Homework: Descriptive Methods Assignment Instructions
Overview
This Homework :Descriptive Methods Assignment is designed to assess your understanding of the concepts and applications covered thus far in this course. In this particular module, you have learned about more introductory concepts for the least powerful of research designs – descriptive methods.
Instructions
Be sure you have reviewed this module’s Learn section before completing this Homework :Descriptive Methods Assignment. This Homework: Descriptive Methods Assignment is worth 60 points. Each question is worth 3 points each. Six points are awarded for mechanics/structure.
- Part I contains general concepts from this module’s Learn section.
- Part II requires use of SPSS. You have a break this module from new SPSS concepts!
- Part III is the cumulative section. These may include short answer and/or use of SPSS but will review material from previous module(s).
- Directions for each subsection are provided in the top of each table (in the gray shaded areas). Answers should be placed where indicated (wherever there is “ANSWER”).
- Submit the file as a WORD document (.doc or .docx). Make sure the filename of your submission includes your full name, course and section.
- Example: HW3_JohnDoe_510B01
Make sure to check the Homework Grading Rubric before you begin this Homework :Descriptive Methods Assignment.
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Part I: General Concepts
These questions are based on the concepts covered in this module’s assigned readings and presentations. |
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Apply concepts from this week to answer each of the following questions about populations and samples.
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| 1. | Describe a population you would like to work with after earning your graduate degree in psychology. | ANSWER |
| 2. | Describe a stratified sampling technique you could use to reflect your target population identified in the first question. (Explicitly state the strata and list at least two subsamples of that strata). Do NOT use any examples from this week. | ANSWER |
| 3. | Describe a cluster sampling technique you could use to reflect your target population identified in the first question (NOT used in any examples this week). Provide enough details so that the sampling technique is differentiated from others in your assigned reading. | ANSWER |
| 4. | How are stratified and cluster sampling techniques similar? | ANSWER |
| 5. | How are stratified and cluster sampling techniques different? | ANSWER |
| A developmental researcher is concerned about the ecological validity when designing a study to investigate whether group size and gender are related to magnitude of bullying behavior observed in five year-old children.
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| 6. | What specific type of observational method would be best? Why? | ANSWER |
| 7. | Describe a potential expectancy effect that could impact the results of this study. | ANSWER |
| 8. | Describe THREE items you would include as a static
if you were to conduct this study using a checklist. Make sure you clearly define each item. |
ANSWER |
| 9. | Describe THREE items you would include as action items if you were to conduct this study using a checklist. Make sure you clearly define each item. | ANSWER |
| This section requires you to apply information related to “Survey Methods” in your required reading.
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| 10. | Explain the difference between a loaded question and a leading question. |
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ANSWER
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| 11. | Imagine that you are writing a survey on student perceptions of the food in the dining hall. Write one open-ended question concerning quality of the food in the dining hall in the space below. |
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ANSWER
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| 12. | Imagine that you are writing a survey on student perceptions of the food in the dining hall. Write one close-ended question concerning quality of the food in the dining hall in the space below. |
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ANSWER
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| 13. | What problem is with the following survey question? Then, rewrite it to eliminate that problem.
Survey question: Do you favor reducing the outrageous number of administrators in the federal government? |
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ANSWER
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This section requires you to evaluate qualitative vs. quantitative research methods.
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| 14. | Describe two advantages / strengths of qualitative research. | ANSWER |
| 15. | Briefly describe the three basic phases involved in a qualitative action research study conducted to investigate complaints of low morale in a workplace. Make sure you relate each phase to this particular scenario. |
ANSWER
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Part II: SPSS Application
These questions require the use of SPSS. Remember you must submit all of your work within this word document. You will need to take a screen shot of your data view if necessary, or copy and paste your output into the spaces below.
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None for Module 3 – you will start using SPSS regularly NEXT MODULE!
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Part III: Cumulative
These questions can be related to anything covered thus far in the course.
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Using information from previous modules, answer the following:
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| 16. | What are the three major goals of research? | ANSWER |
| 17. | If you want to identify the scale of measurement for a variable in SPSS, would you do that in the Data View or Variable View? | ANSWER |
| 18. | Create operational definitions for “Success” using two different scales of measurement. Make sure to identify the scale of measurement for each definition! | ANSWER |
Submit this assignment by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of Module 3. Remember to name file appropriately.
| Done! |
