Self-Report, Correlations and Data Analysis

• What is a strength of using questionnaires in research?


  They are cost-effective and can collect a large amount of data quickly.
• Why might participants be willing to share more information in questionnaires?


  Because they can remain anonymous.
• What is a potential issue with social desirability bias in questionnaires?


  It can lead to a loss of validity in the data collected.
• What is a limitation of interpreting questions in questionnaires?


  People may interpret questions in different ways.
• What is a consequence of not being able to clarify ambiguous questions in questionnaires?


  It can lead to misunderstandings and inaccurate responses.
• What is response bias in questionnaires?


  It refers to tendencies that affect how participants respond, such as central tendency bias.
• What is a challenge when distributing questionnaires en masse?


  Response rates are often poor, and only certain types of people may return them.
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of unstructured interviews?


  Strengths:

  • Increases validity with rich data.
  • Allows clarification of questions.
  • Easier to develop rapport.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Time-consuming to conduct.
  • Analysis is complex.
  • Potential for interviewer bias.
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of structured interviews?


  Strengths:

  • Easy to replicate and compare.
  • Quick to conduct.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Limits data richness and flexibility.
  • Difficult to develop rapport.
• What is primary data?


  Original information collected firsthand from participants.
• What is a strength of generating primary data?


  The researcher has control over the data collection process.
• What is a major weakness of primary data collection?


  It is a lengthy and expensive process.
• What is secondary data?


  Information originally collected for a different purpose.
• What is a strength of using secondary data?


  It is simpler and cheaper to access existing data.
• What is a weakness of secondary data?


  There can be substantial variation in quality and accuracy.
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of correlation evaluations?


  Strengths:

  • Study naturally occurring variables.
  • Measure ethically sensitive variables.
  • Suggest patterns for further research.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Cannot determine causation.
  • May overlook important variables.
• What is the definition of the mean in statistics?


  It is considered the arithmetic average of a data set.
• How is the mean calculated?


  By adding all scores and dividing by the total number of scores.
• What is the definition of the mode in statistics?


  It is the most frequently occurring number in a data set.
• How is the mode identified?


  By tallying how many times each number appears in a data set.
• What is the definition of the median in statistics?


  It is the middle number of a set of scores.
• How is the median calculated?


  By ordering scores and finding the middle number or averaging the two middle numbers if even.
• What does the range measure in statistics?


  It measures the spread of data.
• How is the range calculated?


  By subtracting the lowest value from the highest value in a data set.
• What does standard deviation assess in a data set?


  It assesses the spread of data around the mean.
• What does a larger standard deviation indicate?


  It indicates that the data is more spread out.
• What are the levels of measurement in statistics?


  • Nominal: Data in categories (e.g., football teams).
  • Ordinal: Ordered numerical data (e.g., Likert scale).
  • Interval/Ratio: Ordered numerical data in objective units (e.g., length).
• What is an advantage of the mean as a measure of central tendency?


  It takes all scores into account, making it sensitive.
• What is a disadvantage of the mean?


  It can be easily distorted by extreme scores.
• What is an advantage of the median?


  It is more representative than the mean, especially with small data sets.
• What is a disadvantage of the median?


  It can be less representative when the data set is polarized.
• What is an advantage of the mode?


  It is unaffected by extreme scores and useful for large data sets.
• What is a disadvantage of the mode?


  It can be unreliable for small data sets due to small changes.