week 9 & 10 notes

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Questions and Answers

What is one of the primary advantages of internet-based research?

Limited sample diversity

Increased social pressure

Faster data collection (correct)

Higher experimenter bias

Which of the following is considered an ethical benefit of online research?

Higher involvement of experimenters in data collection

Requiring physical presence for surveys

Increased social pressure for participants

Anonymity and increased self-disclosure (correct)

What potential disadvantage is associated with conducting surveys online?

High levels of participant engagement

Sample biases and lack of generalizability (correct)

Uniform control over the data collection setting

Increased interaction with researchers

Which of the following online survey tools is mentioned as an example?

SurveyMonkey Signup and view all the answers

What ethical disadvantage was highlighted in the context of online research?

Facebook ‘emotional manipulation’ study Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following research types is classified under 'Types of Data Collection'?

Perception/Cognition Experiments Signup and view all the answers

What is one potential security issue a researcher may face when collecting data?

Data may get leaked Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an essential step in ensuring data quality?

Establishing objective exclusion criteria Signup and view all the answers

What is a common method to handle multiple submissions from repeat participants?

Recording IP addresses Signup and view all the answers

When assessing a measure's quality, what type of reliability is concerned with the consistency of results over time?

Test-retest reliability Signup and view all the answers

In survey design, why is it important to handle invalid responses?

To ensure accurate data interpretation Signup and view all the answers

What should researchers consider when adapting an existing measure?

If the items are confusing to answer Signup and view all the answers

Which type of survey method may best ensure responses are valid?

Surveys that include attention checks Signup and view all the answers

What is a reliable source to find measures for research?

APA PsycTEST website Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant drawback of online surveys?

They cannot access populations without internet access. Signup and view all the answers

Which category of data includes health and criminality information?

Highly sensitive data Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential issue related to various incentives in online surveys?

They can encourage falsification of responses. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following types of data is NOT identifiable or re-identifiable?

Aggregated data available to the public Signup and view all the answers

What should be determined first when creating a new online survey?

The sensitivity level of the data to be collected Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of identifiable sensitive data?

Information regarding past illnesses and treatments Signup and view all the answers

What is a key advantage of adapting an existing measure for research?

It saves on resources such as time and cost. Signup and view all the answers

Which scale is used to measure attitudes according to the content?

Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly agree Signup and view all the answers

What step should be taken to maximize the reliability of survey items?

Pilot your draft survey with a small group and ask for feedback. Signup and view all the answers

What is one major disadvantage of mail surveys mentioned in the content?

Poor response rate often between 3% and 15% Signup and view all the answers

Which factor should be considered to ensure the validity of survey items?

Items must be accurate and relevant to the information needed. Signup and view all the answers

What does grouping frequency scales together and attitude scales together help minimize?

Respondent confusion Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant drawback of interviews, either face-to-face or by phone?

High costs and time-consuming nature Signup and view all the answers

When creating your own measure, which resource is NOT suggested for research?

Social media trends Signup and view all the answers

How can using a previously established measure aid in publishing a research study?

Reviewers are more likely to support it. Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic is true for creating a mail survey according to the provided information?

It is inexpensive and convenient, with a risk of poor response rates. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Publishing Psychology Studies

Computer scientists have been archiving their work online since the 1970s.
Physicists have been archiving their work since the 1990s in a journal called “arXiv”.
The APA ran Psycoloquy, a journal for the publication of psychology research, from 1990 to 2002.
Journal of Vision, run by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), has been publishing since 2001.

Types of Data Collection

Online Surveys: Qualitative and quantitative data collection via platforms like Qualtrics, LimeSurvey, and SurveyMonkey.
Perception/Cognition Experiments: Automatic test scoring and stimulus presentation, response timing via platforms like PsychoPy and Gorilla.
Applied Research: Evaluation of therapeutic programs, for example, MindSpot, using online surveys and experiments.

Advantages of Internet Research

Historical Records: Online data collection via the internet provides access to historical records of digital transactions and online material.
Recruitment and Convenience: Online research allows for more accessible and efficient recruitment of participants, leading to a large and diverse sample at a lower cost than traditional methods.
Targeted Recruitment: The internet allows researchers to specifically target particular groups, including different countries and cultures.
Low Experimenter Bias: Online research minimizes experimenter bias as the environment is standardized and automated.
Faster Data Collection: Global participation allows for 24-hour data collection.
Engagement: younger generations are more familiar and comfortable with technology, potentially leading to increased motivation and participation.

Ethical Benefits of Internet Research

Anonymity: Online research promotes anonymity, increasing self-disclosure and reducing social pressure on participants.
Reduced Effort and Cost: The convenience of completing surveys at home reduces effort and cost for participants, potentially increasing participation rates.

