Quantitative Methods

Question 1

What is Quantitative data?

Answer 1

Data which is represented in numbers. Usually large data sets

Question 2

Is quantitative data generally considered to have high or low validity?

Answer 2

Low validity

Question 3

Is quantitative data generally considered to have high or low reliability?

Answer 3

High reliability

Question 4

Do interpretivists or positivists prefer quantitative data?

Answer 4

Positivists

Question 5

What kinds of questionnaires are there?

Answer 5

Telephone, email, online, postal, face to face

Question 6

True or False: a pratical strength of questionnaires is that there is no need to train interviewers

Answer 6

True

Question 7

True or False: A practical weakness of questionnaires is that they are costly and take a long time to prepare

Answer 7

False - the opposite is true

Question 8

True or false: An ethical strength of questionnaires is that they can be done confidentially/anonymously

Answer 8

True

Question 9

True or false: An ethical weakness of questionnaires is that it can be tricky to gain consent

Answer 9

False - the opposite is true

Question 10

True or false: A practical weakness of questionnaires is that they could have low response rates

Answer 10

True

Question 11

True or false: A practical weakness of questionnaires is that answers are often quite brief (superficial)

Answer 11

True

Question 12

True or false: An ethical strength of questionnaires is that they are good for exploring sensitive issues

Answer 12

False - the opposite is true

Question 13

True or false: A theoretical strength of questionnaires is that researchers know they are getting the truth from their respondents

Answer 13

False - the opposite is true

Question 14

True or false: A theoretical strength of questionnaires is that they typically have large sample sizes

Answer 14

True

Question 15

True or false: A theoretical weakness of questionnaires is that the researcher’s biases can affect the data

Answer 15

False - the opposite is true

Question 16

True or false: A theoretical weakness of questionnaires is that there is no way to clarify the meanings of questions, so participants may misinterpret them

Answer 16

True

Question 17

What is an interview schedule?

Answer 17

A pre-set list of questions to be asked in the interview

Question 18

What is a questionnaire?

Answer 18

A preset list of questions sent out to participants

Question 19

What is a structured interview?

Answer 19

A preset list of questions that a researcher asks a participant, without deviating

Question 20

True or false: A practical strength of structured interviews is that it is cheap and easy to train researchers

Answer 20

True

Question 21

True or false: A practical strength of structured interviews is that data can be easily analysed, thanks to their close-ended questions

Answer 21

True

Question 22

True or false: A practical weakness of structured interviews is that, compared to questionnaires, they are time-consuming and costly

Answer 22

True

Question 23

True or false: A practical weakness of structured interviews is that they can cover large sample sizes, but not as many as questionnaires

Answer 23

True

Question 24

True or false: An ethical strength of structured interviews is that interviewees do not have to answer questions they don’t want to

Answer 24

True

Question 25

True or false: An ethical weakness of questionnaires is that participants can be kept anonymous

Answer 25

False - the opposite is true

Question 26

True or false: An ethical weakness of structured interviews is that they are not suitable for sensitive topics, as there is no opportunity to build rapport and trust

Answer 26

True

Question 27

True or false: A theoretical strength of structured interviews is that there is no room for interviewer bias to affect participant responses

Answer 27

False - the opposite is true

Question 28

True or false: A theoretical weakness of structured interviews is that data can lack verstehen (empathy/understanding) as there is no opportunity for participants to give more information

Answer 28

True

Question 29

True or false: A theoretical strength of structured interviews is that they generally have a higher response rate than questionnaires

Answer 29

True

Question 30

True or false: A theoretical weakness of structured interviews is that they have low reliability

Answer 30

False - the opposite is true

Question 31

What is a non-participant observation?

Answer 31

Where researchers watch a group doing something, but doesn't get involved

Question 32

True or false: A practical strength of non-participant observations is that it is easy to gain access as they are conducted in natural settings

Answer 32

True

Question 33

True or false: A practical weakness of non-participant observations is that it can be difficult to access certain groups, e.g. prisoners

Answer 33

True

Question 34

True or false: A practical strength of non-participant observations is that it is quick to complete

Answer 34

False - the opposite is true

Question 35

True or false: A practical weakness of non-participant observations is that researchers may impact the group they are trying to observe

Answer 35

False - the opposite is true

Question 36

True or false: An ethical strength of non-participant observations is that everyone in the observed group will be happy to engage in the study

Answer 36

False - the opposite is true

Question 37

True or false: An ethical strength of non-participant observations is that every participant is told what the study is about

Answer 37

False - this could reduce the validity of the data (Hawthorne Effect)

Question 38

True or false: An ethical weakness of non-participant observations is that the researcher may be placed in danger, having to gain the group's trust before getting involved

Answer 38

False - researchers aren't getting involved so don't need to gain trust

Question 39

True or false: An ethical weakness of (overt) non-participant observations is that participants are not asked for their consent

Answer 39

False - the opposite is true

Question 40

True or false: A theoretical strength of non-participant observations is that they have high validity

Answer 40

False - there is a lot of room for subjectivity

Question 41

True or false: A theoretical strength of non-participant observations is that they have high reliability

Answer 41

True

Question 42

True or false: A theoretical strength of non-participant observations is that there is no risk of researchers 'going native'

Answer 42

True

Question 43

True or false: A theoretical weakness of non-participant observations is that they are impossible to repeat so are unreliable

Answer 43

False - If the observation is structured

Question 44

What is a lab experiment?

