Research Methods

Question 1

Who are positivists?

Answer 1

Sociologists that prefer scientific, quantitative data.

Question 2

Who are interpretavists?

Answer 2

Sociologists that prefer in-depth, qualitative data.

Question 3

What are some PET issues?

Answer 3

1. Practical
   Money, time and access.
2. Ethical
   Informed consent, confidentiality, psychological harm.
3. Theoretical
   Reliability, validity and representativeness.

Question 4

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 4

A possible explanation.
Positivists - as it gives a cause and effect relationship / direction of focus.

Question 5

What is an aim?

Answer 5

Attempting to achieve something.
Interpretivists - see what is important later = open-minded.

Question 6

What does it mean to operationalise concepts?

Answer 6

Make a concept measurable so it is clear to other researchers.

Question 7

What is a pilot study?

Answer 7

Mini-scale replica of study carried out beforehand to iron out any problems and/or clarify question = finalise everything.

Question 8

What are the 3 problems when researching pupils?

Answer 8

Hill - 3 major differences between a child and adult.

Power and status - young = difficult to state attitude openly when challenging adults.

Ability - limited for abstract ideas.

Vulnerability - child protection issues. Consent of both parent and child.

Question 9

What is the problem when researching teachers?

Answer 9

May put on a ‘show’ to look better and profesional = protect careers.

Question 10

What is the problem when researching classrooms?

Answer 10

Highly controlled setting –> difficult to uncover real attitudes.
+ pupils may need to conform to peers in a classroom.

Question 11

What is the problem when researching parents?

Answer 11

Parents may undergo impression management –> to shine a positive light by exaggerating their involvement with their kids.
+ difficult to contact without school’s cooperation.

Question 12

What is the problem when researching schools?

Answer 12

A closed and hierarchical organisation.
Gatekeepers (headmasters, etc.) may say no to hide poor control –> keep reputation.
+ school records are confidential = no access.

Question 13

What are experiments?

Answer 13

Studies conducted in highly controlled environments like a lab where the IV can be manipulated.

Question 14

What is a laboratory experiment? Favoured by ___

Answer 14

Controlled environment where IV is changed/manipulated.
Positivists

Question 15

What are the advantages of a lab experiment?

Answer 15

1. Highly reliable –> can be repeated (T)
2. Can establish cause and effect relationships.

Question 16

What are the disadvantages of a lab experiment?

Answer 16

1. Artificial environment –> may not reflect real world (T)
2. Hawthorne effect (T)
3. Informed consent (E)
4. Deception (E)

Question 17

What are field experiments?

Answer 17

Done in the real world where a situation is created or adapted.

Question 18

What are the advantages of a field experiment?

Answer 18

1. Less artificial –> more generalisable to real life settings (T).
2. No Hawthorne effect –> higher validity (T)

Question 19

What are the disadvantages of a field experiment?

Answer 19

1. No informed consent (E)
2. Less control over variables so cause and effect relationship may not be accurate (T)

Question 20

What are questionnaires? Favoured by ______.

Answer 20

Written, self-complete, social survey questions handed out via post, email or hand outs.
Positivists

Question 21

What are the advantages of using questionnaires?

Answer 21

1. Cheap and quick (P) - no need to recruit and train interviewers.
2. Representative - large geographical widespread (T).
3. No obligation to answer (E)
4. Highly reliable - easily repeated with pre-set questions. (T)

Question 22

What are the disadvantages of using questionnaires?

Answer 22

1. Poor response rate –> low representativeness (T).
2. Unrepresentative as certain type of people may answer - e.g., unemployed as they have time (T).
3. Low validity - may lie or exaggerate (T).
4. If participant doesn’t understand question –> incorrect answer.
   + If research cannot understand an answer, they cannot ask any follow up questions.

Question 23

Name and explain the 3 types of interviews.

Answer 23

1. Structured - same, standardised set of questions.
2. Semi-structured - set of questions but can probe for more info.
3. Unstructured - complete freedom with questions.

Question 24

Structured interviews are favoured by ___. What are the advantages?

Answer 24

Positivists
1. Training interviewers is cheap and easy (P).
2. Representative - geographically wide sample (T).
3. Easily repeated = reliable (T).

Question 25

What are the disadvantages of using structured interviews?

Answer 25

1. Lack of validity --> interviewee may not be able to express their ideas (T). 2. Low validity --> interviewees may lie or exaggerate (T).

Question 26

Unstructured interviews are favoured by ___. What are the advantages?

