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Research methods and techniques

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Question 23

Research Study: Altruism and Social Etiquette

Helping others and adhering to social etiquette are considered positive traits, but researchers do not fully understand the daily habits of individuals regarding small acts of kindness or politeness. To investigate this, a social scientist used a self-report questionnaire to ask participants about their experiences with prosocial behavior and politeness. Some of the data collected is presented in the tables below.

Table 1: Answers to 'Do you enjoy helping lost strangers find their way?'

ResponseNumber of participants
Yes145
No55

Table 2: Answers to 'Do you regularly hold the door open for others?' split by gender

Gender'Yes''No'
Males5822
Females7218

Table 3: Preferential charity categories selected by participants as most important

Charity CategoryNumber of people
Arts & Culture10
Animal Welfare45
Medical Research55
Environmental Protection30
Homelessness Support40
International Aid20

Using your knowledge of research methods, suggest two ways that social desirability may have influenced the data collected in this study.

[4]

Research methods and techniques Questions

  1. A Level
  2. /Psychology
  3. /Research methods and techniques