Content Analysis

• What is a key advantage of quantitative data?

  It allows for tables, charts, and statistics
• What is content analysis used for?

  To analyze qualitative data in a quantitative way
• What is an artifact in the context of content analysis?

  Things humans make
• What types of materials can be analyzed in content analysis?

  Written words, like advertisements or books
• What is the first step in conducting a content analysis?

  Decide the research question
• What are coding units in content analysis?

  Examples of behavior linked to research questions
• What does operationalized mean in the context of content analysis?

  Defined for precise measurement
• What was the focus of the study by Waynforth and Dunbar in 1995?

  Theories of mate choice in sexual relationships
• How many lonely heart adverts were analyzed in the study?

  881 adverts
• What did the study find about men's preferences in mate choice?

  Men preferred significantly younger mates
• What did the study find about women's preferences in mate choice?

  Women preferred significantly older mates
• How did the study support evolutionary theory?

  It showed differing mate preferences by gender
• What is the purpose of tallying in content analysis?

  To record the frequency of categories
• What is test-retest reliability in content analysis?

  Running the analysis again on the same data
• What is inter-rater reliability in content analysis?

  Two researchers analyze the same data separately
• What correlation coefficient is generally accepted for reliability?

  0.8
• What is a strength of content analysis in psychological research?

  High external validity from real artifacts
• What is a limitation of content analysis?

  Possibility of observer bias in interpretation
• What is thematic analysis?

  A flexible way to analyze qualitative data
• How does thematic analysis differ from content analysis?

  It discovers themes before counting categories
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of content analysis?

  Strengths:

  • High external validity
  • Easy to access existing data
  • Possible replication by other researchers

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Observer bias may occur
  • Data may lack validity
  • Records may not be truthful
• What are the steps to conduct a content analysis?

  1. Decide measurable categories
  2. Collect relevant content
  3. Tally occurrences of categories
  4. Check reliability (test-retest, inter-rater)
• What is the role of operationalized categories in content analysis?

  • They ensure precise measurement
  • They link to the research question
  • They allow for consistent data recording