Homework assignment topics 1-7 Georgina Salas Topics 1-7 EDCI Intro to Research 6300.62 Dr. A.J. Herrera
Topic 1 1. The empirical approach to knowledge is based on what? The empirical approach to knowledge is based on observations. 2. Is the empirical approach used in everyday living? Empirical approach is used in everyday living. 3. What does the question of why establish? The question of why establishes the need to study. 4. How is the term hypothesis defined in this topic? Hypothesis is defined as a statement indicating what results are expected. 5. According to the topic, are samples often observed? Yes, samples are often observed. 6. What do researchers do when they plan how to observe? Researchers select available instruments. For example, objective tests, interviews, and direct observation of behavior. 7. The results from which type of research ( quantitative or qualitative ) are not reduced to numbers? Qualitative research is not reduced to numbers. 8. Are treatments given for the research purpose in experimental research or in nonexperimental research? Treatments are given in the experimental research. 9. If a researcher asked students for their opinions on switching from the semester system to the quarter system, would the researcher be conducting experimental research or nonexperimental research?
The researcher would be conducting nonexperimental research. 10. Briefly describe a time when you were misled by everyday observations_i.e when you reached a conclusion on the basis of an everyday observation that you later decided was an incorrect conclusion). 11. You have probably encountered conflicting research reported in the mass media. For example, one study might indicate that X increases blood pressure while another study indicates that X does not. Speculate on the reasons why various reserchers might obtain different results when studying the same problem. Researchers might obtain different results because they didn t use the same numbers of participants or they used different experiments. They could of only used one gender. 12. Name a general problem area in which you might conduct reasearch. At this point, your problem may still be broad, such as social Phobia or it may be narrow, such as effectiveness of behavior modification in the treatment of social phobia among children. Note that you may want to name several problem areas for research and make a final selection at a later time. How high absenteeism effects learning? Why some students retain information better than other students? Does retention of students help or hurt them? 13. Have you already made observations in your problem areas? IF so, briefly describe them. Yes, when students are absent a lot they fall behind and find it hard to catch up. They miss the lessons and often ge forgotten. Not sure why students retain information and others don t. Could it be because of language or understanding the material. For retention, depending on the students I have seen retention sometimes help them but sometimes it doesn t help them. They are still very far behind in their learning even though they have seen the information alreaday.
TOPIC 2 1. Are treatments given in nonexperimental studies? Treatments are not given in nonexperimental studies. 2. In an experiment, Group A was given verbal praise for being on time for appointments while Group B was given no special treatment. Which group is the control group? Group B is the control group. 3. Is it necessary to have at least two groups of participants in order to conduct an experiment? No, it is not necessary to have two groups of participants to conduct in experiments. 4. What is the purpose of a nonexperimental study? The purpose of a non experimental study is to observe the participants in their everyday existence. 5. Is a survey an experiment? A survey is a non experimental study. 6. Does knowing that a multiple-choice test was used in a study help a consumer of research determine whether the study was experimental or nonexperimental? No, it does not help determine whether the study was experimental or nonexperimental. 7. What is the purpose of an experiment? The purpose of an experiment is to explore cause and affect relationships. 8. A political scientist polled voters to determine their opinions on a decision by the Supreme Court. Is this an "experimental study" or a "nonexperimental study"?
The poll is a nonexperimental study. 9. A teacher compared the effectiveness of three methods of teaching handwriting by using different methods with different students. Did the teacher conduct an "experimental study" or a "nonexperimental The teacher used an experimental study. 10. Is it likely the study that identified the source was experimental or nonexperimental? Why? Nonexperimental because the town people were observed as to what happened to them. 11. Have you ever conducted an informal experiment by giving a treatment to a person or a group and then observing the effects? If so, briefly describe it. Would you have obtained better information by including a control group? Explain. Yes, I gave students with good behavior pretzels and free time, while bad behavior students stayed at their desks. When they saw what was happening the students with bad behavior changed to good behavior. I believe I would have obtained b better information with a control group. Instead of separating band and good behavior I would have chosen different students and labeled them good and bad even though if they behaved good. 12. Do you think it would be better to conduct an experimental study or a nonexperimental study? Why? I think an experimental study would be better because you would see a change in their reading. 13. Do you anticipate using an experimental or a nonexperimental approach in your research? I think I might use an experimental approach so I could see a change in the student s behavior. Not really sure on what treatments I plan to administer. 14. Have you already conducted an informal experiment on your topic? No.
