Case Studies, Meta-Analyses and Graphs

• What is a case study?


  An in-depth investigation of a single individual, event, or small group
• What is the typical duration of a case study?


  They are often longitudinal, conducted over time
• Why are case studies referred to as idiographic?


  Because they focus on the uniqueness of behavior and subjective experiences
• What types of data does a case study use?


  Both primary and secondary data
• What is a strength of case studies?


  They provide very rich detailed information about the case
• What is a weakness of case studies regarding generalizability?


  Each case is unique, so findings are not generalizable
• What is retrospective recall in case studies?


  It involves recalling past events, which could be distorted
• How can researcher bias affect case studies?


  It could influence the findings if the researcher is looking for a particular outcome
• What is meta-analysis?


  A method where researchers look at findings from multiple studies to produce statistics
• What type of data does a meta-analysis use to produce primary data?


  Secondary data
• What is a strength of meta-analysis regarding sample size?


  It allows researchers to create larger, more varied samples
• How does meta-analysis facilitate generalization?


  It allows generalization across wider populations, especially in cross-cultural research
• What can meta-analysis help identify in research findings?


  Trends and conclusions from contradictory results
• What is a weakness of meta-analysis related to publication bias?


  It may omit research that is not significant, leading to biased results
• Why might studies in a meta-analysis not be truly comparable?


  Researchers may use different techniques
• What does the term "psychology and the economy" refer to?


  Research that can have an impact on the economy
• What is normal distribution?


  A data distribution that appears symmetrical with no bias to the left or right
• Give an example of a characteristic that follows a normal distribution.


  Height, weight, or IQ in the population
• What do the values along the bottom of a normal distribution represent?


  The standard deviations
• What does it mean if data is further from the center in a normal distribution?


  There is more variance in the data
• What is a scattergram?


  A graphical representation of the correlational relationship between two co-variables
• How is a line graph structured?


  Frequency is on the y-axis and data on the x-axis, with plotted values joined by a line
• What is the purpose of a bar chart?


  To represent the frequency of data with categories on the x-axis
• What distinguishes a histogram from a bar chart?


  A histogram has a true zero and no spaces between the bars
• What does a pie chart represent?


  The frequency of data as percentages, color-coded and labeled
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of case studies?


  Strengths:

  • Provides rich detailed information
  • Investigates rare behaviors
  • Explores unethical manipulation of behaviors

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Unique cases limit generalizability
  • Retrospective recall may be distorted
  • Researcher bias may influence findings
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of meta-analysis?


  Strengths:

  • Creates larger, varied samples
  • Allows generalization across populations
  • Identifies trends and resolves contradictions

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Publication bias may skew results
  • Different techniques make studies not truly comparable
• What are the key features of normal distribution?


  • Symmetrical data spread
  • No bias to the left or right
  • Standard deviations indicate variance
  • Examples include height, weight, and IQ
• What are the different types of graphs used in data representation?

  • Scattergram: Correlational relationship between two variables
  • Line graph: Continuous data with frequency on y-axis
  • Bar chart: Frequency of data with categories on x-axis
  • Histogram: Frequency distribution with true zero
  • Pie chart: Frequency represented as percentages