Research Methods Flashcards
1
Q
What are two strengths of independent groups design?
A
- No order effects (tested once), no EV/CV, no practice/fatigue
- Won’t guess aim so behaviour is natural
2
Q
What are two limitations of independent groups design?
A
- Participant variables- different participants each group, EV/CV
- Less economical- need twice participants as repeated measures
3
Q
What are two strengths of repeated measures design?
A
- No participant variables (same people), controls EV/CV
- Fewer participants- compared to independent groups
4
Q
What are two limitations of repeated measures design?
A
- Order effects- similar task twice, EV/CV, practice/fatigue effect
- Guess aims- more likely when in both conditions, change behaviour
5
Q
What are two strengths of matched pairs design?
A
- Fewer participant variables- reduced through matching
- No order effects (tested once), no EV/CV, no practice/fatigue
6
Q
What are two limitations of matched pairs design?
A
- Imperfect matching- takes time, not all relevant variables
- Less economical- need twice as many as repeated measures
7
Q
What are two strengths of lab experiments?
A
- EVs/CVs controlled- demonstrates causation
- Easily replicated- so can confirm findings
8
Q
What are two limitations of lab experiments?
A
- Low generalisability- artificial, so low external validity
- Demand characteristics- participants aware of being studied
9
Q
What are two strengths of field experiments?
A
- More authentic- own environment, generalisable
- Participants unaware of being studied- more usual behaviour
10
Q
What are two limitations of field experiments?
A
- CVs/EVs harder to control- cause/effect not shown
- Ethical issues- informed consent difficult, invasion of privacy
11
Q
What are two strengths of natural experiments?
A
- Ethical option- in cases where can’t manipulate IV
- External validity- real-world issues, more relevant
12
Q
What are two limitations of natural experiments?
A
- Rare natural event- ‘one off’, reduces ability to generalise
- No random allocation- as IV is pre-existing, CVs uncontrolled
13
Q
What are two strengths of quasi-experiments?
A
- High control- often lab so replication possible
- Comparisons between pre-existing types of people
14
Q
What are two limitations of quasi-experiments?
A
- No random allocation- pre-existing IV, CVs
- No causation- no control over IV, unknown what causes changes in DV
15
Q
What is one strength of random sampling?
A
Potentially unbiased
16
Q
What is one limitation of random sampling?
A
Representativeness not guaranteed
17
Q
What are two strengths of systematic sampling?
A
- Unbiased
- Objective
18
Q
What is one limitation of systematic sampling?
A
More time/effort
19
Q
What are two strengths of stratified sampling?
A
- Representative
- Generalisable
20
Q
What is one limitation of stratified sampling?
A
Imperfect stratification
21
Q
What are three strengths of opportunity sampling?
A
- Quick
- Cheaper
- Most common
22
Q
What is one limitation of opportunity sampling?
A
Inevitably biased
23
Q
What is one strength of volunteer sampling?
A
Willing participants so more engaged
24
Q
What is one limitation of volunteer sampling?
A
Volunteer bias
25
What is one strength of observations?
Capture what people do
26
What is one limitation of observations?
Observer bias
27
What is one strength of naturalistic observations?
High external validity
28
What is one limitation of naturalistic observations?
Low control
29
What is one strength of controlled observations?
Replication possible
30
What is one limitation of controlled observations?
Low external validity
31
What is one strength of covert observations?
Fewer demand characteristics
32
What is one limitation of covert observations?
Ethically questionable
33
What is one strength of overt observations?
More ethically acceptable
34
What is one limitation of overt observations?
Some demand characteristics
35
What is one strength of participant observations?
Greater insight so enhances external validity
36
What is one limitation of participant observations?
Possible loss of objectivity
37
What is one strength of non-participant observations?
More objective so higher internal validity
38
What is one limitation of non-participant observations?
Loss of insight- too distant
39
What are two limitations of behavioural categories?
- Difficult to be unambiguous
- Dustbin categories
40
What is one strength of event sampling?
Records infrequent behaviour
41
What is one limitation of event sampling?
Complex behaviour oversimplified
42
What is one strength of time sampling?
Reduces observations
43
What is one limitation of time sampling?
Miss things outside of time frame
44
What are two strengths of correlations?
- Useful starting point, future experiments
- Relatively economical, eg. use secondary data
45
What are two limitations of correlations?
- No cause and effect shown
- Intervening variables missed, wrong conclusions
46
What are two strengths of questionnaires?
- Lots of data because given to lots of people
- Fixed-choice questions so easy to analyse
47
What are two limitations of questionnaires?
- Social desirability
- Response bias
48
What is one strength of structured interviews?
Easy to replicate
49
What is one limitation of structured interviews?
Interviewers cannot elaborate
50
What is one strength of unstructured interviews?
Points followed up so increases insight
51
What is one limitation of unstructured interviews?
More chance of interviewer bias
52
What is one strength of closed questions?
Easier to analyse and draw conclusions
53
What is one limitation of closed questions?
Responses are restricted
54
What is one strength of open questions?
Detailed, unexpected responses
55
What is one limitation of open questions?
More difficult to analyse
56
What is one strength of qualitative data?
Richness of detail
57
What is one limitation of qualitative data?
Difficult to analyse
58
What is one strength of quantitative data?
Comparisons possible, eg. using graphs
59
What is one limitation of quantitative data?
Expresses less meaning
60
What is one strength of primary data?
Tailored to the study itself
61
What is one limitation of primary data?
Requires time and therefore expense
62
What is one strength of secondary data?
Inexpensive, data already exists
63
What is one limitation of secondary data?
Quality may be poor or mismatch aims
64
What is one strength of a meta-analysis?
Conclusions have greater validity
65
What is one limitation of a meta-analysis?
Publication bias, not all relevant studies included, lowers validity
66
What is one strength of the mean?
Sensitive measure that includes all scores
67
What is one limitation of the mean?
Easily distorted by extreme values
68
What is the strength of the median?
Less affected by extremes
69
What is the limitation of the median?
Extreme values may be important
70
What is one strength of the mode?
Relevant to categorical data
71
What is one limitation of the mode?
Overly simple, crude measure
72
What is one strength of the range?
Easy to calculate
73
What is one limitation of the range
No account of distribution
74
What is one strength of standard deviation?
More precise than range
75
What is one limitation of standard deviation?
Can be distorted by extreme values
76
What is one strength of peer review?
Aims to protect the quality of research
77
What are three limitations of peer review?
- Anonymous, may criticise rival research
- Publication bias
- Groundbreaking research buried
78
What are two strengths of case studies?
- Can provide new insights
- Allows study of both unusual and typical behaviour
79
What are two limitations of case studies?
- Subjective selection of data and biased accounts
- Small, unique sample, low generalisability
80
What are two strengths of content analysis?
- Ethical issues avoided- eg. consent not always needed
- Flexible method- adapt to aims of research (quantitative and qualitative)
81
What are two limitations of content analysis?
- Communication studied out of context- reduces validity
- May lack objectivity- choice of categories may depend on researcher's personal views