TOPIC 3 1. According to the topic, do "experimental" or "causal-comparative" studies have more potential pitfalls when one is trying to identify cause-and-effect relationships? Casual comparative studies have more potential pitfalls. 2. Researchers look to the past for a cause in which type of study? Researchers look to the past in casual comparative study. 3. Is causal-comparative research a type of experiment? It is considered a nonexperimental study. 4. Are treatments given by researchers in causal-comparative studies? There are no treatments given. 5. Random assignment to treatments is used in which type of study? Random assignment to treatments is used in experimental study. 6. How is the term demographics defined in this topic? Demographics is defined as background characteristics. 7. A researcher compared the health of low-income adolescents who had received free lunches during their elementary school years with the health of a comparable group of low-income adolescents who had not received free lunches. The purpose was to determine the effects of free lunches on health. Did the researcher conduct an "experimental" or a "causal-comparative" study? The researchers conducted a casual comparative study. 8. A researcher divided patients with diabetes who were being released from the hospital into two groups. Upon their release, the researcher provided brief counseling for individuals with diabetes to one group while providing the other group with extended counseling. The purpose was to determine the effects of the
two types of counseling on patients' compliance with physicians' directions during the first month after hospitalization. Did the researcher conduct an "experimental" or a "causal-comparative" study? The researcher conducted an experimental study. 9. What is another name for the term causal-comparative study? Another name is ex post facto study. 10. If you wanted to investigate the cause of child abuse, would you use the experimental or the causal comparative method? Explain. I would use casual comparative study because I would want to know what happened in the past that caused the child abuse. 11. Are there any possible dangers in the interpretation that the vitamins cause individuals to maintain a healthy weight? Yes, there are dangers. People might then only take vitamin A and E and forgo taking any other vitamins for their health. 12. If you will be conducting a nonexperimental study, will it be casual comparative? Casual comparative so I could see what happened in the past that caused the child to be the way he/she is.
TOPIC 4 1. Suppose a researcher administered an intelligence test to young children each year for five years in order to study changes in intelligence over time. The researcher was conducting what type of study? The researcher would be conducting a longitudinal research. 2. Is the study in Question 1 experimental? No, it is not experimental. 3. If a researcher conducts a poll to estimate public support for free childcare for mothers on welfare, the researcher is conducting what type of nonexperimental study? The researcher conducted a census. 4. A researcher determined the degree of relationship between vocabulary scores and reading comprehension scores. The researcher was conducting what type of nonexperimental study? The researcher conducted a correlation research. 5. According to this topic, what is a distinctive feature of quantitative research? A distinctive feature is when researchers gather the data that is easy to quantify that allows for statistical analysis. 6. Most published qualitative research is collected using what? It is collected through semi structured interviews. 7. Nam a topic in your field of study that you might explore with a nonexperimental study. Which type of nonexperimental study would be most appropriate for your topic?
8. Think of a survey in which you were asked to serve as a participant. Did you cooperate and respond? Why or Why not? No, because I did not have time. 9. Name two quantitative variables that might be studied through the use of correlation research. One variable is scores on a college admissions test and a second one is GPAS. 10. Would the list be an example of good historical research? Explain No, it would not because we need to understand the dynamics of human history instead of just reading a list of historical events. 11. If you will be conducting a nonexperimental study, which type will it be? Explain. I would choose longitudinal research because it shows change over a period of time.
TOPIC 5 1. Adults who were taking a course to learn English as a second language were asked to name their country of birth and their number of years of formal education. In this example, how many variables were being studied? Two variables were being tested. 2. In Question 1, which variable is a categorical variable? Naming their country of birth. 3. In Question 1, which variable is quantitative? Formal years of education. 4. A sample of adults was asked-their level of agreement with the statement, "The President of the United States is doing a good job of handling foreign relations." They were permitted to respond with either "strongly agree," "agree," "disagree," or "strongly disagree." How many variables were being studied? No variables were being tested. 5. What is meant by mutually exclusive categories? Mutually exclusive categories when each respondent to the survey belong to only one category. 6. A researcher looked for the causes of social unrest by examining economic variables such as poverty, income, and so on. Is social unrest an "independent" or a "dependent" variable? Social unrest is a dependent variable. 7. If a researcher administers a basic math test to middle school children to see if the basic math test scores predict grades in high school algebra, what is the criterion variable? The criterion variable is the standard basic math test scores.
