Research Methods
Design types
4 levels of explanation
Biological
Basic Processes
Personal
Social cultural
Qualitative
Focus Group , group discussion held by a trained facilitator Advantages:Better than indiv interviews, more complex pool of data
Disadvantages:May bring up minority views, Certain people may dominate discussions, Bias of group and interviewer,
Experiment
Quantitative Observational
Manipulation of the IV and observation of the DV Advantages:Allows for a causal explanation between the variables, replication is possible, limits extraneous variables
Disadvantages:Might not apply to the real world, a sample might not represent the entire population, variables cannot be controlled
Natural Observation of the IV, Observation of a behaviour in a natural setting
Advantages:Allows study of complex subjects
Disadvantages :Cannot be replicated, observer bias,
Quasi Experimental, Unlike experiment it has no random allocation and no control group Advantages:More convenient, unethical research possible, evidence for casual explanation Disadvantages
Delphi Technique Questionnaire sent to experts Advantages Ability to draw expertise from across the globe, free expression of opinion Disadvantages:Contamination of results through researcher bias, non-responses can limit data quality, small sample size
Processes that everyone has e.g. thought, memory and cognition
Behaviour
How someone interacts with the environment around them
Biological influences. e.g. Gender, age, drugs
Traits related to the certain individual. e.g. Personality
Social influence, how behaviour changes in from of others
Physiological, measures of heart rate or scores on IQ tests Advantages:The use of precise measurements Disadvantages:Bias may influence results