1. Quantitative and Qualitative data

2. Quantitative and qualitative data
Questionnaires can gather both sets of data, as can interviews.
This is called a mixed method
Some research only used one type of data
Quantitative: Involve numbers (percentages, number of yes/no answers)
Closed-questions are used to produce quantitative data
Qualitative: ideas, opinions and attitudes
Open questions produce qualitative data

3. Decide whether these are open/closed and what type of data is produced (qualitative or quantitative?
How would you describe obedience to authority?
Do you agree that everyone should have the same job? Yes or no?
Rate on a scare of 0-5 (0=not at all and 5= totally) how much you agree with the statement ‘everybody should have the same job opportunities’.
What do you think about people who discriminate against others because of their race?
How happy are you? Please rate on a scale from (0 very sad to 5 very happy)

4. Strengths and weaknesses of quantitative data pg.287-288

5. Strengths and weaknesses of using qualitative data pg. 287-288

6. Methodological terms covered so far – recap to ensure understanding
Terms about questionnaires: pilot study, Likert-scale questions, ranked scales, personal data, respondent, open questions and closed questions
Types of data: qualitative and quantitative
Evaluation terms: validity, reliability, objectivity, generalisability, and credibility
Terms about bias in studies: social desirability, demand characteristics, response bias
Terms to control bias: controls, standardised instructions
Pilot study

7. Evaluating questionnaires as a research method
We can evaluate questionnaires according to validity
Construct validity: the questions must measure what they are supposed to measure
Internal validity: no other variables (except the IV) could have caused the effect
Ecological validity: uses the respondent's natural setting and results can be generalised to other settings.
Predictive validity: results would predict a real life situation and
Demand characteristics and social desirability

8. Evaluating self report as a research method
Questionnaires can be evaluated by considering reliability
If the questionnaire was carried out again, would the same results be found?
Closed questions have forced choice answers- reasonably reliable
Questionnaires are set out and repeated exactly (standardised) – this is a condition for reliability
Open questions allow for opinions to be given- so are less reliable

9. Evaluating self report as a research method
Objectivity/subjectivity
Objectivity – avoid bias from the researcher’s own opinions and understanding
Experimenter/Researcher effects must be controlled for
i.e. tone of voice, clothes work or gender
Subjectivity is to be avoided
When gathering data
When analysing data
Credibility
Data – credible when valid (true to like), reliable (found more than once), generalisable

10. Mini class debate Issue/debate: Psychology as a science
Scientific research should be objective.
The more objective the data the more valid it is
Can we argue that questionnaires and interviews are scientific?
Group one:
Self report methods produce valid data.
Group two:
Self report methods do not produce valid data.

11. Complete this table using ideas and notes from the mini class debate
Self report methods produce valid data
Self report methods do not produce valid data.

12. Researcher effects

13. please define the following:
Social desirability pg. 288
Demand characteristics pg.288
Response bias pg. 285
Independent groups design pg 285:
Repeated measures design pg 285 :
How would these effects affect the validity of the research?
Provide an explanation for each term.

14. How to avoid researcher effects:
Provide an example of a way you can avoid response bias when constructing questions for a questionnaire:
How can we reduce the problems associated social desirability?
Can we try and avoid demand characteristics?

15. Task
Give one strength and one weakness of using self report as a research method (4 marks)
2 marks for strength
2 marks for weakness
All A03 – evaluation