qualitative and quantitative data
What qualitative and quantitative data means in Psychology A-Level, as defined for OCR.
Definitions of qualitative and quantitative data
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
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Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain qualitative and quantitative data in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: OCR
Closed items give quantitative data that can be compared across a large sample, while open items give qualitative detail no fixed option would have caught.
Open questions yield qualitative data, while closed questions produce quantitative data for easy comparison.
Topics that use qualitative and quantitative data
- Planning and conducting research (OCR A-Level)
- Research methods and techniques (OCR A-Level)
Related terms
- behavioural categories
- behavioural category
- causal inference
- co-variables
- confounding variables
- Counterbalancing
- direction and strength
- directional and non-directional hypotheses
Using qualitative and quantitative data in the exam
Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.
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