Ethical Disadvantages of Internet Research

Facebook “Emotional Manipulation” Study: This study raised concerns about the potential for harm resulting from direct participation in online research and the difficulty of addressing participant distress.
Confidentiality Breaches: There are concerns about breaches of confidentiality in online research.

Disadvantages of Internet Research

Sample Biases: The limitations of online access can create sample biases, affecting the generalisability of study findings.
Drop-out: Online research has a higher rate of participant drop-out compared to traditional methods.
Lack of Control: Researchers have less control over the data collection setting compared to traditional methods.
Participant Effort: Participants may invest less energy in online research compared to research conducted in a controlled environment.
Data Leakage: Increased security concerns about data leakage.
Technology Issues: Technical issues can impact data quality and the research process.
Multiple Submissions: Participants may submit multiple responses, creating data inaccuracies.
Increased Technology Expertise: Researchers require greater technological expertise to conduct online research.

Threats to Data Quality

Pilot & Pretest: Conducting pilot studies and pretesting helps ensure accurate data collection.
Trustworthy Sources: Collecting data from trustworthy sources can help mitigate data quality concerns.
Good Management: Recording IP addresses and implementing objective exclusion criteria help prevent multiple submissions and enhance data quality.

Week 10 - Survey Methods in Research Practice

Step 1: Selection of Measures: Find appropriate research measures to answer research questions.
Step 2: Measure Quality: Determine the quality of a research measure by assessing validity (construct, content, criterion) and reliability (internal consistency, test-retest reliability).
Step 3: Adaptation vs. Creation: Decide whether to adapt an existing measure, create a new measure, or a combination of both.
Step 4: Survey Type and Creation: Decide on the type of survey (mail, interview, online) and the platform to use.
Step 5: Distribution and Collection: Distribute the survey and collect responses.
Step 6: Validity Check: Determine whether the survey responses are valid.
Step 7: Handling Invalid Responses: Address invalid responses in the dataset.

Where to Find Measures?

Electronic Databases: APA PsycTEST website is a resource for finding suitable research measures.

Measure Quality

Appropriateness: Assess whether a measure is appropriate for the specific research questions, target demographic, and method of delivery.
Psychometric Properties: Examine the psychometric properties of the measure - validity and reliability.
Practical Considerations: Ensure the measure is practical, free to use, and accessible.

Adaptation vs. Creation

Adaptation: When adapting an existing measure, ensure that response scales remain consistent across measures and that confusing or ambiguous items are revised.
Creation: When creating a new measure, conduct thorough research on existing measures, relevant theories, and relevant resources such as the DSM and ICD.

Draft and Pilot Survey Items

Reliability: Ensure that items are interpreted the same way by all respondents.
Validity: Ensure that the survey items accurately capture the information required.
Pilot and Edit: Conduct a pilot study with a small group to gather feedback and edit items accordingly.

Survey Types

Mail Surveys: Accessible and convenient for large populations, but have a low response rate and do not allow for control over administration or survey return.
Interviews: Suitable for all populations but are expensive, time-consuming, and may not provide a large sample size.
Online Surveys: Offer convenience, cost-effectiveness, automatic data collection, and access to diverse global samples, but are not accessible to individuals without internet access or tech proficiency.

Creating a New Online Survey- Data Sensitivity

Highly Sensitive Data: Contains information about health, criminality, genetics, finances, religion, and political opinion. requires careful data handling and storage.
Sensitive Data: Contains personal information not related to highly sensitive categories. requires careful data handling and storage.
General Data: Anonymized or publicly available data.

Research Platforms Browser

Suitable for: Collecting and storing sensitive data.
Suitable for: Collecting and storing general data.

Survey Distribution and Collection

Organisations: Distribute surveys through relevant organisations, such as schools, hospitals, or workplaces.
Personal Email: Distribute surveys via personal or professional email.
Research Participant Pools: Utilize research participant pools, like MQ SONA or Qualtrics.
Social Media: Distribute surveys through social media platforms.
Word of Mouth: Spread the word about the survey through informal channels.

Detecting and Dealing with Invalid Responses

Inattentive Responding: 3-9% of respondents engage in inattentive responding, which can negatively affect data quality. - Identify Inattentive Respondents: Use attention checks, measure response consistency indices, and analyze response times.
Other Forms of Invalidity: Faking good, faking bad, and social desirability bias.
- Addressing Invalid Responses: Delete cases with inappropriate responses, apply cut-off scores, conduct sensitivity analyses, or include self-reported diligence measures.

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