Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Sociology - Education with special links to research methods > Topic 7 - Research Methods > Flashcards

Topic 7 - Research Methods Flashcards

1
Q

What is a Lab experiment

A

These are experiments that take place in controlled environments and aim to use the scientific method to test a specific hypothesis. This is then used to find a cause-and-effect relationship between two variables. (positivists)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

P advantages and disadvantages of Lab Experiments

A

advantages
-Attractive to funding bodies due to their scientific nature.
-Researchers can easily conduct the experiment as respondents come to them, so they don’t have to travel

disadvantages
-Often small scale
-Time consuming
- cannot be used to study the past

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

E advanatges and disadvantages of Lab Experiments

A

adavtanges
-If informed consent is given, no deception is involved

disadvantges
-Many experiments often conceal the real aims of the research.
-Therefore, informed consent is not always fully given.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

T advantges and disadvnatges of Lab experiments

A

advantages
-Highly reliable, as variables are easily controlled, produces quantitative data and is a very detached and objective method

disadvantges
-Lack validity due to ‘Hawthorne Effect’
-As they’re small scale, they’re often not representative.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Lab experiments exmaple:

A

Milgram - Obedience to Authority - electric shock experiment (1974)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is a Field experiment

A

Researchers manipulate an independent variable and measure a dependent variable in the natural environment.

Interpretivists

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

P advatntages and disadtanges of feild experiements

A

advatnges
-Larger scale research than lab experiments

disadvatnges
-Less control over variables
-Few situations can be adapted to become field experiments
-lack of research opportunity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

E advatnges and disadvantges of feild experiments

A

-Possibly less hierarchical than lab experiments

-Deception
-Lack of informed consent

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

T advatnges and disadvantes of feild experiments

A

-Less artificial
-Highly valid

-Lower reliability in comparison to lab experiments

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Example of feild experiemnts

A

Rosethal and Jacobson - Pygmalion in the classroom (1968)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are questionares

A

A set list of questions, asked in the same way every time. They are usually self-completion but can be done over the phone or face-to-face Usually consist of mainly closed questions which creates quantitative data. Can have open questions as well
positivists

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

P advantages and disadvantges of questionares

A

-Quick and cheap to carry out
-Can be sent to respondents in a variety of ways e.g. email, post, phone call
-Gather large quantities of data
- access to subjects is easy
-easy to quantify the results

-May have a low response rate
-People may not be honest when filling it out
-Questions are inflexible, unlike unstructured interviews
-Only ‘snapshots’ of reality in one moment in time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

E advatnges and disadvantages of questionares

A

-Informed consent given
-Neither researcher or respondents are put at any risk

-May ask sensitive/intrusive questions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

T advatnges and disadvantages of questionaress

A

-Highly reliable
-Highly representative as they study a large sample
-Positivists argue they are objective and scientific as the sociologist’s personal involvement is kept to a minimum.

-Not very high in validity
-Questions asked may impose the researcher’s meanings
- representativeness may be undermined by low response rates

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

exmaple of questionaress

A

2011 census

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is a structred interview

A

An interview that follows a list of pre-set questions Interviewees choose from a limited list of possible answers They are usually done face-to-face or over the phone.Usually consist of mainly closed-ended questions which creates quantitative data
positivists

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

P advantages and disadvantges of structured interview

A

-Relatively quick to carry out as there are fixed questions
-can cover quite large numbers of people because they are quick and fairly cheap to administer
-Results are easily quantified because they use closed-ended questions with pre-coded answers.

