Key differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods in psychology

Full Answer Section

          Methods:

• Experiments: Highly controlled environments to manipulate variables and observe outcomes.
• Surveys/Questionnaires: Often use closed-ended questions (e.g., Likert scales, multiple choice) administered to large samples.
• Structured Observations: Counting specific behaviors.
• Secondary Data Analysis: Analyzing existing numerical datasets.

Sample Size: Typically involves large sample sizes to ensure statistical power and generalizability of findings to a broader population. Analysis: Statistical analysis (e.g., descriptive statistics like means and standard deviations, inferential statistics like t-tests, ANOVA, regression, correlations). Researcher's Role: Aims for objectivity, maintaining distance from the participants. Outcomes: Statistical results, charts, graphs, and findings that can be generalized to a larger population. Tests hypotheses.  

Qualitative Research

  Focus: To explore, understand, and interpret. It aims to gain in-depth insights into experiences, meanings, perspectives, and underlying reasons for phenomena. Type of Data: Non-numerical, descriptive data. This includes words, narratives, observations, images, and symbols. Research Questions: Often starts with "Why?", "How?", "What is the experience of...?", "What are the perceptions of...?", or "What meanings do people attribute to...?".

• Example: "How do college students describe their experiences with sleep deprivation and its impact on their daily lives?" or "What are the lived experiences of individuals undergoing cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety?"

Methods:

• In-depth Interviews: Open-ended questions allowing participants to elaborate freely.
• Focus Groups: Group discussions to explore a topic and capture diverse perspectives and interactions.
• Participant Observation: The researcher immerses themselves in a setting to understand a group's culture and behaviors from within.
• Case Studies: Intensive study of a single individual, group, or phenomenon.
• Content Analysis: Analyzing text, audio, or video for themes and meanings.

Sample Size: Typically involves small, purposive sample sizes chosen for their rich information, as the goal is depth over breadth. Findings are generally not statistically generalizable but offer transferable insights. Analysis: Thematic analysis, content analysis, discourse analysis, narrative analysis, grounded theory. Involves identifying patterns, themes, and categories within the descriptive data. Researcher's Role: Often actively involved, acknowledging their own subjectivity and potential influence on the data (reflexivity). Outcomes: Rich descriptions, themes, conceptual models, and in-depth understandings of specific contexts or experiences. Generates hypotheses and builds theories.  

Key Differences at a Glance:

  In psychology, both methods are incredibly valuable and often complement each other. For example, a quantitative study might identify that a certain therapy reduces anxiety, while a qualitative study might explore how and why patients experience that reduction, providing deeper insights into the therapeutic process.

Sample Answer

          In psychology, understanding the key differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods is crucial because they serve different purposes and provide different kinds of insights into human behavior and mental processes. Here's a breakdown of their main distinctions:  

Quantitative Research

  Focus: To measure and test, quantify, and generalize. It aims to confirm hypotheses, establish facts, and explore cause-and-effect relationships. Type of Data: Numerical data. This includes statistics, percentages, ratings on scales, frequencies, and scores. Research Questions: Often starts with "How many?", "How much?", "How often?", "What is the relationship between X and Y?", or "Does X cause Y?".

• Example: "What is the average number of hours of sleep college students get per night, and how does it correlate with their GPA?" or "Does cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety compared to a placebo in adults?"