1. PHLS 8334
Class 2 (Spring 2017)

2. Research Process Self-Efficacy Contribute an original idea
What does that really mean……
Chapter p.106

3. Contribute to the Field
Replication with different population
Test a model
Examine moderators/mediators of known relations
Address limitations of previous studies 3

4. Conceptualizing a Research Question
Three steps
What do we know about the issue
What we do not know about the issue.
How will the study bridge the gap.
Previous research questions lead to the question for my study

5. Testable Research Question
Asks a Question
About ……
That ………… 5

6. Testable Research Question
Asks a Question
About the relation of two or more constructs (correlation/experimental)
That can be measured in some way 6

7. How process unfolds:
Describe research interests in general, broad terms.
Identify testable research question(s)
Identify the variables/constructs embedded in the question
Provide conceptual definitions for variables.
Provide operational definitions for variables
How to assess/measure the construct
Articulate a conceptual framework for proposed study

8. Experimental vs. Correlational Designs
Purpose
Types if IVs and DVs (categorical/continuous)
Inferences
Types of Analyses

9. Types of Variables Categorical
Discrete groups:
gender, diagnosis (depressed vs. not depressed)
Continuous Ratio Scale (equal intervals)
money, # of days, test score (0-100)
Continuous Interval
Likert Scales

10. Types of Research Questions
Descriptive
Difference
Correlational

11. Types of Research Questions
Descriptive-
Describe what a phenomenon is like
Collect/Categorize Information -
Typically used in Surveys
Requires large samples that are representative of the population of interest
Do not involve generation of hypothesis
No use of inferential statistics (no prediction involved)

12. Analyses: Descriptive
Collect/Categorize Information - Survey
Means, SD
Mean score in standardized test by age groups
Mean score in opinion survey by gender groups
Proportions of populations/groups
Percentage of high school graduates who attend college, by ethnic group,
Percentage of college students who graduate in 6 years or less, by gender

13. Are descriptive questions, testable research questions?
Yes -- No Why?

14. Types of Research Questions
Difference
Compare Means Between – groups
Descriptive vs. Hypothesis testing purpose
Independent variable: categorical
Experimental (manipulated) or
Status (cannot be manipulated)
Dependent Variable: continuous

15. Stat. Analyses: Difference
Compare means in continuous variables between two or more groups: t-test, ANOVA, MANCOVA-
Experimental- IV is categorical and manipulated
Stauts - IV is categorical and not manipulated
The DV is always continuous

16. Difference Questions: descriptive vs. hypothesis testing
Difference questions for descriptive purpose do not require rational/hypothesis
eg. Proportion of men and women who favor the republican vs. the democrat nominee
Difference questions for hypothesis testing require rational for expected differences

17. Type of Question:
College students must make decisions about majors that will lead to careers in a relatively distant future. Therefore, the career making process may involve a great deal of ambiguity. Anxiety has been positively associated to perceptions of ambiguity. Therefore, career undecided students are expected to report higher levels of anxiety than their decided counterparts.

18. Types of Research Questions
Correlation
Extent to which 2 or more continuous psychological constructs vary together
Pearson correlation coefficient r- bivariate correlation: strength and direction
r = r = r =. 50
Regression - multi IV’s
test combined contribution of several IVs to one DV
test unique contribution of each IV to the DV while controlling for the other IVs

19. Type of Question
Individuals who have anxious personalities typically have difficulty making decisions. Anxiety has been positively associated to perceptions of ambiguity.
The ambiguity inherent in making decisions about distant outcomes, exacerbates anxiety reactions. The higher the level of anxiety, the more difficult to commit to a choice. Therefore, we hypothesize that anxiety will be positively related to career indecision among college students.

20. Research Proposal Develop a research proposal that includes
An introduction/literature review that provides conceptual framework for research question based on theoretical/empirical literature and/or reasoning
Methods to conduct study
Participants
Instruments to collect the data
Procedures
Analyses

21. Research Proposal
Describe your research interests in general, broad terms.
Identify testable research question(s)
Identify the variables/constructs embedded in the question.
Provide conceptual definitions for variables.
Provide operational definitions for variables

22. Readings Reports Class 3: Students 1-3-5 Class 4: Students 2-4-6

23. Annotated Bibliography
Research Questions examined in your area of interest
Weekly write-ups
Classes 7-10
Dyads A:
Sender/Reader: 1-2; 3-4; 5-6
Dyads B:
Sender/Reader: 2-5; ;

24. Science in Counseling Psychology
Are our interventions effective?
Empirically Validated Treatments
Experimental studies- randomized controlled clinical trials
Relations about psychological phenomena

25. Science Practice Knowledge for its own sake Academic freedom
Seeks to understand populations: probability
Individual differences: nuisance/confound
Knowledge for what it can accomplish
Public service
Seeks to understand individuals – 0 or 100%
Individual differences: focus of attention