Research methods - Will

Question 1

What is the order of the 6 steps of the scientific method?

Answer 1

1. Observe a problem
2. Gather information
3. Create a hypothesis
4. Design and test an experiment
5. Analyze the data
6. Repeat

Question 2

What is a descriptive method of study? What 4 types of study are included in this?

Answer 2

A descriptive method of study is a method of study designed to record, capture, DESCRIBE a group. The 4 types are:
-Surveys
-naturalistic observation
-case studies
-participant observation

Question 3

What are the disadvantages of naturalistic observation? (3)

Answer 3

There is no control over the environment, so there may be a confounding variable. Researchers bias and influence may misinterpret the information. Sometimes the only way to gain access to a group and observe is to participate in the group which may change data.

Question 4

What are the advantages of naturalistic observation?(3)

Answer 4

1. Sometimes it is the only way to gather data
2. Other data that may be relevant may be observed
3. It is real with minimal interference with the subjects(Hawthorne effect).

Question 5

What are the advantages of a case study? (4)

Answer 5

1. They allow us to document rare cases that would otherwise be forgotten.
2. They are a good first step to complex or unknown ideas.
3. They are very in-depth.
4. They allow us to catch a glimpse of human nature?

Question 6

What are the disadvantages of a case study? (2)

Answer 6

1. There may be observation bias.
2. Generalizations cannot be made to more people. It is very specific.

Question 7

What are the advantages of a survey? (4)

Answer 7

1. It is very cheap to do.2
2. It is very easy to administer.
3. It includes a lot of people that usually would not be able to participate in research.
4. Sometimes it can be the only way to get answers.

Question 8

What are the disadvantages of the survey method? (2)

Answer 8

1. People may lie on a survey.
2. The wording of a question can influence the results.

Question 9

What are the 3 questions of correlational research?

Answer 9

1. Do these variables covary?
2. In what direction do they covary?
3. How strong is the correlation between the two variables?

Question 10

What are the 4 advantages of correlational research?

Answer 10

1. It is a good step before the introduction of an experiment.
2. Sometimes it is the only option for research.
3. We can make predictions for future actions.
4. It allows to take precautions.

Question 11

What is participant observation research?

Answer 11

It is when a researcher poses as part of the group under investigation.

Question 12

What are the four types of response bias associated with surveys? Describe them

Answer 12

-acquiescence bias - people tend to agree more with what is said than disagree
-social desirability bias - participants tend to answer in ways that are more socially acceptable
-volunteer bias - if researchers do not use random sampling and ask for volunteers, the volunteers may not represent the population due to some correlation
-illusory superiority - participants tend to see themselves as above average

Question 13

What is the advantage of experimental research?

Answer 13

It allows us to describe, observe, and make conclusions about cause and effect relationships.

Question 14

What variable is going to be manipulated in an experiment?

Answer 14

The independent variable

Question 15

What is a control group?

Answer 15

A group in the experiment that is not exposed to the change in independent variable that can be measured against another group.

Question 16

How do we control for an unknown independent variable?

Answer 16

Random assignment is used to take a COMPLETELY RANDOM (even chance, random choice) selection to make different groups.

Question 17

What are the maximum and minimum R values for correlation?

Answer 17

1 and -1

Question 18

What are the 5 characteristics of a good hypothesis?

Answer 18

It is testable, consistent with prior observations, simple, falsifiable, and specific.

Question 19

What are the 3 types of population samples in experiments? Explain them

Answer 19

A simple random sample is when every individual in the population has an equal change of being chosen. A stratified random sample takes proportionate amounts of random samples from sub groups of the main group. A non-random sample follows the idea that not everybody is equally likely to participate.

Question 20

What is the difference between descriptive statistics and inferential statistics?

Answer 20

Descriptive statistics are used to explain and describe the data such as mean median and mode, and inferential statistics are calculations made that infer causational values.

Question 21

Why is mean value sometimes inaccurate?

Answer 21

Outliers have large affects on the final mean values.

Question 22

How is the variance of a data set calculated?

Answer 22

It is the average of the squared differences between the mean and the values.

Question 23

How is the standard deviation calculated?

Answer 23

It is the square root of the variance of a data set.