Answer 26

Interpretivists. 1. Rapport (trust) is built --> better relations = more open up. 2. Validity --> like a conversation so people are more likely to be truthful (T). 3. Flexibility --> interviewer can come up with questions on the spot to check understanding or investigate new ideas.

Question 27

What are the disadvantages of using unstructured interviews?

Answer 27

1. Expensive and time-consuming to train interviewers + more time for each interviewee (P). 2. Not reliable --> cannot be repeated by another researcher (T). 3. Unrepresentative --> typically smaller sample size (T).

Question 28

What are the advantages of semi-structured interviews?

Answer 28

1. Large amount of detail (T) 2. Easier to analyse than unstructured (P). 3. Fairly flexible.

Question 29

What are the disadvantages of semi-structured interviews?

Answer 29

1. May lie or exaggerate = lower validity (T). 2. Difficult to compare answers.

Question 30

Interviews are a social interaction. Through this ^ what are the ways validity can be threatened?

Answer 30

1. Interviewer bias: leading questions un/consciously influence answer. Through tone and body language. 2. Cultural differences: misunderstandings of the same word + culture gap --> interviewers difficult to tell if they're being lied to. 3. Social desirability effect: seek approval --> best and favourable answers to shine light on good behaviour.

Question 31

Name and explain the 4 types of observations.

Answer 31

1. Participant - takes part in activities. 2. Non-participant - simply observes. 3. Overt - true identity and aim. 4. Covert- undercover.

Question 32

What are the advantages of participant observations?

Answer 32

1. Insight info on motives and reasons (5 W's) rich detail (T). 2. High validity --> first-hand, authentic and natural setting (T).

Question 33

What are the disadvantages of participant observations?

Answer 33

1. Unreliable --> cannot be repeated (T). 2. Hawthorne effect --> low validity (T). 3.Problems getting in, staying and leaving (P).

Question 34

What are the advantages of non-participant observations?

Answer 34

1. Valid -->limited risk of researcher 'going native' - learning and accepting group's way so they stay.

Question 35

What are the disadvantages of non-participant observations?

Answer 35

1. Not reliable --> cannot be repeated (T). 2. Not representative --> small sample (T).

Question 36

What are the advantages of overt observations?

Answer 36

1. Informed consent (E). 2. Can openly take notes (P). 3. Can use interviews for more info. (T)

Question 37

What are the disadvantages of overt observations?

Answer 37

1. Time-consuming (P) 2. Hawthorne effect --> low validity (T)

Question 38

What are the advantages of covert observations?

Answer 38

1. More valid than over as there is no Hawthorne effect (T). 2. More insight and in-depth detail (T)

Question 39

What are the disadvantages of covert observations?

Answer 39

1. Deceive people (E) 2. Have to gain trust and acceptance into group --> may be difficult and time-consuming (P)

Question 40

What are secondary sources? Examples.

Answer 40

Research and info. collected by others. Documents and official statistics.

Question 41

What are official statistics? Favoured by _____.

Answer 41

Quantitative data gathered by the government bodies. Positivists

Question 42

What are the advantages of using official statistics?

Answer 42

1. Cheap and easy to access --> usually free through Office of National Statistics website (P) 2. Representative --> covers whole nation (T). 3. Can compare trends over time (e.g. census every 10 years).

Question 43

What are the disadvantages of using official statistics?

Answer 43

1. Used for government's own benefit --> may not cover what sociologist wants. 2. Definitions may differ (e.g. what government defines poverty vs sociologist). 3. Low validity -->dark figure on soft statistics like crime.

Question 44

What are soft and hard statistics?

Answer 44

Hard - births, deaths, divorces. Is recorded. Soft - crime, petty theft. Dark figure. Not all recorded.

Question 45

What are documents? Types?

Answer 45

Written text like diaries, newspapers, letters, etc. Personal or historical.

Question 46

What are the advantages of using personal documents?

Answer 46

1. Valid --> genuine insight for personal reasons (T). 2. Cheap and quick (P).

Question 47

What are the disadvantages of using personal documents?

Answer 47

1. Some groups may not produce --> e.g. no literacy skills or time (T). 2. Personal bias (T).

Question 48

What are the advantages of using historical documents?

Answer 48

1. Allows for comparisons over time. 2. Useful when assessing outcomes of various social policies.

Question 49

What are the disadvantages of using historical documents?

Answer 49

1. Unrepresentative --> there may be lost or damaged material (T). 2. Authenticity --> is it valid. Who wrote it? Are there errors or missing pages?