Research Methods Non-experimental

Question 1

content analysis definition

Answer 1

allows researchers to analyse qualitative behaviour by transforming it into quantitative data - researcher uses coding units

Question 2

how to assess reliability in content analysis

Answer 2

1 test-retest = give the same test to the same p’s multiple times to assess if it yields similar results
2 inter-rater reliability = another researcher involved, agree of behavioural categories then separately conduct analysis of behaviour then come together and compare results

Question 3

thematic analysis definition

Answer 3

researcher analyses data looking for recurring themes within the piece and reports them in qualitative form

Question 4

correlations strengths

Answer 4

-a useful preliminary tool to identify possible trends before conducting large scale experiments
-useful way of studying areas that it would be unethical to test in an experiment

Question 5

correlations weaknesses

Answer 5

-cant establish cause and effect
-dont know which variable effects another and may be extraneous variables

Question 6

6 features that make psychology scientific

Answer 6

-paradigm
-replicability
-objectivity
-falsification
-scientific method
-theory construction and hypothesis testing

Question 7

paradigm definiton

Answer 7

an agreement upon a set of theoretical assumptions about a subject and its method of enquiry - psychology is a pre-science as there are multiple explanations for same behaviour

Question 8

replicability definition

Answer 8

a method or finding can be repeated to see if results are similar - if results are the same over and over again we can be sure of the accuracy

Question 9

objectivity definition

Answer 9

researchers should remain value free and avoid bias and personal or subjective ideas are eliminated

Question 10

falsifiability definition

Answer 10

a proposition or theory could only be considered scientific if its possible to establish it as false if not it reduces credibility

Question 11

theory construction and hypothesis testing definition

Answer 11

theories/laws about the world should come first and these should be used to generate expectations/hypotheses which can be testified and falsified - the more research supporting a theory the more robust it is

Question 12

scientific method definition

Answer 12

must utilise scientific methods of research associated with control and should be conducted systematically with little influence of extraneous variables and bias - IV is isolated and manipulated