need help in journal of reading, exercise and i theory

FCS 681

Professor Cho

Three Part Journal # 4

Part 1: Most interesting things learned

This week’s reading I found it a little challenging but very informative. I got to learn about causal challenges in internal validity and causal direction. I found the section about the different relationships (bias, spurious, suppressor, etc...) very interesting and important. Just because we have identified one independent variable and dependent variable does not mean other variables do not influence our variables and or cause a different relationship among them. There could be other variables that influence the independent variable, the dependent variable, or both. This is important information to keep in mind when selecting a research statement and independent and dependent variables to help make our study stronger. The section I found to be the most interesting this week was control over independent variables in chapter five. A control variable is a huge factor in a research proposal. If we select one independent variable to study we also have to include our control variables to mention how these variables will be assumed to be equal and not have an influence on our variables. Mentioning the control variables also explains to the readers how these variables will not be measured in the study. I knew that whenever you selected variables there could be other factors that influence them or change their relationship but I did not know they were called control variables or that it is important to mention them for readers to be aware of them, for them to have a better understanding of the research proposal, and what is being measured.

Part 2: How it builds upon the course content

Both these sections relate to our course content in several ways. For the second week of class, we were asked to select a research topic and identify our independent variable and dependent variable. Now that we have learned more about research we are able to identify control variables and additional independent variables that influence our variables and could change their relationship. This section of the reading helped us understand the importance of identifying control and independent variables and how it helps make our research proposal stronger and clearer. My group’s research proposal is seeing if free-play at school positively influences early childhood social development. This week we decided that parenting styles and household income would be our control variables. We also identified teacher interaction as an additional independent variable that influences our dependent variable (social development). Thanks to this reading we were able to identify these variables, get an idea how they influence our variables, and develop a model explaining their relationship.

Part 3: Professional life

This section of the reading not only relates to our class but also our professional life. When we select a research topic for our thesis project we have to identify additional independent variables and control variables that might influence our variables. This is an important section in our thesis that grad students need to understand and make sure they know how to identify and explain them in their project. This section confirms to us that there are many parts of a thesis project, they are all important, and they all must be included to develop a solid and clear thesis. This section also gives us an idea of the steps and the process researchers and scientists do to develop a research proposal and conduct a study. There work is neither easy nor short. If students love learning about this and understand it well, it helps them decide if research is a career they would be interested and good at. I also feel like this section of the reading helps us better understand studies we read, know what to look for, and the terminology being used.