psych week 4 dq 1
Mishawn6
6800.WK2.QuantitativeResearchQuestions.pptxAnthony J. Onwuegbuzie, Ph.D., P.G.C.E., F.S.S.
Quantitative Research Questions
© 2019 Walden University
1
Research Questions
Research questions reflect the problem that the researcher wants to investigate.
Research questions can be formulated based on theories, past research, previous experience, or the practical need to make data-driven decisions in a work environment.
Research questions are vitally important because they, in large part, dictate the type of analysis (i.e., statistical or qualitative) that is needed, as well as the type of research design that may be employed.
2
These PowerPoint slides will focus on quantitative research questions.
Research Questions
Role of the Quantitative Research Question
Attempts to focus on a stated goal.
Gives direction to research process.
Suggests the hypothesis(es), if any is/are needed.
4
Attributes of Quantitative Research Questions
Must be CLEARLY stated!
Must be SIGNIFICANT!
Must be ETHICAL!
Must be FEASIBLE!
Must indicate some type of RELATIONSHIP among two or more variables!
5
What are Researchable Questions?
Every variable in the research question is measurable in a reliable and valid manner.
Data can provide answers.
Answers to the questions add to the body of knowledge.
6
Sample Researchable Questions
What is the difference between client-centered therapy and behavior modification in client satisfaction among middle-aged adults?
What is the effect of work-place mentorship on job satisfaction among new employees?
7
What are Non-Researchable Questions?
Data CANNOT be collected to answer the research question to any degree.
8
Sample Non-Researchable Questions
Are children who attend Sunday School more likely to go to Heaven than children who do not?
Is behavioral family therapy the BEST method for counselors to use with alienated youth?
9
Which is which?
What is the influence of high school achievement on the academic achievement of university students?
RESEARCHABLE
What is the LEAST effective way to teach grammar?
NONRESEARCHABLE
10
Types of Quantitative Research Questions
Most quantitative research questions fall into one of three categories:
Descriptive
Comparative
Use language like “differ” and “compare”
Relationship
Use language like “relate”, “relationship”, “association”, and “trend”
Descriptive Questions
Descriptive questions simply seek to quantify responses on one or more variables.
These questions often can begin with the words “What is…” or “What are…”
Examples:
What reasons do people give for using social media?
What is the graduation rate of graduate students at Walden University?
What is the average number of hours per night of sleep for graduate students?
Comparative Questions
Comparative questions seek to compare two or more groups on some outcome variable (DV).
These questions often use words such as “differ,” “difference,” and “compare.”
Examples:
To what degree do students who use social media differ in their knowledge of current affairs from those who do not use social media?
To what degree do men and women differ in their attitudes toward marriage?
Comparative Research Questions
Comparative questions can also be causal in nature, such as:
“What is the effect of cooperative learning techniques on the academic achievement of graduate students?”
Such causal questions are implicitly comparative in nature (e.g., comparing graduate classes in which cooperative learning techniques are used vs. graduate classes in which cooperative learning techniques are not used).
14
How to Phrase Non-Directional Comparative Research Questions
What is the effect of [independent variable] on [dependent variable] among [population]?
EXAMPLE:
What is the effect of study skills on reading achievement among sixth-grade students?
15
What is the difference in [dependent variable] between/among [two or more population groups]?
EXAMPLE:
What is the difference in [attitudes toward climate change] between [people living in the south of the United States and people living in the north of the United States]?
How to Phrase Non-Directional Comparative Research Questions
16
Relationship Questions
Relationship questions are concerned with trends between two (or more) variables.
That is, as responses on one variable change (increase or decrease), how do responses on a second variable change?
These questions often use words such as “relate,” “relationship,” “association,” and “trend.”
Examples:
What is the relationship between age and satisfaction with social media?
What is the relationship between the amount of instructor contact in a research methods course and level of performance in that course?
Relationship Research Questions
Relationship questions involving two variables usually can be written using the following form: “What is the relationship between [independent variable] and [dependent variable] among [population]?”
This question can easily be extended for three or more variables by replacing the word “between” with “among.”
18
Examples of relationship research questions include the following:
What is the relationship between age and job satisfaction among registered nurses?
AND
What is the relationship between the amount of instructor contact in a research methods course and level of performance in that course?
Relationship Research Questions
19
Research Questions
How Many Variables Are Being Examined?
One
Two or More
Descriptive Question
Are Two or More Groups Being Compared?
Yes, Comparative Question
No, Relationship Question
20
Writing Your Own Quantitative Research Question(s)
Be within your area of expertise and interest
Be able to collect data
Be feasible – will you have adequate:
time
location
resources
money
21
Quantitative Research Questions
Good quantitative research questions should identify the population and dependent variable(s), as well as whether they represent descriptive, comparative, or relationship research questions.
If they represent comparative or relationship research questions, then the independent variable(s) also should be identifiable.
22
Researchers should avoid starting a quantitative research question with the word “Do” because it motivates “yes/no” responses. This places undue emphasis on null hypothesis significance tests, possibly to the exclusion of indices of practical significance.
Moreover, “yes/no” response questions typically do not lead to the research question being answered adequately.
Unfortunately, many research methodology textbooks cannot avoid using this form of quantitative research question.
Quantitative Research Questions
23
