This document contains definitions and AO3 points for methodology in social psychology, for A level edexcel psychology. Contains information about questionnaires, interviews and other research methods.
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1.2 Methods
Self-reporting data
1.2.1 Designing and conducting questionnaires and interviews, considering
researcher effects.
What are self-reporting data?
The participant reveals personal information about themselves (e.g. behaviour,
emotions, beliefs, attitudes and memories) in response to a series of
questions.
What is an interview?
Where participants give information in response to direct questioning from the
researcher.
What is a questionnaire?
Where participants give information in response to a set of questions that are
sent to them. This can be in the post or completing a form online.
evaluate questionnaire:
Questionnaires are a commonly used research method in social psychology,
and their effectiveness can be evaluated based on several criteria.
1.2 Methods 1
, Questionnaires allow for standardisation as they provide a structured set of
questions that can be administered uniformly to participants. This ensures
consistency in data collection, allowing for comparisons between individuals
and groups. Standardisation increases the reliability of the data collected, as it
minimises the potential for variations in the way questions are presented or
interpreted.
Questionnaires are well-suited for gathering data from a large number of
participants. With a large sample size, researchers can obtain a more
representative picture of the target population, increasing the external validity
of the findings. Moreover, a larger sample size enhances the statistical power
and generalizability of the results, enabling researchers to draw more accurate
conclusions about the wider population.
One limitation of questionnaires is the potential for self-report bias.
Participants may not always provide accurate or truthful responses, either due
to social desirability bias (providing answers they perceive as socially
acceptable) or memory recall bias. This can compromise the validity and
reliability of the data collected. Researchers need to consider ways to
minimise these biases, such as ensuring anonymity, using carefully designed
questions, and employing follow-up interviews or observations to validate
self-reported information.
Questionnaires often provide a relatively shallow understanding of complex
social phenomena. The use of closed-ended questions with predefined
response options limits participants' ability to express nuanced or detailed
opinions, emotions, or experiences. This restriction may hinder researchers
from capturing the complexity and richness of social psychological
phenomena, potentially leading to an oversimplified or incomplete
understanding. Supplementing questionnaires with qualitative methods, such
as interviews or open-ended questions, can help overcome this limitation and
provide a more comprehensive analysis.
In conclusion, while questionnaires have several strengths, including
standardisation and the ability to gather data from large sample sizes, they
also face limitations such as self-report bias and limited depth. Researchers
should be aware of these strengths and limitations and use appropriate
1.2 Methods 2
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