Correlations and Types of Data

• Quantitative Data:

  • This is data that is presented numerically.
  • Strength: More objective, less bias, easier to analyse.
  • Weakness: Lacks detail, may not represent feelings.
• Types of Data: Qualitative:

  • This is data that is expressed in words, e.g. diary notes.
  • Strength: More subjective, detailed, has higher external validity.
  • Weakness: Hard to analyse, subjective.
• • Primary Data:

  • Original data that is collected specifically for the purpose of the research by the researcher.
  • Strength: Authentic, less likely to be misinterpreted.
  • Weakness: Time consuming, expensive.
• Secondary Data:

  • Data that has been collected by someone else, that already exists before the investigation has been planned.
  • Strength: Inexpensive, less effort required.
  • Weakness: Variation to the quality and accuracy of the data.
• Meta Analysis:

  • When a researcher combines results from many different studies and uses all the data to form an overall view.
  • Strength: More generalisable.
  • Weakness: False representation due to possibility of not all studies being published.
• Correlations:

  • Correlation means association
  • The measure of how much two variables are related.
  • Correlation coefficients:
  • Strong positive = +1.
  • Strong negative = -1.
  • Closer to 0, the weaker the correlation.
  • Negative correlation: when one variable increases, the other decreases.
  • Positive correlation: when one variable increases, the other increases.
  • Zero correlation: no relationship is found between the variables.
• Correlations AO3: Strength:

  • Can be used as a starting point to assess patterns between co-variables before committing to conducting an experimental study.
  • Quick and economical to carry out.
• Correlations AO3: Weakness:

  • Third variable problem – this is when there is a chance that there is another variable which the researcher is unaware of.
  • Correlations can be misinterpreted when made public by the media because correlation is often presented as causation.
• Content analysis:

  • Involves studying human behaviour indirectly by studying things that we produce.
  • Allows us to have an insight into the structured values, beliefs, and prejudices or society.
  • How to conduct a content analysis:
  • Identify a hypothesis that you will investigate.
  • Create a coding system depending on what you are investigating (e.g. 1 = male, 2 = female)
  • Gather resources.
  • Conduct content analysis and record data in a table.
  • Analyse data which is descriptive using thematic analysis.
  • Write a report.
• Content Analysis AO3: Strength:

  • Strong external validity as data is already in the real world so it has high mundane realism.
  • Produces large data set of quantitative and qualitative data which is easy to analyse
• Content Analysis AO3: Weakness:

  • Interpretative bias:
  • The researcher may ignore some things but pay extra attention to others.
  • Content of choice may be biased by the researcher.