PSY-5107 Week 3 – Assignment: Develop a Good Research Question with Chosen Variables and Related Hypotheses

PSY-5107 Week 3 – Assignment: Develop a Good Research Question with Chosen Variables and Related Hypotheses

PSY-5107 Week 3 – Assignment Develop a Good Research Question with Chosen Variables and Related Hypotheses

Research Question and Variables

When developing research, there are essential elements that make up a good research topic. These include independent and dependent variables, which are the parameters that need to be investigated in the research. Additionally, a good research question must have all the requirements of a scientific research question. The purpose of this assignment is to describe independent and dependent variables and develop a good research question.

Variables

Independent variables are measures that the researcher can control or manipulate and they often come first in the research question

PSY-5107 Week 3 - Assignment Develop a Good Research Question with Chosen Variables and Related Hypotheses
PSY-5107 Week 3 – Assignment Develop a Good Research Question with Chosen Variables and Related Hypotheses

(Gravetter & Forzano, 2018). In my inquiry, the topic is to investigate the relationship between maternal factors of age, income level, education level and the risk of obesity in infants. For example, the independent variables in my topic are maternal factors of age, income, and education level. The dependent variable is a measure that the researcher has no control over, and it often comes towards the end of the research question (Gravetter & Forzano, 2018). The dependent variable in the topic is the risk of infant/child obesity. Validity refers to the extent to which the research results present accurate findings. Variability is the absence of consistency. There is a concern for variability, which might occur with the research if the results from different participants are not consistent (Lee et al., 2018).

Research Question

Weak: What do the maternal factors of age, income, and education have in common with the infant’s risk of obesity?

Improved: Do maternal factors of age, income, and education level have a strong correlation with the risk of infant/child obesity?

A research question must have five elements. The first element is falsifiable, which means a theory that can be proven to be untrue. The second element is that the question should be based on a topic that is worthwhile to study (Ratan et al., 2019). The third element is that the research question should reveal a relationship expected from the study. Finally, the research question should be possible to answer in one question.

The first question is vague and does not visibly indicate the possible relationship between the variables. The question does not reveal that the hypothesis can be proven to be false and also the expected relationship is not clearly demonstrated by the question (Vignero & Wenmackers, 2021). The second question which is more improved incorporates the five elements of a good research question. For example, the relationship can either be proven true or false at the end of the study. Similarly, the expected relationship is clearly outlined. Furthermore, the topic of study is important as it concerns the health outcomes of the pediatric population and obesity which is on the rise within this population, making it a major health problem. Finally, the improved question is answerable with only one study.

Click here to ORDER an A++ paper from our Verified MASTERS and DOCTORATE WRITERS: PSY-5107 Week 3 – Assignment: Develop a Good Research Question with Chosen Variables and Related Hypotheses

Hypothesis

Alternative: Maternal factors of income, age, and education level are associated with the risk of infant/childhood obesity.

Null: Maternal factors of age, income and education level are not associated with the risk of infant/childhood obesity.

Conclusion

Developing a research question requires an effective understanding of variables and the elements of the research question. A good research question should show the connection between the independent and the dependent variables. Furthermore, the question should be based on an important topic that is worth studying. Other important elements of the research question are falsifiable and testable in one study. Variables are either independent or dependent whereby independent variables can be manipulated by the researcher, but dependent variable is not modifiable.

 

PSY-5107 Week 3 – Assignment: Develop a Good Research Question with Chosen Variables and Related Hypotheses References

American Psychological Association. (2020). PsycLearn research methods [Computer software]. APA.

Gravetter, F. J., & Forzano, L. B. (2018). Research methods for the behavioral sciences (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Lee, Y., Hofferth, S., Flood, S., & Fisher, K. (2018). Reliability, Validity, and Variability of the Subjective Well-Being Questions in the 2010 American Time Use Survey. Soc Indic Res., 126(3):1355-1373. https://doi.10.1007/s11205-015-0923-8.

Ratan, S., Anand, T., & Ratan, J. (2019). Formulation of Research Question – Stepwise Approach. J Indian Assoc Pediatr Surg. 24(1):15-20. https://doi.10.4103/jiaps.JIAPS_76_18.

Vignero, L., & Wenmackers, S. (2021). Degrees of riskiness, falsifiability, and truthlikeness. Synthese, 199, 11729–11764. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-021-03310-5.

As we begin this session, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify my expectations for this course:

Please note that GCU Online weeks run from Thursday (Day 1) through Wednesday (Day 7).

 

Course Room Etiquette:

  • It is my expectation that all learners will respect the thoughts and ideas presented in the discussions.
  • All postings should be presented in a respectful, professional manner. Remember – different points of view add richness and depth to the course!

 

Office Hours:

  • My office hours vary so feel free to shoot me an email at Kelly.[email protected] or my office phone is 602.639.6517 and I will get back to you within one business day or as soon as possible.
  • Phone appointments can be scheduled as well. Send me an email and the best time to call you, along with your phone number to make an appointment.
  • I welcome all inquiries and questions as we spend this term together. My preference is that everyone utilizes the Questions to Instructor forum. In the event your question is of a personal nature, please feel free to post in the Individual Questions for Instructor forum I will respond to all posts or emails within 24 or sooner.

