PSY 245 Wk 1 Discussion – Ethics in Research

Discussion Topic

Post a total of 3 substantive responses over 2 separate days for full participation. This includes your initial post and 2 replies to classmates or your faculty member.

Review “Ethical risks associated with participation in research” in Ch. 14, “Research Ethics,” of Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology.

Due Thursday

Select one question below and respond in a minimum of 175 words:

Reflect on what you have learned this week about the ethical conduct expected of researchers.

• How do ethical values enhance the global community of research professionals?
• When conducting research on human participants, is promising confidentiality the same as promising anonymity? Why or why not?
• Why should researchers pay special care when conducting research on vulnerable groups or cultures (e.g., minorities, children, senior citizens)? Support your response with examples and/or relevant details.
• How might ethical guidelines be relevant in studies that do not use human participants? Support your response with examples and/or relevant details.

Due Monday

Post 2 replies to classmates or your faculty member. Be constructive and professional.

PSY 245 Wk 2 Discussion – Examining Research Methods

Discussion Topic

Post a total of 3 substantive responses over 2 separate days for full participation. This includes your initial post and 2 replies to classmates or your faculty member.

Before completing this week’s discussion, review the vignettes below.

Vignette A

A researcher wanted to study how using computers to play educational games could affect children’s learning and physical activity. He conducted a study consisting of 200 parents of preschool and elementary school children:

• 100 parents of preschoolers (50 boys and 50 girls)
• 100 parents of elementary school children (50 boys and 50 girls)

The researcher believed computer games might be helpful for teaching the children new concepts and assist them in building on previously acquired knowledge; however, the parents were concerned that sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time could decrease physical activity among the children. The parents were asked to let their children use computer games for 3 hours a day for 1 month. At the end of the month, the parents completed a survey in which they were asked to describe what the children had learned from the computer games as well as the amount of time their child/children completed physical activities.

Vignette B

A researcher was interested in understanding why women are less likely than men to study mechanical engineering in college. The researcher hoped the findings of the study could be used by colleges to increase the number of women applying to study the field. The researcher decided the best way to learn why women were less inclined to apply to mechanical engineering programs would be to post flyers about the study in local high schools, then conduct in-depth interviews of students who volunteered to participate in the study.

In the interviews, the researcher asked the students about their attitudes and beliefs about the topic, such as whether or not they had considered pursuing a mechanical engineering degree, and why they would/would not consider a career in the field. The researcher then coded the data from the interviews to find patterns and themes that could explain why women are less likely to study mechanical engineering in college.

Due Thursday

Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:

• Reflect on what you have learned about qualitative and quantitative research methods. How do they differ? How are they similar? Why is qualitative research best suited for psychological studies?
• Which vignette illustrates a qualitative study? Which vignette illustrates a quantitative study? Justify your response.
• Sometimes researchers choose to conduct a mixed-methods study, in which both qualitative and quantitative data are collected and analyzed. Why might a mixed-methods approach be useful in a study?

Due Monday

Post 2 replies to classmates or your faculty member. Be constructive and professional.

PSY 245 Wk 3 Discussion – Sampling in Research

Post a total of 3 substantive responses over 2 separate days for full participation. This includes your initial post and 2 replies to classmates or your faculty member.

Researchers use sampling to analyze a representative group before drawing conclusions about a target population in a study. Sampling helps researchers produce accurate results and avoid errors.

Due Thursday

Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:

• Describe a qualitative or quantitative study you would be interested in conducting.
• What type of sampling is most appropriate for your study? Review your textbook for examples.
• How would you select and recruit the sample? Note: Make sure that your sample fits the research design (qualitative/quantitative).
• Explain the strengths and limitations of your choice.

Due Monday

Respond to at least 2 peers by evaluating whether their sampling choices are appropriate for their studies. Do you agree with their choices? Why or why not?

PSY 245 Wk 4 Discussion – Representing Data Visually

Post a total of 3 substantive responses over 2 separate days for full participation. This includes your initial post and 2 replies to classmates or your faculty member.

Before completing this week’s discussion, review the following resources:

• “Study: Parkinson’s Patients Speak 60% Less Than Healthy Peers” from Parkinson’s News Today
• Appendix A, “Writing Research Reports in Psychology,” of Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology

Due Thursday

Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:

Once a research study has concluded, the researcher must present their findings in a report. Given the complexities involved in both writing and reading research reports, the use of visual representations of data can help the researcher explain their findings to readers in meaningful ways.

• Imagine the researchers of a study are seeking suggestions for visually presenting their data.
• Describe 1–2 ideas for a visual display of the research study. Explain how your suggestions will assist the reader in understanding the research findings. How would your suggestions convey the results to the audience? What are the advantages and limitations of using this type of representation?
• Why is it important for researchers to present data visually in reports or articles?
• Review the basic structure of a research report in psychology in Appendix A, “Writing Research Reports in Psychology,” of Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology. Summarize 1–2 concepts you learned about presenting data in a report.

Due Monday

Post 2 replies to classmates or your faculty member. Be constructive and professional.

PSY 245 Wk 5 Discussion – Becoming an Educated Consumer of Research

Post a total of 3 substantive responses over 2 separate days for full participation. This includes your initial post and 2 replies to classmates or your faculty member.

In Weeks 1–4, you learned to identify, define, and apply concepts of research methodology and statistics. You can also use these skills to become an educated and responsible consumer of research when reading reports from popular news sources. In such instances, knowing how to evaluate the information you have been given as well as locating more information about the study will help you assess a researcher’s claims.

Before completing this week’s discussion, watch “Science Journalism” from the University Library.

Due Thursday

Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:

Your friend is interested in learning how to conduct their own research when reading or watching news reports about research studies, and has reached out to you for suggestions.

• Based on what you’ve learned thus far, what are some fundamental research elements your friend should look for when reading a media report about a study?
• Your friend emails you a story about a research study from their favorite online news source (e.g., Google News™, Reddit®, Yahoo!®). You notice the media report succinctly summarizes the study’s findings, but several details about the researcher’s methods and data analysis have been omitted.
• What can your friend do to obtain more information or corroborate the research?
• Is it appropriate for your friend to know who funded the study? Why or why not?

Due Monday

Post 2 replies to classmates or your faculty member. Be constructive and professional.