PSY550 January 2019 Full Course Latest

  

PSY550 Research Methods
Week 1 Discussion
DQ1 How does the scientific method point towards truth? What is truth, and how do you know when you have found it?
DQ2 Contrast deductive and inductive reasoning, and explain how they can each be used to generate a hypothesis.
 
PSY550 Research Methods
Week 2 Discussion
DQ1 Define reliability and validity in your own words. Briefly describe the different types of reliability and validity, including why it is important to conduct a study that is reliable and valid.
DQ2 Stanley Milgram’s obedience to authority experiment is one of the most controversial studies in psychology’s history. Considering this example as well as others, critique such experiments from an ethical standpoint.
 
PSY550 Research Methods
Week 3 Discussion
DQ1 Discuss the proper placement and usages of a table and a figure within the manuscript.
Define the four general writing guidelines using APA style. Why is it important to write using these guidelines when communicating your study? Explain.
DQ2 Discuss what stage in the publication process should potential authors talk about publication credit. Explain.
Describe how the sections of a poster, for presentation, are organized.
 
PSY550 Research Methods
Week 4 Discussion
DQ1 In your own words, define naturalistic ovservation. Discuss examples of when a naturalistic observational study would be the most appropriate design to select. What are two sources of bias during an observation period?
DQ2 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the following nonexperimental research methods: (a) naturalistic observations, (b) surveys, and (c) correlational studies. If you were asked to use one of these designs in a study next week, which nonexperimental design would you select and why?
 
 
 
 
PSY550 Research Methods
Week 5 Discussion
DQ1 One of the best-known longitudinal designs is Lewis Terman’s study of giftedness. He began tracking gifted children into adolescence and adulthood in 1925; the study is supposed to conclude in 2020. Explain the unique benefits of such a study, and then explain the problems caused by this type of design.
DQ2 Explain the circumstances when a quasi-experimental design would be preferable to a between-subjects design, but also discuss why an explanatory research method is superior to a predictive method.
 
PSY550 Research Methods
Week 6 Discussion
DQ1 Contrast the three types of factorial designs.
DQ2 Lay out the design for two between-subjects experiments: (a) an experiment involving an experimental group and a control group, and (b) a factorial design with three independent variables that have 3, 2, and 2 levels, respectively.
 
PSY550 Research Methods
Week 7 Discussion
DQ1 Suppose that, for a t-test, your computed value for t is +3.28. The critical value of t is +2.048. Explain what this means. Do you reject the null hypothesis or not? Now suppose that you have 28 degrees of freedom and are using a two-tailed (nondirectional) test. Draw a simple figure to illustrate the relationship between the critical and the computed values of t for this result.
DQ2 Choose an article from the newspaper, an online source, or a magazine, then identify the descriptive statistics included in the article. Were the statisitcs appropriately described in the article? Explain. Discuss if the descriptive statistics used in your source supported the arguments made in it. Were the descriptive statistics misleading? Explain.
 
