Chapter 16: Other Descriptive Research Methods SFM 651: Research Methods Dr. Johnson

Developmental research Changes in behavior across years Total life should be used Typically focuses on Infancy Childhood Adolescence Senior citizens

Longitudinal research Cross age comparisons Students in 4th, 6th and 8th grades Adults at age 25, 35 and 45 Use the same people over this time period Different from cross sectional

Cross sectional research Same theory as longitudinal, but are collected at same time Different person in each section 4th, 6th and 8 grader…..as of today 25, 35 and 45 year old…..today Are the participants of different sections really similar themselves?

Case Studies In depth search of a single situation Not always a person Information on one (sometimes a few) Very in depth and detailed Representative of a larger group in similar spot Not always a person Can be a group / team / company Not a random sampling

Job analysis Determines the nature of a particular job Training Preparation Skills Working conditions Attitudes Is a type of case study, but is specific to a job

Observational research You actually sit (or stand) and watch things happen and record the observations Need to decide…. What to observe Who to observe Where to observe How long to observe How many times to observe How to record data

Types of observational methods Narrative Describes what they see Tallying Records each occurrence Interval Did the behavior happen or not in the time Duration How long did the behavior occur for

Correlational research Explores relationships that exist between variables Similar to experimental, but no cause and effect No manipulation of variables Doesn’t prove cause and effect Predictions…..not proof