content analysis

• similar to observational study but...

  -observations made indirectly through artefacts that have been produced by people

  > social interactions

  > written forms

  > media
• what's coding?


  way of categorising the information into meaningful units
• process

  -researcher should read through the artefacts and look for recurring themes or categories

  -themes put in checklist

  -researcher rereads the artefacts and produce tally every time category appears
• Manstead & McCullough

  -interested in way males & females are portrayed in TV adverts

  -observed adverts for one week focusing on the main adult character

  -recorded the frequencies of behaviours in tally chart
• strengths 


  -high ecological validity > based on direct observations of what people actually do

  -sources can be assessed by others meanings findings can be replicated & tested for reliability

  -allows qualitative data to be analysed & conclusions drawn

  -content analysis using coding allows qualitative data to be turned into quantitative > enables statistical testing