Practical Issues in the Design and Implementation of Research

Question 1

What are practical issues?

Answer 1

The things a researcher has to think abot when trying to devise a credible and acceptable study which has few issues or criticisms that can lead to a lack of acceptance of findings

Question 2

What does design refer to?

Answer 2

Broarder term for method - planning

Question 3

What does implementation refer to?

Answer 3

How it is put into practice - doing

Question 4

What is an issue with the use of correlations in biological psychology, is there anything that outweighs this negative?

Answer 4

Correlations do not show cause and effect meaning findings lack use, but they do allow us to research naturally occurring variables that would be unethical to induce e.g aggression

Question 5

What issues exist with brain scans in biological psychology?

Answer 5

Sometimes they are unclear - Raine (1997) found some scans were blurry, can’t isolate regions of the brain, could be a lack in internal validity but they are most scientific method of studying the brain

Question 6

What issues exist around self report data in biological psychology?

Answer 6

Use of questionnaires to measure aggression is open to SDB - aggression is an undesirable behaviour, internal validity likely to be lacking

Question 7

What issues are there with twin and adoption studies in biological psychology?

Answer 7

Most people are not a twin or adopted meaning there is a lack of generalisability, could be something about being a twin or being adopted that leads to behaviour being studied

Question 8

What outweighs the negatives of twin and adoption studies?

Answer 8

They are useful to look at nature and nurture, can identify whether aggression is due to the environment or our genes

Question 9

How are the use of animals an issue in learning theories?

Answer 9

Lack of generalisability as humans live more complex lives. Also have to get a license to use animals. Potentially expensive to obtain and look after them.

Question 10

What outweighs the issue of animals in learning theories?

Answer 10

Have shorter lifespan so can measure development quicker. Can conduct experiments that would be unethical on humans. No demand characteristics

Question 11

What issues are there with overt observations in learning theories and how can they be overcome?

Answer 11

Participants likely to unconsciously change their behaviour if they know they are being observed (demand characs) Could use a false aim to overcome this

Question 12

What is an issue with participant observations but how are they beneficial?

Answer 12

May lead to lack of objectivity as might form relationships with participants and interpret behaviour differently. Although, allow for a better understanding of behaviour.

Question 13

What is an issue with non participant observations, what outweighs this?

Answer 13

Potentially demand characteristics - group become suspicious, although allows for objective interpretation of behaviour

Question 14

What is an issue with covert observations, can this be outweighed?

Answer 14

Could be seen as unethical although if done in a punlic place - more ethical

Question 15

What issues are there with content analyses in learning theories?

Answer 15

Descriptive - means you have to infer implications - may be wrong or inaccurate. However, they are useful to form a base for future research

Question 16

What are the issues with case studies in cognitive psychology?

Answer 16

Brain damaged patients - unique, lack generalisability, ideographic - don’t provide general laws, but allow study of something that would be unethical otherwise

Question 17

What are the issues with lab experiments in cognitive psychology?

Answer 17

Demand characteristics - but could conceal aim. Ecological validity - lab may make participants behave unnaturally

Question 18

What issues are there with tests to study memory?

Answer 18

Digit span/primacy recency - lack mundane realism - not how we use memory in daily life

Question 19

What issues are there with repeated measures in cognitive psychology?

Answer 19

Order effects - performance in second condition likely to be better due to practice. Could use counter balancing - alternate the order in which participants do the conditions

Question 20

What is an issue with quantitative data analysis in cognitive psychology?

Answer 20

Lacks detail and is reductionist. Scientific though so more credible and can test for significance

Question 21

What issues are there with sampling in social psychology?

Answer 21

Participant variables - differing individual characteristics of ppts in an experiment. Can use random sampling to overcome this.

Question 22

What issues are there around self report data in social psychology?

Answer 22

SDB - can be overcome by including lie questions or keeping participants anonymous

Question 23

What issues are there with interviews in social psychology?

Answer 23

Unstructured lack reliability but allow for clarity. Structured more reliable but ppts can’t expand on answers. Experimenter effects can be overcome by using same gender.

Question 24

What issues are there with questionnaires in social psychology?

Answer 24

Leading questions - influence answers. Ambiguity - but can do pilot study. Response rates - better online than postal. Demand characteristics but can include filler questions.

Question 25

What issues are there with thematic analysis in social psychology?

Answer 25

Subjective interpretation of themes - lack validity. Lack reliability but can have multiple researchers.

Question 26

What issues are there with cross cultural research in clinical psychology?

Answer 26

Time consuming and are often ethnocentrically biased. Although, can take an emic approach which involves immersing yourself in the culture.

Question 27

What issues are there with the expression of disorders in clinical psychology?

Answer 27

Everyone expresses disorders differently. Must take culture into account as culture influences expression.

Question 28

What issues are there with grounded theory in clinical psychology?

Answer 28

May force data into categories which lacks internal validty. Imposing your own ideas without finding them. But, could have multiple researchers.

Question 29

What are the issues with longitudinal studies in clinical psychology?

Answer 29

Data may be irrelevent by the end of the study. Ppts likely to drop out - especially if overtested as quite invasive. But, no individual differences and no cohort effect.

Question 30

What are the issues with cross sectional studies in clinical psychology?

Answer 30

Comparions made between different groups. Individual differences and cohort effect. (differences in characteristics due to a shared temporal experience e.g WW2)

Question 31

What are the issues with primary data in clinical psychology?

Answer 31

Time consuming, smaller sample but more valid as done for the purpose of your research at the right moment in time rather than being historical

Question 32

What are the issues with secondary data in clinical psychology?

Answer 32

Undisclosed issues with control and validity. May be conducted for a different purpose so not valid. Larger pool of data, quicker, cheaper, no concern for ethics

Question 33

What are the issues with meta analyses in clinical psychology?

Answer 33

Publication bias - null results not published so may be percieved significance when not actually significant. Large pool of data

Question 34

What are the issues associated with attachment in child psychology?

Answer 34

Difficult to generalise from animal studies. Implications can be controversial. Ethnocentrism - different cultural norms, raise children differently.

Question 35

What issues are there with daycare research?

Answer 35

Individual differences - some children have a degree of natural ability. Parents may encourage development of skills at home. Often ignore social skills - important

Question 36

What issues are associated with privation research?

Answer 36

Small samples as it can't be set up, must occur naturally. Few children that form no attachment e.g czech twins - lack internal validity

Question 37

What issues are there with autism research?

Answer 37

Sally Anne test - some children may misunderstand it as done on 5yr olds. Lack internal validity.

Question 38

What issues are there with deprivation research?

Answer 38

Individual differences, few instances, small samples, can't generalise