Quantitative research methods

Experiment

• Manipulate IV and measure DV

• Highly controlled environement

Experiment Strengths

• Quantitative data

• Clear cause and effect

• Easily replaceable

Experiment Limitation

• Low ecological validity

Field experiment

• An experiment that takes place in a natural environment

• Effect of IV on DV is observed

Field experiment strengths

• Ecologically valid

• IV can be manipulated

• Clear cause and effect

Field experiment limitations

• Interfering variables may produce unexpected results

• Difficult to control variables in a natural environment

• Greatly varying results depending on environment (difficult to average)

Quasi experiement

• People are specifically chosen and act as the IV

• Participants are grouped based on existing characteristics

• Researchers determine DV

Quasi experiment strengths

• Easy to manufacture

• Guaranteed diversity in subjects

• Easier to gather and study groups

Quasi experiment limitations

• No certain cause or effect

• Lack of control in experiment

• Underlying variables may exist

Natural experiment

Variables are naturally occurring IV is not controlled and DV is pre-existing

Natural experiment strengths

• Ecologically valid

• Unidirectional (IV clearly impacting DV)

Natural expirement limitations

• Variables cannot be controlled

• Unexpected variables may impact the DV

Correlation

• Used in situations where an experiment would be unethical

• Examines strength in the relationship between two variables

• Positive = both variables positively impact each other

• Negative = one is positive and one is negative

Correlation strengths

• More ethical than experiment

• High ecological validity

Correlation limitations

• No cause and effect

• Hard to determine which variable is effecting the other (not unidirectional)

Survey

• A collection of self-reported data from a target population

• Collects information from a large and dispersed group instead of a small one

• Can be done through interviews

• Often use questions with set answers for statistical analysis

• Can be done in person, through phone, mail or over internet

Survey strengths

• Simple and straightforward way to collect large amounts of information from large groups

• Low cost

• Not time consuming

• Standardized questions are easy to replicate

• People may be more open when anonymous

• Quantitative data may be used for statistical analysis

Survey limitations

• People may not be entirely honest

• Only examines relationships not cause and effect