PSY550 Research Methods
Week 8 Discussion
DQ1 Design a 10-12 slide PowerPoint presentation (not including title and reference slides) focusing on the Research Proposal: Project Paper (submitted last week). Consider aforementioned elements in the Research Proposal:
Introduction/Hypothesis
Method
Results
Discussion
Figures and Tables (total of two from paper)
Make sure your reference slide matches the references from your proposal.
Include speaker notes below each content-related slide that represent what would be said if giving the presentation in person. Expand upon the information included in the slide and do not simply restate it. Please ensure the speaker notes include a minimum of 50 words.
DQ2 A researcher computed the F ratio for a four-group experiment. The computed F is 4.86. The degrees of freedom are 3 for the numerator and 16 for the denominator.
Is the computed value of F significant at p < .05? Explain. Is it significant at p < .01? Explain.   PSY550 Research Methods Week 2 Assignment Benchmark - Article Critique View the library tutorial on using the GCU databases and the empirical journal checklist. Find a scholarly peer reviewed journal from the library. Select a research study (complete with Method, Results, and Discussion sections). In 750-1,000 words, analyze the article. List the research question(s)/hypothesis being considered in the article. Summarize the study being conducted, including the purpose of the study. Describe the method and design used to test the research question(s)/hypothesis, including: Discuss if you believe the method and design was the correct method and design for the study. If not what would your suggestion for method and design be. Describe the variables, how they were defined and operationalized. Discuss if the study is ethically sound. Why or why not. What elements are present, or lacking, to show it is ethically sound. Include at least two to four scholarly sources. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. This assignment uses a rubric.  Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center. This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competencies: 3.2: Critically evaluate psychological research; 3.4: Apply ethical standards to evaluate psychological science and practice; and 4.1 Effective writing for scientific purposes.   PSY550 Research Methods Week 3 Assignment Informed Consent and Debriefing Psychology students need the ability to create informed consent and debriefing forms that adequately state the purpose of studies to the participants in an ethical manner. In your capstone class (your last class), it is an expectation that you have a created a consent and debriefing form for your research proposal. It could be beneficial if you create this assignment around the topic you would like to research. Before you begin the assignment, view the APA website and read the ethics listings. Using the GCU Library, research consent and debriefing forms. Locate two to four scholarly resources to support your form. Create an informed consent form and a debriefing form that explains the nature and true purpose of the study (students may adapt the examples from the textbook, see pages 76-77). Be sure to cite your sources at the conclusion of the document. While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. This assignment uses a scoring guide. Please review the scoring guide prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. You are not required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.   PSY550 Research Methods Week 5 Assignment Collaborative Learning Community - Correlations This is a Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) assignment. Before beginning this assignment, each group should submit a filled-in copy of the CLC Agreement Form. Each CLC team will design a correlational study, groups will need two variables with at least five sets of data. between these two variables: time spent playing video games and aggression. Then in 500-750 words, do the following: Create a hypothesis for the group’s study. Consider the hypothesis and how the group will define operationally and measure the variables. Describe how the group will obtain a random sample of participants. Assume the study produces a correlation of .56 between the variables. Analyze three possible causal reasons for the relationship. Submit an SPSS output for the correlational study. Use two to four scholarly resources to support your explanations. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.   PSY550 Research Methods Week 7 Assignment Benchmark - Research Proposal Using the topic you have developed in PSY-530 (if you have not taken PSY-530, please check with your instructor about a topic), write a Research Proposal (2,000-2,500 words) on a topic relevant to the course. To complete the Research Proposal, do the following: Review the attached document "Research Proposal Guidelines", as well as Topic 7 lecture section on The Results and Discussion Sections in the Research Proposal for a brief overview pertaining to "how to" complete the assignment. Introductory section: Include hypothesis and a review of the literature. Method section: Include subsections on Participants, Apparatus/Materials/Instruments, Procedure, and Design. Results section: Include statistic, critical values, degrees of freedom, and alpha level. Discussion section: Include interpretation of results, ethical concerns, limitations of study, and suggestions for future research. Figures and Tables section: Include a minimum of two (either two figures, two tables, or a figure and a table). Include at least 8-10 scholarly references. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center. This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competencies: 3.3: Design an innovative research study and 4.3: Plan and manage the necessary process for the completion of a research project.   