8. Suppose a researcher asks participants to identify their age group using these categories: "under 21," "21-39," "40-55," and "56-F." Are these exhaustive categories? Yes, they are exhaustive categories. 9. In Question 8, how many variables are being studied? One variable would be studied. 10. What is the minimum number of categories that each variable must have? Each variable should have two categories. 11. Name the categories you would use. Are they exhaustive and mutually exclusive? Explain. You would have the different amounts of income brackets listed. Yes, they are because they need to belong to one bracket. 12. Name a quantitative variable of interest to you and name its categories. Are the categories mutually exclusive and exhaustive? Explain. 13. If you will be conducting a nonexperimental study, name the major variables you will be studying. For each, indicate whether the categories will be quantitative.
TOPIC 6 1. All experiments have at least how many dependent variables? Experiments have at least one dependent variable. 2. In an experiment, what is the name of a stimulus or input variable? A stimulus or input variable is called an independent variable. 3. What does physically manipulate mean in an experimental context? Physically manipulate means to physically administer treatments. 4. Are dependent variables physically manipulated? Dependent variables are not physically manipulated. 5. Can an experiment have more than one independent variable? Yes, an experiment can have more than one independent variable. 6. Every other customer entering a shoe store was given a different coupon. One coupon offered a second pair of shoes for 50% off. The other coupon offered to reduce the total price by 25% if two pairs of shoes were purchased. The purpose was to determine which coupon was more effective in getting individuals to buy two pairs of shoes. In this experiment, what is the independent variable? The independent variable is the coupon offered to reduce the total price by 25% if two pairs of shoes were purchased. 7. In Question 6, what is the dependent variable? The coupon that offered a second pair of shoes for 50% off. 8. A teacher showed an educational film on daily nutritional needs to one group of students and gave a handout on the same material to another group. The purpose was to determine which method of instruction was more effective in increasing students' knowledge of daily nutritional needs. In this experiment, what is the dependent variable?
The dependent variable is the group of students with handouts. 9. In Question 8, what is the independent variable? The independent variable is the group shown the film. 10. Name a variable that would be easy for a researcher to physically manipulate in an experiment. Then, name a variable that might be affected by the manipulation. Group playing video games for good behavior. 11. Name a variable that you would be unwilling to physically manipulate due to ethical or legal concerns. Giving answers to a test. 12. If you will be conducting an experiment, name the independent and dependent variables you will be studying. Not sure yet.
TOPIC 7 1. Which type of statement (hypothesis, purpose, or question) predicts the outcome of a study? Hypothesis predicts the outcome of a study. 2. "It is hypothesized that college students who have firm career goals achieve higher GPAs than those who do not have firm career goals." Is this a "directional" or a "nondirectional" hypothesis? It is a directional hypothesis. 3. "It is hypothesized that children of immigrants and children of native-born citizens differ in their attitudes toward school." Is this a "directional" or a "nondirectional" hypothesis? It is nondirectional hypothesis. 4. "The goal of this study is to examine college students' attitudes toward religion." Is this statement a "hypothesis" or a "purpose"? The statement is a purpose. 5. "Are children of alcoholics different from children of nonalcoholics in their social adjustment?" Is this research question stated appropriately? Why? Why not? No, because it is asking for a yes or no answer. 6. When researchers are willing to predict the outcome of a study, should they state a "directional" or a "nondirectional" hypothesis? They should state a directional hypothesis. 7. What are the two alternatives to stating a nondirectional hypothesis? The two alternatives are stating a research purpose and a research question.
8. Consider nondirectional hypotheses, research purposes, and research questions. Are "all three acceptable in the scientific community" or is "one type preferred over the others"? All are acceptable in the scientific community. 9. Restate this hypothesis as a research purpose: It is hypothesized that there is a different in job satisfaction between those who receive regular feedback on their job performance and those who receive irregular feedback. Is there a difference in job satisfaction between those who receive feedback and those who do not? 10. Is the hypothesis in question 9 directional or nondirectional? Explain It is nondirectional. 11. Could an experiment be conducted to test the hypothesis in question 9? Explain. Yes, because you will be able to see how people perform according to feedback received. 12. Restate the following hypothesis as a research question: It is hypothesized that those who exercise regularly and those who do not exercise regularly differ in other behaviors that affect health. What is the difference between people who exercise regularly and those who do not? 13. State a research hypothesis, purpose, or question for the research you are planning. Is being absent in school constantly affect a students learning? 14. If you stated a hypothesis in response to question 13, is its directional or nondirectional? It is nondirectional.