Answer 44

A highly controlled test in an artificial setting to establsh cause and effect

Question 45

True or false: A practical strength of lab experiments is that they are cheap to run, only needing a space to do the study

Answer 45

True

Question 46

True or false: A practical strength of lab experiments is that they are always appropriate for investigating sociology

Answer 46

False - society cannot fit in a lab!

Question 47

True or false: A practical strength of lab experiments is that they are quick, especially for small-scale research

Answer 47

True

Question 48

True or false: A practical weakness of lab experiments is that it is impossible to identify all variables which could affect the experiment (extraneous variables)

Answer 48

True

Question 49

True or false: An ethical strength of lab experiments is that informed consent is gained as participants do not have to take part

Answer 49

True

Question 50

True or false: An ethical strength of lab experiments is that debriefs can be given to participants straight afterwards

Answer 50

True

Question 51

True or false: An ethical weakness of lab experiments is that they could cause harm and distress to participants

Answer 51

True

Question 52

True or false: An ethical weakness of lab experiments is that they could rely on deception

Answer 52

True

Question 53

True or false: A theoretical strength of lab experiments is that the Hawthorne effect cannot take place

Answer 53

False

Question 54

True or false: A theoretical strength of lab experiments is that they can be repeated to increase representativeness

Answer 54

True

Question 55

True or false: A theoretical weakness of lab experiments is that they are subjective, so the researcher could influence the study

Answer 55

False - they are standardised so the opposite is true

Question 56

True or false: A theoretical weakness of lab experiments is that they lack ecological validity as they are done in artifical settings

Answer 56

True

Question 57

What is a field experiment?

Answer 57

A test set in a natural/real life setting

Question 58

True or false: A practical weakness of field experiments is that they are difficult to access compared to lab experiments

Answer 58

False - it is easy to access a natural environment

Question 59

True or false: A practical weakness of field experiments is that it is difficult to control extraneous variables

Answer 59

True

Question 60

True or false: A practical weakness of field experiments is that they cannot be used to study complex problems

Answer 60

True

Question 61

True or false: An ethical strength of field experiments is that participants can be debriefed after the experiment

Answer 61

True

Question 62

True or false: An ethical weakness of field experiments is that participants are likely to be harmed

Answer 62

False - usually only a small change is made to the natural setting

Question 63

True or false: An ethical weakness of field experiments is that it is not always possible to gain informed consent from everyone in the natural setting

Answer 63

True

Question 64

True or false: An ethical strength of field experiments is that there can be no deception

Answer 64

False

Question 65

True or false: A theoretical weakness of field experiments is that the Hawthorne effect can take place

Answer 65

False - this is unlikely, participants are likely to be unaware the experiment is happening

Question 66

True or false: A theoretical weakness of field experiments is that they have low validity, as it is difficult to control extraneous variables

Answer 66

True

Question 67

True or false: A theoretical strength of field experiments is that they have high ecological validity

Answer 67

True

Question 68

What are official statistics?

Answer 68

A secondary data source produced by an official body, e.g. the government or a company

Question 69

True or false: A practical strength of official statistics is that they allow comparisons between different groups, e.g. can be helpful for DA

Answer 69

True

Question 70

True or false: A practical weakness of official statistics is that they are difficult to access

Answer 70

False - they are usually published online

Question 71

True or false: A practical strength of official statistics is that all organisation which collect data use the same definitions for things

Answer 71

False - e.g. sociologists, governments, and charities may all define 'poverty' differently. Definitions can also change over time

Question 72

True or false: A practical weakness of official statistics is that the data sociologists want may not exist/have been collected

Answer 72

True

Question 73

True or false: An ethical strength of official statistics is that there is no risk of participant harm

Answer 73

True - there are no participants

Question 74

True or false: An ethical weakness of official statistics is that it is inappropriate for studying sensitive topics as it is dehumanising

Answer 74

True

Question 75

True or false: A theoretical strength of official statistics is that they can be used to spot patterns and trends

Answer 75

True

Question 76

True or false: A theoretical strength of official statistics is that they are objective

Answer 76

True

Question 77

True or false: A theoretical weakness of official statistics is that there is no verstehen

Answer 77

True

Question 78

True or false: A theoretical weakness of official statistics is that they may have low representativeness if the sample is small

Answer 78

True

Question 79

What are hard statistics?

Answer 79

Data sets where it is likely that all the data has been collected. E.g. marriage rates published by the government must be accurate, as a marriage is not valid unless it is verified by the government

Question 80

What are soft statistics?

Answer 80

Data sets where it is likely that not all the data has been collected. E.g. crime rates, as there is a “hidden figure of crime” that is not included because it is not reported, not recorded properly etc