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Based on the features of science and the definition of an empirical question, diagnose why the student's current question is not empirically testable, and explain how the student should modify their research focus to make it suitable for scientific inquiry.
Case context: A student in a research methods class wants to study the effects of technology on children. They propose the research question: 'Is it bad for parents to let their children use smartphones, and how ought families to limit screen time?' The student intends to survey parents to ask about their moral opinions on smartphone use.
Question: Based on the features of science and the definition of an empirical question, diagnose why the student's current question is not empirically testable, and explain how the student should modify their research focus to make it suitable for scientific inquiry.
Sample answer: The student's question is not empirically testable because it asks about values ('is it bad') and prescriptions ('how ought families to limit screen time'), which cannot be resolved by observing the way the world actually is. To make the research suitable for the scientific method, the student must reformulate the question to focus on observable variables or the relationships between them. For example, they could study the relationship between the amount of child smartphone use (an observable variable) and a specific outcome, such as children's sleep quality or social interactions.
Key points:
- Identify that the proposed question deals with values and how the world 'ought' to be.
- Explain that science cannot answer questions of values because they are not testable with systematic, observable evidence.
- Demonstrate how to reformulate the inquiry into a relationship between observable, measurable variables.
Rubric: To earn full credit, the response must: 1. Identify that the student's original question concerns values and how the world 'ought' to be (3 points). 2. Explain that value-based questions cannot be resolved by collecting systematic, observable evidence (3 points). 3. Explain how to modify the question by shifting the focus to a single variable or a relationship between variables that can be systematically observed (4 points).
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
Related
Falsifiability
Limitations of the Scientific Method
Non-Empirical Questions
Example of an Empirical Question
Conceptualizing Single Variable Research Questions
Evaluating Research Questions
Empirical Evidence
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