EVALUATION POINTS Flashcards

Question

OBSERVATIONS 1 + 2 -

Answer 1

They capture what people actually do What people say and what people do can be very different! + There is the possibility of observer bias Our interpretation of what we see can be influenced by our expectations - You cannot establish cause and effect with an observation Although do note that observational techniques may be used in experiments and aid in detecting cause and effect relationships -

Answer 2

Unstructured observations + Appropriate when observations are small in scale and involve few participants, e.g. observing interactions between a couple and a therapist in a marriage guidance counselling session +Richness and depth of detail in data collected (qualitative data) -There may be too much going on in an observation to record it all

Answer 3

Structured observations +Recording data is easier and more systematic (quantitative data) -Lack of richness and depth of data

Answer 4

A useful preliminary tool for research – often used as a starting point to assess possible relationships or links between variables before researchers commit to an experimental study. A useful research method to use when it is not possible or not ethical to carry out an experimental study into an area.

Answer 5

This means that correlations can be misinterpreted by the media and society when a link has been found between two variables. Some may assume a conclusion can be made about the causes for the relationship (e.g. that one co-variable caused a change in the other co-variable) which can then be misused by the public to support or contradict an argument Correlations cannot establish cause and effect. For example, imagine we are studying the link between stress and illness and we have found a positive correlation between the two. We don’t know ‘which comes first’ – is it stress causing illness or is it illness causing stress? There may also be intervening ‘hidden’ variables here as well, e.g. being stressed leads to unhealthy behaviours such as poor diet and it is these unhealthy behaviours contribute to illness.

Answer 6

With any self-report method there is no guarantee that participants will answer truthfully. They may answer in a way that makes them ‘look good’. This can create a bias known as social desirability bias. This is a problem because it means we are not gathering valid (accurate) data.

Answer 7

The researcher does not need to be present when a participant completes a questionnaire as they can be carried out online or distributed via post or email. This means that we can study people who are geographically distinct.

Answer 8

Questionnaires rely on people completing and returning them to the researcher. Questionnaires require a certain level of literacy.

Answer 9

Structured interviews, like questionnaires, are straightforward to replicate due to their standardised format. The standardised format also reduces differences between interviewers. There is much more flexibility in an unstructured interview. The interviewer can follow up points as they arise and is much more likely to gain insight into the worldview of the interviewee, including eliciting unexpected information. A skilled and experienced interviewer should be able to create a rapport between researcher and participant, allowing for the discussion of sensitive and personal topics.

Answer 10

Given the nature of structured interviews, it is not possible for interviewers to deviate from the topic or explain their questions. This will limit the richness of the data collected as well as limit unexpected information. Analysis of data from an unstructured interview is not straightforward as the researcher may have to sift through much irrelevant information, and drawing firm conclusions may be difficult. There is the risk of bias, including both interviewer bias, where the interviewer might control the discussion and interpret responses in the way that fits in with their expectations, and also social desirability bias when interviewees lie to ‘look good’.