent times)
question
Sequential: Advantages
answer
Can obtain data from a wide age range quickly, as well as assess change, and not limited to a single cohort
question
Developmental Research
answer
Assessing change, short and/or long term
question
Developmental Research: statistical test
answer
MANOVA, Regression, Equation Modelling
question
Questionnaire Problems
answer
Awareness/memory, response set/bias, question format, sample chosen, analysis done
question
Yes/No Disadvantages
answer
Not very sensitive
question
Fill-in-the-blank Disadvantages
answer
Hard to code the answers
question
Likert Scale Disadvantages
answer
Difficult to have equal distances between points
question
Aspects to avoid in questionnaires
answer
Complexity, Technicality, Ambiguity, Double-Barreled, Negative, Emotive or Sensitive issues, Leading questions, Privacy invasion
