Premium Essay

Research Methods-Planning Experiments

In:

Submitted By ShannonJiggins
Words 867
Pages 4
Issues and Debates Homework: Research Methods – Planning Experiments

You have been asked to conduct an experiment to test the effectiveness of two different types of revision. One type is doing some each day over an extended period (spaced revision). The other type is where the learner does all the revision in a short period of time (cramming).

Write a plan for an experiment to test which of these two ways of revising is better.
You should use either a laboratory experiment, a field experiment or a natural experiment.
You should consider the following issues (there are others):
• Design
• Variables
• Ethical issues
• Type of data and how it would be gathered. (12)

I would take a sample of people and have half revise using the spaced revision and the other half using the cramming method and test which has the better results. I would give both groups a standard a-level psychology text book, tell them to learn a small section from it and then give them a realistic type exam at the end to test who answers the questions better to see which technique of revising is better. I would do it this way as the materials are easy to gather and not that expensive. For the first group I would give them the text book two weeks before the exam and for the second group, three days before the exam. The independent variable of my experiment is the revision technique used by the participants and the dependent variable is the results gathered.
The experimental design I would use to test which method of revision is better is a natural experiment. The participants would revise in their natural environment such as their home or library, and the exam will take place in an environment similar to one in which an actual exam would take place. I would use independent groups design by random allocation for my experiment. I would use this form of design so that order effects

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Experiments

...Examine the reasons why some sociologists choose to use experiments when conducting research. Study the reason why sociologist prefer to use experimental methods when carrying out a research There are many different types of experiments that can be conducted by sociologist, in order to help with the research that they are planning to carry out or just to help further prove their hypothesis. There are three main experimental methods that sociologists may choose to carry out their research/study. These three experimental methods are: Natural, field and Comparative. Each of these experiments has their own advantages and disadvantages. These positive and negative factors can analysed by practical, ethical and theoretical limitations and strengths that can be considered. This essay will be looking at each of these in detail. But, firstly what is an experiment? An experiment is a way of investigation a cause and effect relationship between independent variable and dependent variable. The first type of experiment that sociologist may choose to use in their research is, laboratory experiment. Laboratory experiments are conducted in a control setting, (this means that IV (The independent variable) and DV (dependent variable) can be controlled and manipulated by the researcher). Participant are given instruction to carry out certain tasks, in a normally manner. From this, the researchers are able to observe behaviour and be able to see cause and affect relationship between variables...

Words: 1585 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Experiments

...Examine the reasons why some sociologists choose to use experiments when conducting research. Study the reason why sociologist prefer to use experimental methods when carrying out a research There are many different types of experiments that can be conducted by sociologist, in order to help with the research that they are planning to carry out or just to help further prove their hypothesis. There are three main experimental methods that sociologists may choose to carry out their research/study. These three experimental methods are: Natural, field and Comparative. Each of these experiments has their own advantages and disadvantages. These positive and negative factors can analysed by practical, ethical and theoretical limitations and strengths that can be considered. This essay will be looking at each of these in detail. But, firstly what is an experiment? An experiment is a way of investigation a cause and effect relationship between independent variable and dependent variable. The first type of experiment that sociologist may choose to use in their research is, laboratory experiment. Laboratory experiments are conducted in a control setting, (this means that IV (The independent variable) and DV (dependent variable) can be controlled and manipulated by the researcher). Participant are given instruction to carry out certain tasks, in a normally manner. From this, the researchers are able to observe behaviour and be able to see cause and affect relationship between variables...

Words: 1585 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Future Combat Systems Command and Control

...U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Report 1819 FUTURE COMBAT SYSTEMS COMMAND AND CONTROL (FCS C2) HUMAN FUNCTIONS ASSESSMENT: INTERIM REPORT - EXPERIMENT 3 Carl W. Lickteig, William R. Sanders, and Paula J. Durlach U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences Thomas J. Carnahan Western Kentucky University Consortium Research Fellows Program February 2004 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences A Directorate of the U.S. Army Human Resources Command ZITA M. SIMUTIS Director Technical review by Kenneth Copeland, CECOM RDEC C2D Robert A. Rasch, Jr., CECOM RDEC C2D NOTICES DISTRIBUTION: Primary distribution of this Research Report has been made by ARI. Please address correspondence concerning distribution of reports to: U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, Attn: DAPE-ARI-PO, 5001 Eisenhower Ave., Alexandria, VA 22304-4841. FINAL DISPOSITION: This Research Report may be destroyed when it is no longer needed. Please do not return it to the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences. NOTE: The findings in this Research Report are not to be construed as an official Department of the Army position, unless so designated by other authorized documents. |REPORT...