-Employing and training interviewers is costly
-Research subjects may not be open
-Inflexible - makes it impossible for the interviewer to pursue any interesting leads that may emerge.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

E advnatges and disadvantges of structured interviews

A

-Informed consent given
-Neither researcher or respondents are put at any risk

-Sensitive questions may be asked which can cause ‘psychological harm’.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

T advnatges and disadvantes of structured intervioews

A

-Highly reliable due to fixed questions
-Larger scale than unstructured interviews, making it more representative

-Lacking validity due to fixed questions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

exmaple of structured interview

A

Young and Wilmott - Family and Kinship in East London (1962)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What are unstructured interviews

A

An interview that asks mainly open-ended questions. There are no fixed set to ask every person. They produce qualitative meaningful data Guided by the interviewee as well as the interviewer Free-flowing, so similar to a natural conversation A strong relationship is built between the interviewer and interviewee
interpretivists

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

P advatnges and disadvantges of unstructured interview

A

-Easy to carry out, as it just like a conversation
-Cheap to carry out

-Time consuming compared to qualitative methods
-Requires good interpersonal skills

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

E advatages and disadvantges of unstructured interviews

A

-Good for sensitive topics
-Less hierarchical than structured interviews

-In depth answers makes there more potential to harm respondent if confidentiality is harmed.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

T advantges and disadvantes of unstaructured interviews

A

-Highly valid as interviewer builds a rapport with interviewee
-Researcher can adapt questions based on the responses they’re getting

