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Based on Dr. Smith's scientific goal, which research methodology should she select, and how does her goal justify this choice?
Case context: Dr. Smith is an educational psychologist studying student engagement. She has noticed that students who participate in extracurricular activities often have higher GPAs. Her current objective is simply to predict a student's GPA based on the number of extracurricular activities they are involved in, without trying to prove that the activities directly produce the higher grades.
Question: Based on Dr. Smith's scientific goal, which research methodology should she select, and how does her goal justify this choice?
Sample answer: Dr. Smith should use a non-experimental approach. This is the appropriate strategy because her goal is simply to predict outcomes based on naturally occurring associations between extracurricular involvement and GPA, rather than trying to explain the phenomenon by establishing a causal relationship.
Key points:
- Identifies the non-experimental approach as the correct strategy.
- Explains that the goal of the study is to predict outcomes based on naturally occurring associations.
- Contrasts this with the experimental approach, noting that she is not trying to establish a causal relationship.
Rubric: The response must accurately identify the correct methodology and explain the connection between the methodology and the researcher's stated goal of prediction over causal explanation.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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