Words: 28401 - Pages: 114

Premium Essay

Fundamental Research

...Fundamentals of Research Dallas Anderson BSHS/382 March 11, 2013 Instructor: Angels Colistra Fundamentals of Research The research field plays a large role in human services assisting the human service workers in making decisions for the client daily. In this paper there will be a definition of the scientific method and how it relates to the human service field. There will a discussion of the steps in the process of scientific method along with why the steps are important to the human service field. The terms qualitative and quantitative research will be defined and discussion on how they differ, and they relate to the human service profession. Mixed method research will also be discussed and when it would be a good time to apply this method in human services. Finally a brief summary will be included, in which research will support the function of a human services manager. Scientific Method The use of scientific method is essential in the human service field. When using the observing ad experiments method a human service worker can understand and learn much more information about his or her client. The scientific method is defined as method of investigation, which a problem is identified first and observations, experiments, or other relevant data is useable to test or construct hypotheses to solve a problem (Creswell, 2008). The following step of the scientific method consist of first identifying the research problem...

Words: 993 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Fundamentals of Research Paper

...Fundamentals of Research Paper This paper will discuss the fundamentals of research and how it can be applied in the field of human services. Example of scientific methods related to the human services will also be provided. A brief description explaining the differences of quantitative research and qualitative research models and how they relate to field of human services and the scientific method will also be given. Also the concerns of quantitative and quality research methodology will be addressed. A brief summary of how scientifically sound researches supports the function of a human services manager will be discussed as well. According to dictionary.com scientific methods is defined as a method of research in which a problem is identified, relevant data are gathered, a hypothesis if formulated from these data, and the hypothesis is empirically tested (dictornary.com). In other words scientific methods are steps that researchers follow in order to test, acquire, and describe different options during the planning stage. Research is needed in the human service field. Let say that there is a large rapid increase child abuse or homeliness, the rapid increase requires results to the question of why the rapid increase. By the use of research the answer to these questions can be answered by the collection of data, observation, and experiment can offer assistance in the field of human services. Scientific inquiry is a way to investigate...

Words: 1020 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Fundamentals of Research

...Performing research helps to justify what we know about human nature from what we only think we know. Discovering suitable solutions to the current status quo of experimental outcomes involve exploring data analysis. The concept of research is based on the scientific method researchers use to learn, scrutinize, and explain scientific conclusions interpreted in data collected by conducting experiments, addressing questions, or creating ideas. Understanding the process of the scientific method in research involves many steps that generate evidence that can answer many problems in the human services field. Following the steps of scientific inquiry includes identifying a problem, formulating a hypothesis, performing an experiment, and finally analyzing the data from the experiment. Philosopher Hans Reichenbach’s idea of scientific inquiry included two phases. “Reichenbach’s discovery phase of scientific inquiry includes coming up with a testable idea (in the form of a working hypothesis), crafting the research materials, and developing a study design and a plan to implement it. The justification phase creates the rationale for the plan of study and the data analysis, as well as the logic behind conclusions put forward” (Rosnow & Rosenthal, 2008, Chapter 2). Each step must be included to support the scientific method to discover legitimate statements made and provide a foundation for improving choices about personal health and the health of our community. A human services...

Words: 633 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Research Methods and General Principles of Psychological Research

...Methods and General Principles in Psychological Research Kavitha Kathleen Devaser Raffles Institute of Higher Education Abstract In psychology, research is vital for the progression and further understanding of this field. Psychological research includes the study of behavior for use in a scientific or academic setting. There are two types of research, qualitative research and quantitative research. To conduct research, there are numerous general principles of psychology and methods in which has to be considered for research to be good with strong supporting evidence. General principles of psychology include operational definitions, population samples and eliminating the influence of expectations. There are several research methods, such as experiments, naturalistic observation, surveys, case histories, and correlational studies as well as ethical considerations in research. Researchers normally draw conclusions for a larger population using a sample. There are four major types of population samples; convenience samples, representative samples, random samples and cross cultural samples. Certain biases are present during research, researcher bias and participant bias. These biases may sway the findings of the experiment. Ethical guidelines must be taken into consideration during research; both human and nonhuman experimentation has guidelines set by the APA. When data is collected, it has to be interpreted visually. Statistics deals with the collection, analysis, interpretation...

