research design - formulating the research problem

7/29/2019 Research Design - Formulating the Research Problem

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Formulating the research question 1

Research design formulating the researchproblem

Chapter 4 in Babbie & Mouton (2001)

How to pose proper scientific questions

The logic of the research process

The research process

O/head p. 98


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Research design and researchmethodology

Designa plan or structured framework of howyou intend to conduct the research

"A strategic framework for action that serves as

a bridge between research questions and theexecution or implementation of the research"

Methodologyrefers to the methods,techniques, and procedures that are employedin implementing your research plan (design)


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Purposes of research

Exploration

Description

Explanation


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Exploration

To develop an initial, rough understandingof a phenomenon

Methods:

literature reviews

Interviews

case studies

key informants


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Description

Precise measurement and reporting of thecharacteristics of the population orphenomenon

What is the case?

What is the nature of the relationship?

Methods: census, surveys, qualitativestudies NOTE: a sidestep to correlational studies


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Correlation

See Chapter 2 in Weiten, for a quick review

Correlation: the degree of relationshipbetween two variables, A and B


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Direction of correlation:

When A has a high value, B has a high value; when A has a lowvalue, B has a low value = a positive correlation.

E.g. the relationship between the amount smoked and theprobability of heart disease

When A has a high value, B has a low value; when A has a lowvalue, B has a high value = a negative correlation.

E.g.: Durkheim: the more socially integrated a society is, thelower the incidence of suicide in that society (p. 23 in Babbieand Mouton). Or: amount of daily exercise and probability of

heart disease. Also NO correlation = when two variables do not co-occur (see

causation). E.g. studying Psychology and the probability of heartdisease.


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Explanation

WhyIs x the case? or Is x therelationship?

Methods

experimental NOTE: a sidestep to causation


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Cause

Three requirements:

Cause precedes effect

A cause co-occurs with the effect

The third variable problem


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Cause and correlation

Cause precedes effect

p. 83, Babbie and Mouton, smoking marijuanaand academic performance

Co-occurrence

Correlational research only tells you two ifvariables happen together

A cause always co-occurs with an effect(Drinking a lot of alcohol) and (feeling light-headed and throwing up) co-occur becausedrinking alcohol causes drunkenness


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Cause and correlation

BUT: non-causally related events can also co-occur!

(The ANC wins the 2004 election) and (Dave obtainsdistinctions in his first semester courses in 2004)

ALSO: Very few perfect correlations in theprobabilistic world of social explanations Two non-causally related events/variables can co-

occur because they are both related to somethingelsethe third variable p. 83, Babbie and Mouton, smoking marijuana, academic

performance, and emotional problems Does watching a lot of violent programmes on TV, or playing

violent video games, cause children to behave moreaggressively in preschool?


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Causality:

AcausesB if and only if

A exists then B exists

A does not exist, then B does not exist

Correlational studies test only If A exists thenB exists

To test for causality, it is generally considered

that we need a different type of design: anexperimental design. To be discussed under

Types of design.


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Formulating the research question13

Some decisions about designs

The purpose of your study (exploration, description,explanation)

This will impact on your decision about the type ofdesign you will need

The unit of analysis

What are you talking about?

Individuals? Groups? Organizations? Social actions?

The time dimension Is the study longitudinal (follow people over a long

period of time) or cross-sectional (a snapshot intime)?


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Formulating the research question14

Some decisions about designs

Examples See Weiten p. 434, on the long-term stability of temperament

and personality: is a child's temperament at ten a predictor ofhis/her temperament at ten?

Those of you doing Developmental Psychology (PSY209F), lookat Chapter 1 in Sigelman & Rider

Also distinguish between trend, cohort and panel studies

Trend studies: changes in a population over time

Cohort studies: changes in relatively specific sub-populations(cohorts) as they change over time

Panel studies: examine the same set of people over time.


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Conclusion

These decisions affect the conclusions that can bedrawn. Hence careful consideration of them PRIORto the studys commencement.

We want our research to be VALID: truth, rationality,objectivity. A study has validity when it has thecapacity to study what it aims to study e.g. one thatclaims to study intelligence must have some measureof intelligence in it.

A study with poor validity is powerless.

Different types of research design have differentthreats to validity.

research design - formulating the research problem

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