HW1_Laura Hembree__510D01

PSYC 510 H OMEWORK : D ESCRIPTIVE M ETHODS A SSIGNMENT I NSTRUCTIONS O VERVIEW 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. I NSTRUCTIONS 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. o Example: HW3_JohnDoe_510B01 Make sure to check the Homework Grading Rubric before you begin this Homework: Descriptive Methods Assignment . Part I: General Concepts These questions are based on the concepts covered in this module’s assigned readings and presentations. Apply concepts from this week to answer each of the following questions about populations and samples. 1. Describe a population you would like to work with after earning your graduate degree in psychology. ANSWER: After earning my graduate degree in psychology, I would like to work with incarcerated individuals and the psychological issues they have. 2. Describe a stratified sampling technique you could use to reflect your ANSWER: Satisfied sampling occurs when you take the total population and break it into subcategories; also known as strata. Page 1 of 5

PSYC 510 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. Randomly you pick a selection from the subcategories. Doing this will allow the researcher to sample all subcategories.: I would first divide my population by experienced agents into subgroups 1-7, 8-14, and 15 or more. I would pick 10 from each subgroup to make up my sampling. Ij 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 : Cluster sampling is when the population is broken into smaller groups. This creates a cluster naturally. I would break the agency into regions. Researching these regions, would reduce my agency mass size. 4. How are stratified and cluster sampling techniques similar ? ANSWER: Stratified and cluster sampling are similar in that each member has a known chance for participating. Both are broken into subgroups to help reduce the number needed to help capture the whole target group. 5. How are stratified and cluster sampling techniques different ? ANSWER Stratified and cluster sampling techniques are different in that cluster uses the whole cluster but in stratified sampling a certain number of participants are taken out of each subgroup. 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. S 6. What specific type of observational method would be best? Why? ANSWER: The best method would be naturalistic observation, which includes observing participants’ behavior in a natural setting. It would be more accurate to be able to observe the children’s behavior in a setting that is natural to them. 7. Describe a potential expectancy effect that could impact the results of this study. ANSWER: The expectancy effect describes how an observer’s expectations may influence the participant that is observed. If they are aware of the expectations; their conduct may not be valid. 8. Describe THREE items you would include as a static if you were to conduct this study using a checklist . Make ANSWER: 1. Population size- This would provide the researcher the ability to see if Page 2 of 5

PSYC 510 This section requires you to evaluate qualitative vs. quantitative research methods. 14 . Describe two advantages / strengths of qualitative research. ANSWER : Quantitative data is not restricted to a set of fixed data points. It allows the participants to give their information about their preferences, goals, habits, and such as. With qualitive data, a smaller study population is used by the researcher to get the information from participants and create a conclusion. This conclusion will be applied to the entire population of the study. 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: Looking is when the researcher gathers the data, identifies the data, and identifies the parties who are affected. Researchers would study the demographics of the complaint. The complaints of low morale, and any action that has already occurred in the workplace. Thinking is when researchers think about the issue, collecting the answer to the given question, and then analyzing and interpreting the conclusion. Researchers could do a survey or an interview of the affecting employees at the workplace. Action is after collecting and evaluating all the necessary information or data; researchers would identify the behaviors connected with reports of poor morale, then propose the viable response for supervisors they may take to promote good morale in the future. 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. Page 4 of 5

PSYC 510 None for Module 3 – you will start using SPSS regularly NEXT MODULE! Part III: Cumulative These questions can be related to anything covered thus far in the course. Using information from previous modules, answer the following: 16. What are the three major goals of research? ANSWER : The three major goals of research are description, prediction, and explanation. 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: If I were to want to identify the scale of measurement for a variable in SPSS, I would do it in variable view. 18. Create operational definitions for “Success” using two different scales of measurement. Make sure to identify the scale of measurement for each definition! ANSWER: Success would be ranked on an interval scale, broken down into increments: Moderately successful, successful and extremely successful. A second way in which success can be defined is by using the ordinal scale when taking courses for college. Just as it is done now. A, B, C, D and F. Submit this assignment by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of Module 3. Remember to name file appropriately. Done! Page 5 of 5