Words: 2917 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Education

...Research is the systematic investigation into existing or new knowledge.[citation needed] It is used to establish or confirm facts, reaffirm the results of previous work, solve new or existing problems, support theorems, or develop new theories. A research project may also be an expansion on past work in the field. In order to test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects, or the project as a whole. The primary purposes of basic research (as opposed to applied research) are documentation,discovery, interpretation, or the research and development of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge. Approaches to research depend on epistemologies, which vary considerably both within and between humanities and sciences. There are several forms of research: scientific, humanities, artistic, economic, social, business, etc. Contents  [hide]  * 1 Forms of research * 2 Etymology * 3 Definitions * 4 Steps in conducting research * 5 Scientific research * 6 Historical method * 7 Research methods * 8 Publishing * 9 Research funding * 10 Original research * 10.1 Different forms * 11 Artistic research * 12 See also * 13 References * 14 Further reading * 15 External links | ------------------------------------------------- [edit]Forms of research Scientific research relies on the application of the scientific method, a harnessing of curiosity. This research provides scientific information...

Words: 3518 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Fundamentals of Research

...Fundamentals of Research University of Phoenix Karan Normand BSHS 382 March 14, 2012 Staci Lowe Fundamentals of Research Research makes many things possible in life. Business owners use research for marketing purposes. Consumers use research for the best purchases and so on. The scientific method is considered the most effective way to test data. “Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase understanding of a topic or issue” (Cresswell, 2008). Scientific Method The scientific method is a method of investigating. The scientific method is done in steps starting with defining a question. One need to understand exactly what it is that is to be examined. Otherwise the direction of the experiment is chaos and no determination of the research can be made. The next is to make a guess or develop a hypothesis as to what is believed to be found during the research. Then we need to gather the data so we have some information to go by. This can be done with surveys, testing, or any resources that can give the necessary information. The next step is to test the hypothesis. It must be logical and unbiased for the experiment to be accurate. The conclusion is based on the design of the experiment and the results. It may or may not agree with the hypothesis. Human Services can use the Scientific method to research homelessness in a certain area. For this project a mixture of quantitative and qualitative research should be considered...

Words: 787 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Unit 22 Workbook

...Unit Aims This unit aims to develop learners’ understanding of the purpose of research in the health and social care sectors. Learners will be able to explore different research methodologies, enable them to plan and conduct their own research relating to a health or social care issue and evaluate the success of the outcomes. Unit Objectives 1 Understand the function of research in health and social care 2 Understand ethical issues relating to research in health and social care 3 Understand research methodologies relevant to health and social care 4 Be able to plan for a research project 5 Be able to conduct research relevant to a health and social care context 6 Be able to interpret research findings WHAT IS RESEARCH? Research is a planned process in which information is collected systematically for a specific purpose, analysed and reported. Research can have many different functions in health and social care. Functions of Research In pairs read through the following study and discuss the function(s) that the research can be used for. Aim:  Hofling (1966) aimed to discover whether nurses would comply with an instruction which would involve them having to infringe both hospital regulations & medical ethics. The intention was to test the strength of the doctor-nurse relationship, regarding how far a nurse would go to comply with doctor’s orders against their own code of professional conduct. Procedure: ...

Words: 1700 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Unit 2 Research Paper 1: Experiment

...1 Unit 2 Research Paper 1: Experiment By: Freddy Prince Dijor ITT-GS1140 Summer Quarter Mr. Edmundo Zevallos Ezevallos@itt-tech.edu 2 Unit 2 Research Paper 1: Experiment The problem I would like to solve is one that every American driver has experienced. The problem is: how to waste less time waiting at the DMV? There are many possible solutions, but the one I choose to test is: by making all DMV services available online, with only a limited number of physical DMV locations and services available. Modern technology maximizes operations while reducing associated costs. (Hanington, 2012, p.43). The first step in order to test if this solution is appropriate is to look at cost viability. How cost efficient and practical will it be to conduct operations entirely online? Some costs, such as staffing and building utilities will go down, but other costs like web developers and advanced software will occur. I think the data will be in favor of online business. According to the Financial Planning Info Guide, service usage and profitability is higher for online businesses, while the costs for content and production, distribution and service is lower for online businesses than traditional ones (2013). Another step is to test if going completely online is an appropriate solution is to look at the market for it. Surveys and interviews can determine how many DMV patrons are internet savvy, or if the majority of DMV patrons have a preference for online or in-person service....

