Types of studies/analysis

• A meta-analysis is the systematic review of other studies which contain similar aims/hypotheses. These are typically found in academic journals.
• A meta-analysis produces an effect size (the measure of strength of a relationship between variables.)
• Example of a meta-analysis in the course: Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (strange situation), 32 studies of attachment across cultures.
• Strengths of meta-analysis

  + reviewing results of a wide range of studies increases validity as a wider sample is used.

  + some studies may find no or small effects, meta-analysis allows conclusion to be drawn through statistical testing.
• Limitations of meta-analysis

  -research designs used in sample may vary massively (gender of ppts used, age, experimental design etc). Studies not truly comparable and effect size may not be accurate.
• Case study: a study which involves researching an individual experience or event in rich detail. this can take place in the form of an interview, personality test or longitudinal study.
• Examples of case studies in the course: Freud’s Little Hans study, HM’s hippocampus, Phineas gage‘s prefrontal cortex.
• Strengths of case studies

  + method offers rich and in-depth individual data not found in larger samples.

  + useful in investigating rare cases of behaviour (e.g. brain damaged patients).

  + Complex interaction of factors (environmental, cultural, biological) can be identified and studied.
• Limitation of case studies

  -difficult to generalise results to wider populations from uniques cases.

  -recollection of past events may make data unreliable.

  -case studies occur after an event has taken place - brain trauma - unsure of how behaviour was before event.
• Content analysis: studying the content of a journal or other content (qualitative data) in a systematic way so that conclusions can be drawn And data can be analysed (quantitative data).
• Process of a content analysis: sample method, familiarise, coding units, analysis, tally, compare.
• Data can also be analysed in themes (qualitative data analysed qualitatively) called thematic analysis.
• Strengths of content analysis

  + based on observation of real human behaviour, high ecological validity.

  + public, open sources that can be accessed can be replicated.
• Limitations of content analysis

  -Observer bias may reduce objectivity and validity as behavioural categories/coding units may be subjective.

  -reducing behaviour to numerical coding units may reduce validity.