Quantitative- observational research

Question 1

case studies

Answer 1

a tension in psychology between the idiographic and nomothetic approaches

Question 2

Value of a case study

Answer 2

1. source of ideas and hypotheses
2. source for developing therapy techniques
3. permit the study of rare phenomena
4. can provide a counterfactual for notions considered to be universally applicable
5. they have persuasive and motivational value

Question 3

Negative use of case study

Answer 3

gets misused in advertising
capitalises on social psychology
“X lost 150 pounds using our product!”

Question 4

Limitations of case study

Answer 4

1. in the psychobiological methods, a persuasive account may be built but many alternative accounts are available.
2. the heavy reliance on anecdotal info makes for the possibility of quite biased presentation
3. lack of generalisability to other individuals or situations

• always flawed by threats to internal validity
• External validity- does it work for people in different scenarios?
• Only one therapist and one patient- bias.

Question 5

Naturalistic and participant observation

Answer 5

the attempt to study normal behaviours of people or animals as they act in their everyday environments

-Could be hidden (e.g., behind a one-way mirror)
-Could just sit on a bench in a strategic location
-Could just analyse a video
Participant observation: join the group being observed

Question 6

Difficulties with participant observation (cult example)

Answer 6

1. couldn’t go into group and say they were scientists. And we want to observe how nuts you are. So they participated in the group as observers, they acted like they wanted to learn more about it. Ethical dilemma, their presence strengthed the group.
2. in 1950s no way to easily voice record what was going on, so they drank lots of water and went to loo a lot and made their notes then. Memory will distort things

Question 7

Evaluating observational methods

Answer 7

1. Absence of control:
   - conclusions about causality cannot be drawn
   - can serve the purpose of falsification (going against theory)
2. observer bias:
   - allowing preconceived ideas to colour one’s interpretations of one’s observations
3. subject reactivity:
   - they know they are being observed so likely to change behaviour

Question 8

Archival research

Answer 8

Archival data range from public information such as census data, court records, genealogical data, etc. through more private information such as credit histories, medical records, educational records, and diaries.

Question 9

Advantages of archival research

Answer 9

• unlimited info available
• can converge with lab research, thereby increasing external validity
• no subject reactivity

Question 10

Disadvantages of archival research

Answer 10

• because it already exists, some piece may be missing or may not be representative
• experimenter bias: selecting only those records that support one’s hypothesis