Approaches to research

Quantitative methods

Takes a phenomenon and tries to condense it down into a few dimensions/ variables that can be measured as precisely and reliably as possible

choosing variables that are

Representative of your study as concepts in psych are very abstract

Operationalisation

Choosing a measurable proxy for the phenomenon your interested in

Statistical methods

Quantitative approaches often make use of stat methods
stat methods means looking at lots of cases and to develop generalisations/theories that are generally applicable
and often involves testing predictions that logically follow from theories
(deduction)

Qualitative approaches

Focus on meaning
tries to examine Many features
try's to look at all aspects of one /few instances of a phenomenon
views the context as a central part of the phenomenon being studied
emphasise the idea of following the data wherever it leads
(inductive)

Verbal protocol analysis

Involves collecting and analysing verbal data on cognitive processing
p's are given a task and are asked to verbalise what they are thinking as they go about solving a task
data are coded and analysed to infer the information processing steps involved in problem solving
used in early cognitive psychology and artificial intelligence

Ethnography

Style of research than method of data collection
studying people in the field and requires the researcher entering into the setting they are studying
attempts to understand the sociology-cultural practises and behaviours of people are shaped by their social physical and cultural contexts
Tries to make sense of events from perspective of the p's

Discourse analysis

The social study of language
it involves a distinctive way of thinking about talk and text where language doesn't just represent the world but also constructs it
The strength of this approach are that you examine how language constructs reality. It can make use of primary data or secondary
BUT it can be difficult to use discourse analysis to dev the same kind of generalisations as you might develop with other approaches

Phenomenology

Involves braketing off any preconcived notions we might have about a phemonenon to achieve an understanding of that phenomenon that has not be influences by our prior beliefs
Emphasises peoples first hand experiences and attempts to understand the nature of subjective experiences
Used in fiels like cognitive psych to understand the nature of subjective sensory experiences

What are the issues in qualitative Research

The researcher is the instrument therefore
- important for researchers to reflect on their values , assumptions, biases and belifs to understand how these might inpact the research
- The research instruement can change - changes in the researchers experience might alter how they record and observe behaviours

Credibility

Can the data support the claims
Can be established through prolonged engagement, disscussion with other researchers/p's and critical self-reflections

Transferability

Can the findings be genralisied to similar contexts

Dependability

Ensuring that researchers maintain a record of changes in the research process/instrument

Confirmability

Concerned with ensuring that the data used to support the conclusions are verifiable

Quantification

Putting numbers to the thing we're interested in studying so that it can be measured

Why do we measure phenomena

Publically available and verifiable

Quantitative research tries to condse a

phenomenon down to its single /a few dimensions

what are 2 key ways of operationalisation

Developing a scale /questionare
Measure physiological responses

Reliable

Reproducible

Valid

Actually measures what you think you're measuring

Quantitative approaches try to excery alot of

control over phenomena

What allows researchers to make claims about causation and give causal explanations

Control

causation as a difference tht makes a difference

where u take 2 situations, one in which the phenomenon occurs and one in which it doesnt then whatever is the different is the cause of the phenomonon

Causation in terms of manipulation

If you can manipulate one thing and observe a change in another, then the two things may be causally connected

causation in terms of probability

if the presence of one thing increases the probablity of the other thing occuring, potentional causal relationship

Counfonds

A variable or condition that can actual cause the change and its not the variable u are measuring or intentionally changing

Why do researchers try build systems that replicate/reproduce some aspects of systems that they are studying

- might allow them to gain new insight into these systems
- Comparing the behaviour of their artifical systems with the natural system allows researchers to test theories about the processes that produce phenomena in situations that would be unethical

Computer simulation

Simulation has been used to show how seemingly comples behaviours can arise from simple processes
- ex Flocking of birds
- Avoid collision with other birds
- Align direction with nearby birds
- Approach distant birds

Agent- based Modelling (ABM)

the researcher simulates a group of agents
- the agents will have some memory, set of goals/rules
- the memory allows them to store their current state/consequences of their previous actions
- the goals usually represent some state they're trying to achieve
-rules goven their actions
this allows how possible social phenomena can arise

How can we use ABM

Can be used to emmulate the spread of misinformation and then compare your simulation to the real world