 

Late Policy and Grading Policy

Discussion questions:

  • I do not mark off for late DQ’s.
  •  I would rather you take the time to read the materials and respond to the DQ’s in a scholarly way, demonstrating your understanding of the materials.
  • I will not accept any DQ submissions after day 7, 11:59 PM (AZ Time) of the week.
  • Individual written assignments – due by 11:59 PM AZ Time Zone on the due dates indicated for each class deliverable.

Assignments:

  • Assignments turned in after their specified due dates are subject to a late penalty of -10%, each day late, of the available credit. Please refer to the student academic handbook and GCU policy.
  • Any activity or assignment submitted after the due date will be subject to GCU’s late policy
  • Extenuating circumstances may justify exceptions, which are at my sole discretion. If an extenuating circumstance should arise, please contact me privately as soon as possible.
  • No assignments can be accepted for grading after midnight on the final day of class.
  • All assignments will be graded in accordance with the Assignment Grading Rubrics

Participation

  • Participation in each week’s Discussion Board forum accounts for a large percentage of your final grade in this course.
  • Please review the Course Syllabus for a comprehensive overview of course deliverables and the value associated with each.
  • It is my expectation that each of you will substantially contribute to the course discussion forums and respond to the posts of at least three other learners.
  • A substantive post should be at least 200 words. Responses such as “great posts” or “I agree” do not meet the active engagement expectation.
  • Please feel free to draw on personal examples as you develop your responses to the Discussion Questions but you do need to demonstrate your understanding of the materials.
  • I do expect outside sources as well as class materials to formulate your post.
  • APA format is not necessary for DQ responses, but I do expect a proper citation for references.
  • Please use peer-related journals found through the GCU library and/or class materials to formulate your answers. Do not try to “Google” DQ’s as I am looking for class materials and examples from the weekly materials.
  • I will not accept responses that are from Wikipedia, Business dictionary.com, or other popular business websites. You will not receive credit for generic web searches – this does not demonstrate graduate-level research.
  • Stay away from the use of personal pronouns when writing. As a graduate student, you are expected to write based on research and gathering of facts. Demonstrating your understanding of the materials is what you will be graded on. You will be marked down for lack of evidence to support your ideas.

Plagiarism

  • Plagiarism is the act of claiming credit for another’s work, accomplishments, or ideas without appropriate acknowledgment of the source of the information by including in-text citations and references.
  • This course requires the utilization of APA format for all course deliverables as noted in the course syllabus.
  • Whether this happens deliberately or inadvertently, whenever plagiarism has occurred, you have committed a Code of Conduct violation.
  • Please review your LopesWrite report prior to final submission.
  • Every act of plagiarism, no matter the severity, must be reported to the GCU administration (this includes your DQ’s, posts to your peers, and your papers).

Plagiarism includes:

  • Representing the ideas, expressions, or materials of another without due credit.
  • Paraphrasing or condensing ideas from another person’s work without proper citation and referencing.
  • Failing to document direct quotations without proper citation and referencing.
  • Depending upon the amount, severity, and frequency of the plagiarism that is committed, students may receive in-class penalties that range from coaching (for a minor omission), -20% grade penalties for resubmission, or zero credit for a specific assignment. University-level penalties may also occur, including suspension or even expulsion from the University.
  • If you are at all uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism, you should review the resources available in the Student Success Center. Also, please review the University’s policies about plagiarism which are covered in more detail in the GCU Catalog and the Student Handbook.
  • We will be utilizing the GCU APA Style Guide 7th edition located in the Student Success Center > The Writing Center for all course deliverables.

LopesWrite

  • All course assignments must be uploaded to the specific Module Assignment Drop Box, and also submitted to LopesWrite every week.
  • Please ensure that your assignment is uploaded to both locations under the Assignments DropBox. Detailed instructions for using LopesWrite are located in the Student Success Center.

Assignment Submissions

  • Please note that Microsoft Office is the software requirement at GCU.
  • I can open Word files or any file that is saved with a .rtf (Rich Text Format) extension. I am unable to open .wps files.
  • If you are using a “.wps” word processor, please save your files using the .rtf extension that is available from the drop-down box before uploading your files to the Assignment Drop Box.

Grade of Incomplete

  • The final grade of Incomplete is granted at the discretion of the instructor; however, students must meet certain specific criteria before this grade accommodation is even possible to consider.
  • The grade of Incomplete is reserved for times when students experience a serious extenuating circumstance or a crisis during the last week of class which prevents the completion of course requirements before the close of the grading period. Students also must pass the course at the time the request is made.
  • Please contact me personally if you are having difficulties in meeting course requirements or class deadlines during our time together. In addition, if you are experiencing personal challenges or difficulties, it is best to contact the Academic Counselor so that you can discuss the options that might be available to you, as well as each option’s academic and financial repercussions.

Grade Disputes

  • If you have any questions about a grade you have earned on an individual assignment or activity, please get in touch with me personally for further clarification.
  • While I have made every attempt to grade you fairly, on occasion a misunderstanding may occur, so please allow me the opportunity to learn your perspective if you believe this has occurred. Together, we should be able to resolve grading issues on individual assignments.
  • However, after we have discussed individual assignments’ point scores, if you still believe that the final grade you have earned at the end of the course is not commensurate with the quality of work you produced for this class, there is a formal Grade Grievance procedure which is outlined in the GCU Catalog and Student Handbook.