-Typically, lowly reliable
-Not very representative

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Example of unstructured interviews
Dobash and Dobash - Violence Against Wives (1980)
26
What are group interviews
the researcher talks to a group of people at the same time, rather than discussing with individuals. interpretivists
27
P advantges and disaadvnatges of group interviews
Saves time talking to a large group of people at the same time. Researcher will have to be trained to know how to work with a group.
28
Ethical advnatges and disadvbatges of group interviews
People may be more open to share with others who feel similarly about a certain topic Deception may have to be involved
29
T advantages and disadvnatges of group interviews
reliable as can be repeated with same people Lack of validity due to social desirability
30
Example of group interviews
Willis - Learning to Labour (1977)
31
What are semi structured interviews
A semi-structured interview is one where the interviewer does have a list of questions they intend to ask, but they are happy to ask supplementary questions if required or to leave out questions if deemed necessary. interpretivists
32
P advabtges and disadvatges of semi structured interviews
Training in needed to be able to guide the interview and decide when supplementary questions are necessary.
33
E advantages and disdavnatges of semi structured interviews
Questions can be left out to avoid trauma affecting validity Deception may have to be involved. May be harmful.
34
T advatnges and disadvnatges of semi structured interviews
Validity can be increased with follow up questions. Not reliable as the questions may not be planned so cannot repeat them.
35
examples of semi structured inerviews
Archer - Race, masculinity and schooling (2003)
36
What is non participant observation
The researcher observes from a distance/ without taking part
37
P adcanatges and disadvantges of non particpant
They generally use a small-scale research sample. Less time.
38
E advantgaes and disadvantges of non participant
There is limited risk of the researcher ‘going native’. Losing objectivity.
39
T advnatges and disavnatges of non partcipant
There is limited risk of the researcher ‘going native’. Lowering validity. Each observation will be subjective, and therefore the results cannot be repeated. They generally use a small-scale research sample.less representable.
40
Example of non particpant observation
ofstead inspection
41
what is particpant observation
The researcher takes part in the observation or in the participants life
42
P advantges and disadvantge of particpant observation
Data generated is rich in detail and offers insight into social behaviour. Details may take longer.
43
E advnatges and disadvantges of particpant observation
Informed consent not given The hawthorne ii identifies with the group, conflicting interests
44
T advantges and disadvnatges of particpant observation
Groups are observed in a natural and authentic setting, therefore the data is more likely to be a true account of the group’s behaviour. Data generated is rich in detail and offers insight into social behaviour.
45
Example of particpant observation
Venkatesh Gang Leader of a day
46
what is covert observation
where the researcher is "undercover"; the participants are unaware that they are being observed.
47
P advanatgesa nd didasvantges of covert observation
Takes a long time to take on a role, learn the language and behaviour. Group may be hard to access - deviant groups eg Researcher has to gain trust and acceptance (this may be time consuming).
48
E advantges and disadvnatges of covert observation
Ethical issues - it is immoral to deceive people.
49
T advantges and diasdvantges of covert observation
No hawthorne effect then higher validity
50
Examples of covert observation
Humphreys - The Tearoom Trade (1970)
51
What is overt observation
where those being observed are aware of the fact.
52
P advantgesa nd diasvantges of overt ovservation
They can be relatively time consuming. Takes less time than covert where a role has to be learnt
53
E advbatges and disadvnatges of overt observation
Less ethical issues than covert because the participants know they are being researched
54
T advnatges and disadvantges of overt observations
Higher level of reliability than covert. The observer can openly take notes increasing validity. Difficult to repeat. Usually a small sample size, decreasing represnetibaily.
55
Example of overt observations
Venkatesh Gang Leader of a day
56
what are official statistsics
Official statistics are statistics published by government agencies or other public bodies
57
P advnatges and diasadvantages of official statitics
-free source -statistics allow comparisons between groups -because they are collected at regular intervals, they show trends and patterns over time. -data may not be available on the topics we're interested in -the definitions that the state uses in collecting data may be different from those of the sociologist would use.- makes comparisons difficult.
58
E advnatges and dosadvantages of official statistics
-statistics have already been complied so any ethical issues would have been taken care of. -the collection of statistics may have harmful effects -the collection of statistics may be about surveillance and control
59
T advantages and disadvnatges of offical statics
-as they cover very large numbers they're often very representative. E.g. statistics gathered by compulsory registration like births and deaths -highly reliable -statistics produced from official surveys, may be less representative because they are only based on a sample of the relevant population. -Validity is questionable - 'soft' statistics are less valid.
60
Example of official statistcs
Census Ofsted and DofE statistics on education Official crime statistics ONS
61
What are public documents
Public or official documents are documents created by organisations such as government departments, businesses, and charities. They are usually in the form of reports and are available for public inspection by anyone who is interested.
62
P advantages and diasdvantges of public documents
Takes no time Easily accessible online Absolutely free It may take a lot of time to go through the documents if they are in-depth.
63
E advnatges and doisadvnatge of public documents
No ethical issues as they are publically available
64
T advantges and disadvatages of public documents
High validity as they are from official governing bodies. Reliable, like the census repeated each year. They may be representative of a wider population e.g. a government inquiry into the standard of prisons is likely to represent the prison population. May not be that valid as the data may not reflect the exact research subject.
65
exmaple of public documents
Ofsted Reports Black report
66
what are personal documents
These are written documents that were created with the intention of keeping them to oneself or to show to certain trusted individuals. Personal documents generally express personal thoughts and feelings and thus are not intended for public viewing.
67
P advantges and disadvantages of personal documents
They can be easy to access if the owner(s) are willing to reveal them. Going through personal documents may be time-consuming.
68
E advantages and disadvantages of personal documents
There are access issues as those with personal documents may not be willing to share them. As they were not intended for public viewing (or in the case of diaries, anyone at all), there are ethical issues in studying personal documents.
69
T advanatges and disadvantges of personal documents
As they are written to express thoughts and feelings, they give in-depth insights into the authors' perspectives. They are therefore high in validity. Low validity - The subjective nature of personal documents means there is likely to be interpretational bias when considering the meaning of the documents. Personal documents may not always contain the truth; this undermines their validity.
70
Examples of personal documents
The diary of Anne Frank
71
What are historical documents
Historical documents are documents from the past. They are categorised mainly by their time of creation; as such, they can include official documents (such as past government inquiries), or personal documents (such as letters).
72
P advnatges and disavantges of historical documents
Public historical documents, such as records and reports, may be easily accessible. It can be difficult to find or access some historical documents
73
E advnatges and disadvnatges of historical documents
Historical private documents present ethical issues - issues as those with personal documents may not be willing to share them.
74
T advnatges and disadvnatges of historical documents
Validity issues It may be difficult to verify the authenticity of some historical documents. For example, the author or the purpose of the document may be unknown. Words and meanings change over time; this can affect the interpretation of the information.
75
Example of historical documents
Aries - Centuries of childhood (1960) looked at medieval paintings

Sociology - Education with special links to research methods (8 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions