What is Correlational Research?
It assesses the degree to which two variables are related
Describe Correlation Coefficient
It quantifies the association between two variables, and ranges from -1.0 to +1.0
A correlation of 0 means that two variables are unrelated, whereas a high correlation (either positive or negative) means that participants’ scores on one variable are good predictors of their scores on the other
List down one of the pros and cons of correlational research
Correlational research can shed important light on the relationships among variables, but correlation does not imply causation
What is the difference between Theory and Hypothesis?
A theory explains a natural phenomenon that is validated through observation and experimentation.
Hypothesis is an educated guess based on certain data that acts as a foundation for further investigation
What are the two variables for the Theoretical Framework? List and describe.
The two variable are continuous and categorical variables.
- Continuous variable has a continuum of possible values and across this range. (e.g., reaction time in seconds ranging from 0.5 to 5 seconds)
- Categorical variable can take on fixed values and only those fixed values (e.g., biological gender)
What are the three things to take note of when conducting measurement in research?
- Reliable: produce consistent measurements over time, or amongst items in a scale of measurement
- Valid: actually measure the variables of interest; or is a measure used for the purposes for which it is designed
- Test-bias: question if the tests are biased against different groups of people
Techniques to determine the reliability
- Test Retest Reliability: does the test give similar values if the same participant takes it two or more times?
- Internal Consistency: different items that measure the same variable should produce similar answers
- Inter Rater Reliability: two testers who rate the same person on the same variable, should give similar ratings to the participant
Describe generalizability and and list the requirements
Generalizability refers to whether research results (from the sample) can be applied to the entire population of interest
- Internal validity: are the procedures of the study sound or are they flawed?
- External validity: does the experimental situation resemble the situation found in the real world
- Representative sample: a subset of a population that seeks to accurately reflect the characteristics of the larger group
List and Describe the 3 main goals of scientific approach
- Description - refers to the procedures used to define, classify and categorize subjects and their relationships
- Prediction - sometimes made in the form of hypotheses, which are tentative, testable predictions concerning the relationships between or among variables. Prediction of later performance is of particular importance to researchers
- Understanding - achieved when the cause or causes of phenomenon are identified
What are the types of Research Designs?
- Descriptive design - concerned with describing behavior
- Correlational design - concerned with predicting behavior
- Experimental design - concerned with establishing the causes of behavior
What are the types of Research Methods?
- Quantitative research - statistical analysis of experiment or survey data to test hypotheses
- Qualitative research - in-depth analysis of interview, observational or case study data to provide a rich and deep understanding of research topic
- Mixed-method research - integration and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative research data in one study
What are the two methods of Descriptive Research?
- Case studies
2. Naturalistic observation
Describe Case Studies
- Case study is an in-depth study of the behavior of one person or a small group
- Often used in clinical research
- Used when large numbers of participants are not available
What are the Drawbacks of Case Studies?
- Small sample size
- Susceptibility to researcher bias
- Problem of an atypical case
Describe Naturalistic Observation
- Refers to the in-depth study of a phenomenon in its natural setting
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Naturalistic Observation?
Advantage - good generalizability
Disadvantages - observation per se can alter behavior; cannot establish the cause of behavior
Describe Survey Research and list the approaches
- Involves in asking questions of large number of persons to gain information on attitudes and behaviors
Two approaches - questionnaires and interviews
What are the disadvantages of Survey Research?
- Sampling issues
- People may not respond accurately
Describe Correlational Research
- Aim is to determine the degree to which two or more variables are related
- Correlation can determine the association between data from experiments, case studies, or surveys
-/+ number closer to 1 = ?
More strongly related and more predictable changes
-/+ number closer to 0 = ?
Weaker relationship and less predictable changes
Describe Experimental Research
A study that strictly adheres to the scientific research design.
It includes a hypothesis, IV, DV, and Control group
