Day 16 Flashcards
The research process in summary
Finding a research idea, knowing what has already been done. Posing a testable question, choosing an appropriate research design, pilot testing methods, recruiting subjects, ensuring the testing skills of the researcher, collecting the data and analyzing the data.
Issue of research design
Ethical and practical constraints of the methods that can be an issue.
Pilot testing
Important for any research project. Especially important when working with children or elderly adults. ex: DO they understand the questions? Are they reacting correctly?
Recruiting subjects
Time-consuming and difficult in many cases. Locating appropriate subjects and providing incentive for participants. Working with kids:working with the school. Working with elderly: working with organizations.
Testing skills of the experimenter
Skills in using the researcher methods employed in the study. Avoiding experimenter effects. Skill in working with the subjects of the experimenter.
Longitudinal Research
The sample is tested at least twice. Different from a repeated measures.
Problems with longitudinal research
Expensive and time consuming. Possible obsolescence of the measure used. Equivalence of measures appropriate for different age groups. Represents of the sample, selective drop out, practice and/or reactivity effects.
Cohort effect
Confounding of age with historical time period. Extend which these are an issue will depend in part on the researcher or participant.
Advantages of longitudinal design
Control of individual differences, provides a direct measure of change, Allows us to study of the effects of something that is earlier to something later, Can provide important data for later studies.
Cross sectional
Different ages, same time. Cannot measure change/ differences problem with cross sections. Comprability of groups Attrition during testing confounds of age with cohort. Equivalence of measure used with different age groups.
