Research Methods and Measures

1. Research Methods and Measures What approaches to research are available to a researcher? What types of questions do they answer? What are their relative strengths and weakness? What type of data should/can we collect with each approach? How does the research approach influence data analysis? Common Pitfalls and how to avoid them.

2. Approaches to research Performance Testing Trait Measures Attitudinal Measures Sociometric Methods Field studies Experimental Archival - meta analysis

3. Validity & Reliability Validity A measure is considered valid if it captures the behaviour we intended it to capture. Reliable A measure is considered reliable if participants in the study consistently respond to the stimuli in the same way. Generality A study is generalizable if it applies broadly to other settings.

4. Performance Testing Measures authentic performance on a specific task in a given context. Driving test. Language competency. Pros & Cons: Pros: high validity, objective. Cons: low generality, may be inconsistent needs strict criteria for assessment.

5. Aptitude Testing Attempts to measure general abilities using broad tests. Traditionally used to measure scholastic aptitude (Binet, 1904). Stanford-Binet, Weschler, WAIS, DAT, DOVE. Pros & Cons Pros Simple, objective, high construct validity Cons reification (naming fallacy), low generality, complexity, cost, low predictive validity.

6. Personality testing Used to identify personality traits. Typically, people rate statements about patterns of behaviour. Yes/No items 16 PF, MMPI, Myers-Briggs, Moody, Rey test. Pros & Cons Pros simple to administer, economical, objective, psychometric properties known. Validity & reliability norms exist. Cons Self report may be biased, requires understanding on respondents part, requires literate respondents. Validity may be questionable. Safeguards low face validity, lie detector items.

7. Projective tests Participants responses to neutral stimuli, are used to infer unconscious processes. Rorschach, Blackie, Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). Pros & Cons Pros Responses may reflect unconscious drives/ feelings that would not be measured by standard measures. May be useful in diagnosis. Cons requires specialised training, subjective, validity questionable. Norms on clinical populations not normals (Gus Grissom).

8. Attitude Scales Attitudes are assumed to be multifactorial and continuous. Attitude scales attempt to identify the latent structure of attitudes to some issue/object. Most common are the Likert index approach, and the Thurstone or Guttman scale. Indexes are assumed equal weight, scales are assumed to be ordered. Do not measure performance! Likert Scales (indexes) usually rated agreement with statement on a rating scale (1 - 5) or (1 - 7) most common. Assumed equal value. May be expressed positively or negatively.

9. Attitude Scales (cont.) Thurstone Scales. Items rated by Judges in terms of difficulty or importance, rated items are arranged according to expert ratings, and then participants are asked which statements they agree with. Scoring is based on judges rating of items.