The Nature of Quantitative Research Bryman: Social Research Methods: 3e Chapter 6 The Nature of Quantitative Research Authored by Susie Scott 1

The stages of quantitative research Theory/hypothesis Research design Devise measures of concepts Select site and sample Collect data Code and analyse data Write up See pages 140-141 2

Concepts and their measurement concepts = “categories for the organisation of ideas and observations” (Bulmer, 1984: 43) may provide explanations of social phenomena may represent things we want to explain measurements delineate fine differences between people/cases consistent and reliable more precise estimates of the degree of relatedness between concepts See page 143 3

Indicators of concepts produced by the operational definition of a concept less directly quantifiable than measures common sense understandings of the form a concept might take multiple-indicator measures concept may have different dimensions See page 144 4

Reliability Stability over time Internal reliability test-retest method (correlation between measure on different occasions) Internal reliability split-half method (correlation between measures on two halves of a scale) Cronbach’s alpha Inter-observer consistency agreement between different researchers See pages 149-150 5

Validity Measurement validity: Validity presupposes reliability Face validity Concurrent validity Predictive validity Construct validity Convergent validity Validity presupposes reliability (but not vice versa) See pages 151-155 6

The main preoccupations of quantitative researchers 1. Measurement can a concept be quantified? comparisons between measures changes in a variable over time 2. Causality explanations of social phenomena causal relationships between independent and dependent variables inference only in cross-sectional designs See pages 155-156 7

The main preoccupations of quantitative researchers 3. Generalization can the results be applied to individuals beyond the sample? aim to generalize to target population requires representative sample (random, probability sample) 4. Replication detailed description of procedures allows other researchers to replicate study low incidence of published replications See pages 156-158 8

Criticisms of quantitative research failure to distinguish between objects in the natural world and social phenomena artificial and spurious sense of precision and accuracy presumed connection between concepts and measures Cicourel (1964) ‘measurement by fiat’ respondents make different interpretations of questions and other research tools See page 159 9

Criticisms of quantitative research lack of ecological validity reliance on instruments and measurements little relevance to participants’ everyday lives variation in the meaning of concepts to each individual static view of social life relationships between variables ignores processes of human definition and interpretation (Blumer, 1956) See page 160 10

Is it always like this? quantitative research design is an ideal-typical approach useful as a guide of good practice but discrepancy between ideal type and actual practice of social research pragmatic concerns mean that researchers may not adhere rigidly to these principles See page 160 11

Reverse operationism Bryman (1988) quantitative research is usually deductive (operational definition of concepts) but measurements can sometimes lead to inductive theorising example: factor analysis groups of indicators cluster together and suggest a common factor e.g. personality trait research See page 160 12

Reliability and validity testing published accounts of quantitative research rarely report evidence of reliability and validity (Podsakoff & Dalton, 1987) researchers are primarily interested in the substantive content and findings of their research running tests of reliability and validity may seem an unappealing alternative! but researchers remain committed to the principles of good practice See pages 161-162 13