research methods

• What is random sampling?

  Type of probability sampling where everyone in the entire target population has an equal chance of being selected
• What are the advantages of Random SamplinG?

  Eliminates sample bias
• What are the disadvantages of Random Sampling?

  It is very difficult to achieve e.g time, money and effort
• What is Stratified Sampling?

  when the researcher identifies the different types of people that make up the target population and works out the proportions needed for the sample to be representative
• What are the advantages of Stratified Sampling?

  highly representative and can be generalised
• What are the disadvantages of Stratified Sampling ?

  Gathering a sample would be very time consuming and difficult to do
• What is Opportunity Sampling ?

  Uses people from the target population available at the time and willing to participate, based on conveniance
• What are advantages of of Opportunity Sampling?

  Quick and easy way of choosing participants
• What are disadvantages of Opportunity Sampling?

  May not provide a representative sample and could be biased
• What is Systematic Sampling?

  chooses subjects in a orderly/logical way from the target population , every nth participant on a list of names
• What are the advantages of Systematic Sampling?

  It should provide a representative sample
• What are the disadvantages of Systematic Sampling?

  It is very difficult to achieve e.g time, effort and money
• What is Volunteer Sampling?

  When participants self select themselves to be a part of the sample
• What are the advantages of Volunteer Sampling?


  Can face volunteer bias as it will attract a certain type of person
• What are the Experimental designs?

  Independent groups, matched pairs and repeated measures
• What is a controlled observation?

  • carried out in a psychology lab
  • researcher decided where observation will occur, what time, participants etc
• What are the strengths of controlled observation?

  Can be easily replicated - high reliability

  Is quick to carry out and not time consuming
• What are the limitations of controlled observations?

  • Lack validity
  • will have demand characteristics
• What is Naturalistic Observation?

  Observing and studying spontaneous behaviour of participants in natural surroundings
• What are strengths of naturalistic observation?

  studies have greater ecological validity and there isn't going to any demand characteristics
• What are the limitations of a naturalistic observation ?

  less reliable - extraneous variables cannot be controlled , cannot be repeated in the same way
• What is Participant Observation?

  • the researcher joins in and becomes part of the group they are studying to get a deeper insight into their lives
• What are the advantages of participant observation?

  high validity due to low demand characteristics - carried out in a natural setting
• What are the disadvantages of participant observation?

  • ethical issues
  • issues of consent
  • issues of deceptions
• What is covert?

  when the study is carried out undercover, researcher's real identity and purpose are kept concealed from the group being studied
• What is overt?

  where the researcher reveals their true identity and purpose to group and asks permission to observe
• What are the advantages of overt?

  • no ethical issues
  • easier than covert
• What are the disadvantages of overt?

  • demand characteristics
  • low validity
• What is event sampling?

  observer decides in advance what types of behaviour they are interested in and records all occurrences. All other types of behaviours are ignored
• What is time sampling?

  observer decides in advance that observation will occur only during specified time periods and records the occurrence of the specified behaviour during that period only
• What are structured interviews?

  quantitative research method, where the interviewer has a set of prepared questions where he/she reads them out exactly as worded
• What are the strengths of structured interviews?

  • easy to replicate - reliable
  • easier to conduct
• What are the limitations of structured interviews?

  • not flexible - new questions cannot be asked
  • answers will lack detail , will generate quantitative data - researcher won't know why a person behaves a certain way
• What is an unstructured interview?

  do not use set questions, interviewer asks open ended questions and will try to let the conversation flow like a natural conversation.
• What are the strengths of unstructured interview?

  • more flexible than structured interviews
  • generate qualitative data through the use of open questions
  • increased validity
• What are the limitations of unstructured interviews ?

  • time consuming
  • employing and training interviewers is expensive
  • biased questions to elicit 'fabricated' answers - interviewees may develop demand characteristics
• What is independent measures design ?

  participants are placed in different groups and each group partakes in a different condition
• What are the advantages of an independent measures design?

  • no order effects
  • participants are less likely to have demand characteristics
• What are repeated measures design ?

  When all participants are taking part in all conditions
• What are the advantages of repeated measures?

  • less time consuming - only one group of participants are needs
  • no participant variables