Quantitative Research Methods

Descriptive Designs

• Concerned with describing behaviour
• Uses case studies (limited in size), naturalistic observation, survey research (interviews, questionnaires)
• Possible research bias/observer bias

Correlation Designs

• Concerned with predicting behaviour
• Correlation coefficient (positive/negative correlation or none at all (0))

Experimental Designs

• Concerned with establishing the causes of behaviour
• Three main goals - description, prediction and understanding
• Independent variables (outside participants control)
• Dependent variables (responses depend on their exposure to the independent variable)
• In order to assess cause and effect, participants are presented with different possible variations or conditions, of the independent variable and study the way participants react