content analysis

Question 1

what is content analysis?

Answer 1

the indirect study of behaviour by examining communications that people produce (e.g. texts, diaries, emails, etc.)

Question 2

coding

Answer 2

the initial stage- communication is analysed by identifying each instance of the chosen categories (e.g. words, sentences, phrases)

Question 3

thematic analysis

Answer 3

an inductive and qualitative approach to analysis that involves identifying implicit or explicit ideas or themes within the data

Question 4

strengths

Answer 4

• less ethical issues than standard psychological research. material studied usually already in public domain (films, TV adverts, etc.) less issues with permission
• high external validity
• flexible. may produce both qualitative and quantitative data depending on aims

Question 5

weaknesses

Answer 5

• people studied indirectly. communications produced analysed outside of context within which it occurred. researcher bias- attribute opinions/motivations to speaker/writer that were not originally intended
• lack of objectivity with more descriptive forms of thematic analysis