PSY550 Research Methods Week 8 Assignment Collaborative Learning Community: Video Game Violence and Aggression This is a Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) assignment. Before beginning this assignment, each group should submit a filled-in copy of the CLC Agreement Form. Each CLC team will design a quasi or a true experimental study, investigating the impact of the independent variable on the dependent variable. Address the following in 500-750 words: Design either a quasi or experimental study to investigate the variables. What is the hypothesis? Describe the types of hypotheses with respect to testing. What does the experimental method allow that the correlation design does not? Identify the independent variable. Identify the dependent variable. Describe how the group will define operationally and measure the variables. Describe how the group will obtain a random sample of participants. Discuss how the group will ensure the study has high internal validity. Will the subjects be assigned randomly to the groups? Why or why not. Are there any ethical concerns about the treatment of participants emerging from the experiment? Consider the data presented, would you use t or F score? Why? include the appropriate effect size. Submit an SPSS output for the quasi or true experimental study. Include at least two to four scholarly sources. While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.  Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.     PSY550 Research Methods Week 4 Midterm Exam   1 List the main sections (and subsections) of a research report. 2 Researcher Sandy Beach found a correlation coefficient of +2.3 between variables X and Y. She is thrilled because that correlation is “like, way high.” She also feels that this answer “proves that X is like, causing Y.” What are three problems with Sandy’s conclusions? 3 Define and describe the six steps of the scientific method. Give an example of each step. 4 Contrast experimental with quasi-experimental methods; generally speaking, which methods are most useful? 5 For each of the research topics listed below, indicate the type of nonexperimental approach that would be most useful and explain why. Pushing ahead in line Daydreaming Locating the most popular painting in an art gallery Studiousness in college students Determining whether a particular patient has improved with psychotherapy. 6 Compare and contrast the following terms: (a) test-retest reliability with inter-rater reliability, (b) content validity with both predictive validity and construct validity, and (c) internal validity with external validity. 7 When is it appropriate for a researcher to use deception in a study? When is it not appropriate? How can the negative effects of deception be minimized? 8 Contrast probability and nonprobability sampling methods; generally speaking, which methods are most useful? 9 When designing survey questions, how would you control for each of the following response styles: (a) willingness to answer, (b) position preference, and (c) yea- or nay-saying? 10 Use Stevens’ model of measurement scales to answer these questions: What type of scale is used when the variable is social class? Explain. What type of scale is used when the variable studied is a Top 40 list of popular songs? Explain. What type of scale is used when the variable studied is intelligence scores (for example, on the Stanford-Binet-R)? Explain. What type of scale is used when the variables studied are low and normal birth weights of newborns? Explain.       PSY550 Research Methods Week 8 Final Exam   1 For each of the following examples, explain whether the researcher has made a correct decision or has made a Type 1 or Type 2 error. Explain why. Dr. G rejects the null hypothesis although the independent variable had no effect. Dr. R rejects the null hypothesis when it is false. Although the independent variable had an effect, Dr. E does not reject the null hypothesis 2 Explain the value of reversal designs (ABA designs) in single-case research. 3 Explain how a one-way analysis of variance works. How do you use between- and within-group variability? 4 After watching nursery-school children, Ken Garoo wants to test the hypothesis that some toys are more fun to play with than others. He decides to compare “fun” toys (blocks) with “unfun” toys (stuffed animals). He also wishes to see if there is a sex difference, as well, so sex is added as an independent variable. A) What kind of design is needed? B) Diagram it out. C) Assuming 20 subjects are needed per cell, how many subjects are needed for this study? 5 Bill Board is “lording” his SAT score over his friend, Rhoda Dendron, who took the ACT. “You only got a 25 in math,” he chortled, “while I got a 300 in math.” Given that the SAT has a μ of 500 and a σ of 100, and the ACT has a μ of 20 and a σ of 5, what is wrong with Bill’s logic (give the answer in both z scores and percentile ranks). 6 Describe a two-matched groups design. How is the matching done? 7 Chuck Wagon is very excited about the within-subjects approach. “Now I’ll never need to run large numbers of subjects again,” he says. However, Chuck has forgotten that within-subjects designs may be a) useless, b) impossible, c) confounded by order effects, or d) impractical when excessive subject time spent in an experiment makes data inaccurate. Give an example of each of these four objections. 8 A researcher has studied subjects’ ability to learn to translate words into Morse code. He has experimented with two treatment conditions: in one condition, the subjects are given massed practice; they spend 8 full hours on the task. In the other condition, subjects are given distributed practice; they also spend 8 hours, but their practice is spread over four days, practicing 2 hours at a time. After the practice, all subjects are given a test message to encode; the dependent variable is the number of errors made. The researcher has matched the subjects on intelligence. The results are in the following table. Decide which statistical test would be appropriate, carry out the test, and evaluate the outcome. Assume a significance level of .05 and that the direction of the outcome has not been predicted. 9 Explain the pros and cons of longitudinal, cross-sectional, and sequential designs. 10 Define the term quasi-experiment and discuss the pros and cons of this research method.