Chapter 2 Flashcards
Research Problem
One or more sentences that indicate the goal, purpose, or overall direction of the study
Context of the research problem
Communicates the background or larger body of knowledge or subject
Purpose of the research problem
A general statement of the goal of the study
Significance of the research problem
is the reason for the study
How will the study make a contribution to knowledge and/or practice
Research Problem Components
context of the problem
purpose of the problem
significance of the problem
Five reasons for conducting replication studies
To check the findings of a major or milestone study
To check the validity of research findings with different subjects
To check trends or change over time
To check important findings using different methodologies
To develop more effective or efficient interventions
Variable
A label or name that represents a concept or characteristic
Categorical variables
are composed of attributes or levels
attribute
is a categorical value of a variable
Level
is another name for attribute
Conceptual or Constitutive Definition
Uses other words to define the variable; a dictionary definition
Operational Definition
Uses measurement operations to define the variable; generally preferred in research
Independent Variable (IV)
The variable that is the subject of the study
Precedes, influences, or predicts the dependent variable
In a true experiment, the IV is under the control of the experimenter
Dependent Variable
The variable that is measured to see if the IV had an affect
Affected or predicted by the independent variable
Extraneous Variables (Nuisance Variables)
Any variable that may affect the DV, but is not the subject of the study
Confounding Variables
A variable that co-varies with the independent variable (IV), but is not the IV.
A confounding variable provides an alternative explanation for the findings of the study (other than the IV).
Continuous Variable
Can take on an infinite number of possible values
Between any two values, another value is possible
Categorical Variable
Can take on only a finite number (often a small number) of possible values
The values are the categories (Example: High/Medium/Low or Yes/No)
Predictor Variable
The variable we predict from
Criterion Variable
The variable we are trying to predict
Criteria for Evaluating Quantitative Research Problem Statements and Questions
The problem should be researchable (empirical)
The problem/question should be important
The problem should indicate the type of research (descriptive, associational, quasi-experimental, or experimental)
The problem statement/question should specify the sample
The problem statement/question should specify the variables
The problem statement/question should be clear
Hypotheses
Educated “guesses” or tentative expectation about a correct solution to a problem, descriptions, possible relationships, or differences
Why Researchers Use Hypotheses
The hypothesis provides a focus that integrates information
The hypothesis is testable
The hypothesis helps the investigator know what to do
The hypothesis allows the investigator to confirm or disconfirm a theory
The hypothesis provides a framework for developing explanations that can be investigated scientifically
When supported, the hypothesis provides evidence of the predictive nature of the relationship between the variables
The hypothesis provides a useful framework for organizing and summarizing the results and conclusions of the research
Inductive hypotheses
derive from the researcher’s observations of behavior
Inductive hypotheses are limited by the what data the research has had the opportunity to be exposed to
