Chapter 2: Formulating a Research Question

Research that evaluates the effectiveness of interventions would be considered ______.

applied

The null hypotheses guiding this, and all, studies assert that the variables of interest ______.

are not related to one another

Control variables are ______ the independent and dependent variables.

as important as

The first step toward operationalizing variables is ______ them.

conceptualizing

The two features of the broader research topic that can help lead to one's research question are the population and the ______ of interest.

constructs

"Older people are more likely to visit the doctor when they are ill" is an example of a(n) ______ hypothesis.

directional

It is possible that researchers never become aware of ______ variables.

disturbance

Open-ended questions within a study are ______ in nature.

exploratory

Which type of research examines the world as a whole and generates new ideas about how the world works?

fundamental

The predicting variable in a study is the ______ variable.

independent

When researchers visualize their research question, they ______.

make a visual drawing of their research studies

Confounding variables are problematic because they ______.

make the results untrustworthy

When a ______ is present, the relationship between the independent and dependent variables may not exist anymore.

mediator

"There is no relationship between protein consumption and cancer incidence rates" is an example of a(n) ______ hypothesis.

null

The hypothesis researchers attempt to test within their studies is the ______ hypothesis.

null

"There is no relationship between gender and self-esteem" is an example of a(n) ______.

null hypothesis

If Steffan wants to ask some questions to explore a previously uncharted topic within his research study, what kind of questions would be best to use?

open-ended

When Yoshi decided to measure aggression by counting how many times participants hit a punching bag, he ______ his variable.

operationalized

Another word for hypothesis could be ______.

prediction

The main goal of applied research is to ______.

solve a societal problem

Placing a plus sign on a research visualization means ______.

that variable is expected to increase in relation to another one

When researchers conduct studies, they are actually ______.

trying to reject the null hypothesis

Making a charted drawing of one's research study is known as ______.

visualizing

The dependent variable is ______.

what the researcher wants to find out from a specific study

Conceptualization

- Breaking down constructs into smaller pieces and clarifying the meaning of each piece - These pieces are then operationalized and converted to variables

Null Hypothesis

- Claims there is no relationship between the variables of interest - Always H0

Disturbance Variable

- Common characteristics of participants that disturb the findings of the study - We are often not even aware that these variables exist and cannot control for them

Confounding Variable

- Influence the independent variable in such a way that results from the dependent variable become untrustworthy - Less clear than control variables

Applied Research

- Intended to solve a societal problem or uncover information about a particular issue - More immediately relevant to one or more problems

Fundamental Research

- Looks at the world at large, tries to generate explanations about how something works and why - Results may not be immediately applicable to real life (just to gain a deeper understanding of something)

Variable

- Measures different aspects/features of a construct - Can take on different values for different participants

Hypothesis

- Statement that predicts a phenomenon or behavior - Present in only quantitative studies

Regarding the relationship between the variables of interest, the two options are:

1) Reject the null hypothesis in favor of the alternative hypothesis (there is definitely a relationship between the variables) 2) Fail to reject the null hypothesis (we haven't proven yet that there is a relationship between the variables of interest) Remember: The null hypothesis is what we are trying to disprove/falsify with our research

Construct

Concept related to your topic that is measurable in one form or another

What can happen if there are variables that need to be controlled for but are not?

Confounds could result

What is the difference between control and confounding variables?

Control variables are predictable influences before the study begins, but the role of confounding variables cannot be predicted ahead of time

How do you narrow your research topic so that it is understood by all people?

Define: 1) The constructs of interest (eg: education, health, etc) 2) The populations of interest (eg: students, teachers, parents, etc)

Every study includes one alternative hypothesis. (T/F)

False

It is unacceptable to use measures other researchers have written to assess widely studied constructs.

False

Placing a plus sign on a research visualization means more work needs to be done in that area. (T/F)

False

Alternative Hypothesis

Predicts how variables will relate to each other after data is collected

Directional Hypothesis

Predicts the directionality of each variable in the relationship

Control Variables

Remove other characteristics that could affect the outcomes of the study, reducing bias and error

Nondirectional Hypothesis

Simply predicts that there is a relationship between two variables (doesn't state directionality)

Independent Variable

The explanatory or predicting variable that explains the variation in the dependent variable

Dependent Variable

The outcome or surprise variable that is influenced by the independent variable

Why do researchers conduct applied research?

They are interested in generating solutions for societal problems

Why did this study's researchers keep the research questions in question format?

They had nondirectional hypotheses and did not want to make assumptions about how the variables related to one another

Control variables are important for understanding the relationship between the variables of interest. (T/F)

True

Fundamental research may be helpful in practical life, but that is not the aim of that type of research. (T/F)

True

NPR is a scientific source for finding research literature.

True

The alternative hypothesis stands in contrast to the null hypothesis.

True

The first step in operationalizing variables is conceptualizing them. (T/F)

True

Operationalization

Turning constructs into actual variables that can be measured

______ are measured aspects of constructs that may take a different value for every person in the study.

Variables

Moderators

Variables that can strengthen or weaken an established relationship between the independent and dependent variables

Mediators

Variables that interfere with and can even destroy the relationship between the independent and dependent variables

Formulating a research question involves

Writing a well-thought-out question that includes the gist of your study and the population you are studying