Terms

Question 1

Quantitative data

Answer 1

• Quantitative data is numerical. For example, counting the number of aggressive acts, asking people to respond to closed questions (yes/no answers) or asking people to rate their own behaviour on numerical scale are all examples of gathering quantitative data.
• One strength of quantitative data is that it allows for objective numerical data to be analysed to, where behaviours can be quantified through number of occurrences or ratings. This allows for greater consistency when assessing data between participants that can also be replicated.
• One limitation of quantitative data is that it gives restricted numeric information which means that we don’t know the underlying reasons for the behaviour. This may mean the results lack validity as we do not get a true understanding of why they behaved the way that they did.

Question 2

Qualitative data

Answer 2

• Qualitative data is descriptive and concerns the “qualities” of different things - relies on descriptions and interpretations of behaviour. For example, by asking participants about their experiences of a particular situation and noting down their responses, you would be collecting qualitative data.
• One strength of qualitative data is that it provides rich, detailed data that gives deeper insight into participants’ thoughts, feelings, and motivations, increasing validity.
• One limitation of qualitative data is that it is subjective and harder to analyse consistently, which reduces reliability and makes comparisons between participants more difficult.

Question 3

Primary data

Answer 3

• This data is collected directly from participants to answer a specific research question. It can be collected using many different methods such as experiments, self-reports, observations, content analysis, any method that collects information from the original source.
• One strength of primary data is that the variables have been directly controlled by the researcher. This means results are likely to be higher in validity as it is clear what has been measured.
• One limitation of primary data is there could be issues with protection from harm for the participants based on the method used. This could lower the reliability as it may be difficult to replicate to check consistency.
• Another strength of primary data is that the data is specific to the researcher’s aim, so it directly answers the research question. This increases the usefulness of the findings, and means the data is more accurate as the data is tailored to what is being studied. Therefore the results will be high in validity.
• Another limitation of primary data is that collecting primary data can be time-consuming and expensive to run experiments, and recruit participants. This reduces the practicality, especially compared to using existing data sources.

Question 4

Secondary data

Answer 4

• Someone else has already collected this data for another purpose. It is often referred to as desk research as it involves the use of journal articles, books, web sites or government statistics. It involves analysing data that already exists to make a comparison or create suggestions for new avenues of research.
• One strength of secondary data is that it can allow for an in-depth investigation into how factors that affect behaviour over time. This means it may be higher in validity as it can provide a more holistic explanation of what is causing behaviour.
• One limitation of secondary data is that it may be limited as the truthfulness of the data source may be unknown. This means that the
  data used may be less valid as it is not always clear what has been measured.
• Another strength of secondary data is that it is often quick and cost-effective, as the data has already been collected by other researchers or organisations. This makes it practical when large-scale or long-term data is needed.
• Another limitation of secondary data is that the data may not be in the format needed for the researcher’s specific question. This reduces its usefulness, as the researcher may not be able to fully address their aim with the available information.

Question 5

Random sample

Answer 5

Random: Everyone in the target population has an equal chance on being chosen e.g. all names in a hat, name generator
+ unbiased as no control over who is chosen
- Time consuming and difficult to conduct unless a small target population

Question 6

Opportunity sample

Answer 6

Opportunity: Whoever is available at the time of the research
+ Quick and easy to do, as do not need to spend time looking for pp’s
- Likely to be biased to specific groups who are free at the time

Question 7

Volunteer sample

Answer 7

Volunteer: Advert is placed and those who want to take part sign up to do so
+ PP’s will be motivated and willing to take part, so engage fully
- Likely to be biased as may be motivated to take part for specific reasons

Question 8

Stratified sample

Answer 8

Stratified: Sample is proportional to each group within the target population e.g. gender, age
+ Highly representative so it can be generalised
- Very time consuming and difficult to do