PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH METHODS (2)

Deception

Misleading and withholding information from participants to prevent demand characteristics

How to overcome DECEPTION

offer full debrief: inform of true aim, ensure their behaviour was OK, check for psychological harm and offer counselling if needed, inform of right to withdraw data

Fully Informed Consent

Informing participant about the study and letting them decide if they want to participate or not

What does FULLY INFORMED CONSENT include

Purpose of research

Full details of the study

What they will do

Explanation of their rights (withdraw/confidentiality)

Prior General Consent

Ask participant if they are willing to be misled at some point

Parental Consent

Ask ethical safeguard for participants under 16

Presumptive Consent

ask people of similar population if the deception is reasonable then presume for real participants

Protection from Psychological and Physical Harm

Involves:

No stress/ anxiety

No loss of self-esteem

No physical harm

Participants must leave in same state arrived

How to overcome PROTECTION FROM PSYCHO+PHYS HARM

offer full debrief

Inform of right to withdraw

Right To Withdraw

Every participants can withdraw at any point of the study for no reason and with no consequences

Researches duty in RIGHT TO WITHDRAW

Remind participants of the right if they see signs of distress

Terminate research early if participants suffering harm

Confidentiality

Participants have the right to control information about themselves

How to overcome CONFIDENTIALITY

Anonymity

Remind rights during debrief

Privacy

Participants have a zone of inaccessibility of mind, body and trust that will not be invaded

Qualitative Data

Non numerical data expressed through words and obtained from open ended questions

Advantages of QUALITATIVE DATA

more richness of detail

Can gain true reflection and insight of participants = data more valid

Disadvantages of QUALITATIVE DATA

Hard to analyse (lengthy) = time consuming to summarise/compare

Hard to identify trend = bad for statistical analysis

Quantitative Data

Numerical data gained through close ended question that can be expressed as graphs

Advantages of QUANTITATIVE DATA

quick and easy to analyse

Trends easily identified = good for statistical analysis

Disadvantages of QUANTITATIVE DATA

less richness of detail

Subjective

No true insight = less valid

Secondary Data

Data collected secondhand from pre-existing data not specifically for the aim of the current research

Advantages of SECONDARY DATA

inexpensive

Required minimal effort

Can find the desired information already exists so primary data collection isn’t needed

Disadvantages of SECONDARY DATA

variation in quality and accuracy with low match = lowers validity

Meta Analysis

Data from many studies with the same aim and method of data collection combined

Advantages of META ANALYSIS

low bias as researchers don’t carry out research themselves

High reliability as many studies

Can generalise

Disadvantages of META ANALYSIS

low control = low validity

Low control over operationalisation = limits reliability