Words: 460 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Research Paper on Extreme Programming

...------------------------------------------------- Software Engineering Research Assignment 2015 ------------------------------------------------- Software Engineering Research Assignment 2015 211515576 Zaahirah Sheik Ismail 211515576 Zaahirah Sheik Ismail Table of Contents Statement of research problem 2 Context or background to the research problem 2 Literature survey 3 Research Methods 4 Research Justification 7 Conclusion 7 Bibliography 8 Statement of research problem The purpose of this study is to find out if the adoption of Extreme programming in a learning environment has improved student productivity. It is a software development process used by small teams who have rapidly changing requirements. With regard to students, all students that are studying software development modules are also faced with this problem where by the requirements are continuously changing as they get deeper within their project. This paper is to show if extreme programming is actually helping students become more productive regardless of the ever changing requirements. Context or background to the research problem In this day and age the most widely used form of agile development in software development is extreme programming which was proposed by Kent Beck in 1996. Many parameters contribute to the success of XP. Researchers concluded that using XP in an educational domain has many benefits, where they have seen that less skilled students were able to show...

Words: 2047 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Mary Ainsworth Attachment Theory

...The problem and issue of the study conducted by Mary Ainsworth was to test and study the attachment of a child with their parent. This is imperative to any reader because even if you're not planning on having children, everyone will eventually interact with one. This being said, the study not only observed the attachment of a child on their mother, but also the changes in their behavior around a stranger. As a parent, it would be beneficial to read and learn about the way a child might think and react around different people in different scenarios. As a student, it's beneficial to read about Ainsworth's studies to be able to psychologically understand how a child might react around different people. The research method used in Mary Ainsworth's...

Words: 692 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Examining the Social World

... influenced by several conditions: – Colonialism: exposure to other cultures – Industrial Revolution & French Revolution: desire to know how dramatic change could be systematically explained – Advances in the natural sciences: desire to apply scientific method to the social world Ballantine, Roberts, and Korgen. Our Social World: Condensed, Fourth Edition. © 2015 SAGE Publications The Development of Sociology August Comte & the science of society • Coined the term “sociology” in 1838 • Thought society’s problems could not be understood by philosophical or religious speculation; scientific knowledge was needed • Two main concerns – What holds society together? (social statics or structure) – Why is there change in society? (social dynamics or process) Ballantine, Roberts, and Korgen. Our Social World: Condensed, Fourth Edition. © 2015 SAGE Publications The Development of Sociology Early sociology after Comte • Focus on massive social and economic change brought by Industrial Revolution • Focus on relationship between micro-, meso-, and macro-level processes • Early sociological theorists: Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, Harriet Martineau, Max Weber, W.E.B. DuBois • Use of scientific method to test ideas Ballantine, Roberts, and Korgen. Our Social World: Condensed, Fourth Edition. © 2015 SAGE Publications Three Sociological Traditions • Scientific sociology focuses on pure, objective analysis, modeled on natural science • Humanistic sociology...

Words: 2442 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Study Habits

...happen, or, in a longer series of samples, the greater the number of times such event is expected to happen. These concepts have been given an axiomatic mathematical derivation in probability theory (see probability axioms), which is used widely in such areas of study as mathematics, statistics, finance, gambling, science, artificial intelligence/machine learning and philosophy to, for example, draw inferences about the expected frequency of events. Probability theory is also used to describe the underlying mechanics and regularities of complex systems. Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation and presentation of data. It deals with all aspects of data, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments. The word statistics, when referring to the scientific discipline, is singular, as in "Statistics is an art."This should not be confused with the word statistic, referring to a quantity (such as mean or median) calculated from a set of data, whose plural is statistics ("this statistic seems wrong" or "these statistics are misleading"). Scope Some consider statistics a mathematical body of science that...

Words: 2335 - Pages: 10