Research methods

Question 1

What is a pilot study and what can it help with? (2)

Answer 1

• Pilot study refers to small-scale investigations taken before the study
• Useful to identify issues in methodology

Question 2

How do you conduct a conduct analysis? (4)

Answer 2

• Identify key/recurrent themes
• Give an example of a possible theme
• Work through data (questionnaires, interviews)
• Tally the occurrences of each theme

Question 3

Two ways of assessing reliability

Answer 3

• Test-retest (repeat test at different times)
• Inter-rater (have second researcher)

Question 4

Inter-rater reliability step-by-step (4)

Answer 4

• Have a second researcher working on a study
• Forms separate content analysis
• Find a correlation between both tallies
• Accepted when correlation >0.8

Question 5

What does significant at the p<0.05 level mean? (2)

Answer 5

• The difference is significant at 0.05 level
• So there is a less than 5% chance of the results being down to chance

Question 6

Ordinal data

Answer 6

Artificial order, numbered (happiness scale)

Question 7

Interval data

Answer 7

Temperature

Question 8

Nominal data

Answer 8

Qualitative categories (eye colour)

Question 9

Pneumonic for remembering statistical tests

Answer 9

Space weather readily contains many UFOs chasing space pigs

Question 10

What is the abstract?

Answer 10

Brief summary (150 words) of aims, results, conclusions etc of study

Question 11

What are the two types of sampling in observations?

Answer 11

1.Event sampling (note every event)
2. Time sampling (sample at specific intervals)

Question 12

How would you obtain a stratified sample? (4)

Answer 12

• Identify the sub-groups
• Determine relative proportions for each group
• Using a random number generator
• Select a random sample from each group

Question 13

If the mean, median and mode is the same, what does this tell you about the distribution?

Answer 13

Normal distribution

Question 14

If the mean is less than the mode the graph is…

Answer 14

Negatively skewed

Question 15

If the mean is higher than the mode the graph is…

Answer 15

Postively skewed

Question 16

What situation would you use a scattergram in?

Answer 16

Relationship between two variables

Question 17

What is a type I error?

Answer 17

Incorrectly rejecting a null hypothesis

The researcher has falsely claimed a relationship between the variables

Question 18

What is a type II error?

Answer 18

Accepting the null hypothesis when it is false

Here, the effect exists, but is thought not to be

Question 19

Why should research be replicated?

Answer 19

• Effects found in one study are much more likely to be reliable if they are replicated in another study

This can be referred to as increasing external validity

Question 20

What is the abstract?

Answer 20

• Short summary of experiment, including methodology and findings
• 150 words

Question 21

Where is raw data stored in a report?

Answer 21

Appendix

Question 22

What is the discussion used for?

Answer 22

• Translating data into pyschological effects/principles
• Asesses strengths and flaws of experiment
• implications and possible further studies can be stated

Question 23

What is peer review and why is it used?

Answer 23

• Research judged by independent experts to check quality and see if it should be published
• Ensures research is valid and trustable

Question 24

What is the abstract?

Answer 24

• Short summary of experiment, inlcluding methodology and findings