Chapter 2: Methods of Enquiry in Psychology

Answer: The main advantage of a case study is that it provides comprehensive, in-depth detail about a particular individual or group, capturing nuances and complexities that larger studies might overlook. This approach can reveal unexpected findings and suggest new directions for research.

Answer: Correlational research identifies and examines relationships or associations between two variables without manipulating them, while experimental research involves manipulating independent variables to observe their effect on dependent variables, thus establishing cause-and-effect relationships.

Answer: Researchers should ensure voluntary participation, obtain informed consent, maintain confidentiality, debrief participants, and avoid any harm or deception. It's crucial to respect participants' autonomy and privacy throughout the study.

Answer: Using both quantitative and qualitative methods provides a comprehensive view of the research problem. Quantitative methods offer numerical data and statistical analysis, while qualitative methods give depth and context, capturing the richness and complexity of human behavior.

Answer: Surveys can be limited by self-report biases, misunderstanding of questions, and low response rates. Responses may not accurately represent actual behavior, and external factors may influence participants' answers.

Answer: Observer bias occurs when researchers' expectations or beliefs influence their observations or interpretations. This can lead to skewed data, as researchers may unconsciously notice behaviors that confirm their hypotheses while ignoring contrary evidence.

Answer: Reliability refers to the consistency of results obtained from psychological tests over time. A reliable test provides stable and consistent results across different administrations. Methods to assess reliability include test-retest reliability, split-half reliability, and inter-rater reliability.

Answer: A hypothesis is a tentative explanation or prediction that guides scientific research. It forms the basis for conducting experiments, directing data collection, and framing analyses, which help in confirming or refuting the hypothesis.

Answer: Psychologists can ensure validity by carefully designing studies, controlling variables, using reliable instruments, and employing appropriate statistical analyses. Peer review and replication of studies also contribute to the validity of research findings.

Answer: Control groups serve as a benchmark allowing researchers to compare outcomes against experimental groups. This helps in isolating the effect of the independent variable and establishing causal relationships by accounting for other potential influences.