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Examples of Relationship Research Questions
If the frequency or intensity of a single variable is already established in the scientific literature, researchers can formulate new inquiries by exploring its potential relationship with other variables. For instance, if studying the psychological characteristic of talkativeness, a researcher might ask if there is a statistical relationship between a person's family size (a potential causal factor) and their individual level of talkativeness. Alternatively, they could explore situational variables by asking if the average level of talkativeness differs when individuals are observed in same-sex groups compared to mixed-sex groups.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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Refining Existing Research Questions
Examples of Relationship Research Questions
After the frequency or intensity of a single variable is well-established in the scientific literature, how do researchers typically generate new relationship research questions?
Researchers can generate new questions about a well-established variable by examining its relationship with other variables. Match each strategy for generating these relationship research questions with the corresponding psychological example.
A researcher is interested in the well-established finding that 'multitasking' during lectures is common among college students. Arrange the following steps in the correct order to show how the researcher would generate a new relationship research question by brainstorming a potential cause of this behavior.
A researcher who expands on the known frequency of 'test anxiety' by investigating whether it is more common among student-athletes than among non-athletes is generating a relationship research question by brainstorming the potential effects of that anxiety.
Imagine you are a researcher designing a study to expand upon the well-established finding that 'The average adult reports feeling stressed times per week'. To generate a new relationship research question, you decide to synthesize two strategies: identifying a 'specific population' and brainstorming a 'potential cause' for variations in stress. Which of the following questions represents the successful construction of this research question?
When researchers generate relationship research questions based on a single variable whose frequency or intensity is already established in the scientific literature, they are limited to brainstorming the potential effects of that variable and cannot investigate its potential causes.
A psychologist evaluates a research proposal that aims to measure the average frequency of 'sleep deprivation' among high school students. The psychologist critiques the plan by arguing that because this frequency is already well-documented, the researcher must judge which potential causes, effects, or situational factors would provide the most scientific value if investigated next. By deciding to examine how 'sleep deprivation' connects to these other variables, the researcher is transitioning to the generation of a(n) _____ research question.
A researcher wants to study the well-established variable of academic procrastination. Match each proposed research study with the corresponding strategy for generating relationship research questions.
A researcher reviews the literature and finds that the average level of smartphone addiction among teenagers is already well-established. To generate a new research question, the researcher proposes to compare smartphone addiction levels between urban teenagers and rural teenagers. In analyzing this research design, the researcher is generating a relationship research question by identifying specific _____ that might exhibit different levels of the characteristic.
A research team wants to transition their research program on 'employee burnout' from single-variable descriptive research to relationship-based research. Order the steps they should take to evaluate the literature and generate valid relationship research questions.
According to the literature, when the frequency or intensity of a single variable is already established, what general approach should researchers take to generate new research questions, and what are the three specific strategies or considerations they can use to do so?
Identify which of the three strategies for generating relationship research questions (brainstorming causes/effects, identifying specific populations, or considering situations that elicit variations) is represented by each of the research group's three proposed questions, and explain your reasoning.
A literature review shows that the average level of test anxiety among high school students is well-established. Apply the strategy of 'considering situations that could elicit variations in behavior' to write a specific relationship research question that builds on this finding.
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Based on the concept of formulating relationship research questions, which of the following is an example of exploring a situational variable related to talkativeness?
Match each psychology research scenario with the category of research question it represents.
A researcher knows from previous literature that the average person performs 3 'acts of kindness' per week. To investigate a situational variable, the researcher asks: 'Does the average number of weekly acts of kindness differ when individuals are in a positive mood versus a neutral mood?' This inquiry correctly applies the method for generating a relationship research question.
A researcher reads a study establishing that the average university student checks their phone 80 times per day. Arrange the following steps in the logical order required to transition this descriptive finding into a relationship-based research question.
When researchers explore the relationship between talkativeness and family size, the provided example identifies family size as an example of which type of factor?
In psychological research, once the typical frequency or intensity of a single behavior is already established in the scientific literature, researchers are unable to use that behavior to formulate new relationship-based research questions.
A researcher critiquing a descriptive study on 'procrastination' argues that the study fails to evaluate the role of the environment. To address this, the researcher asks: 'Do students procrastinate more when working in a dorm room versus a library?' In this case, the researcher is evaluating the relationship by introducing a/an _____ variable.
Match each hypothetical research question to the correct category of inquiry it represents based on the relationship research framework.
A researcher designs a study to examine if people speak more words per minute when talking to an authority figure compared to a peer. In analyzing this question's components under the framework of generating relationship research questions, the comparison between the authority figure and peer settings represents the exploration of a _____ variable.
A researcher is evaluating different research proposals to transition a descriptive line of research on 'talkativeness' into a relationship-based line of research. Order the following research questions from the one that is a basic descriptive baseline (least complex) to the one that evaluates a situational variable (most complex).
Based on the provided text, how can researchers formulate new inquiries once the frequency or intensity of a single variable is established in the literature? Explain the two different approaches they can take by referencing the examples of 'talkativeness' provided in the text.
Using the framework for generating relationship research questions, diagnose how the researcher can investigate academic procrastination. Propose and justify two distinct research questions: one focusing on a potential causal factor and one focusing on a situational variable.
Suppose the scientific literature has already established the average amount of daily screen time for teenagers. Apply the framework of generating relationship research questions to write: (1) a question exploring a potential causal factor of teenager screen time, and (2) a question exploring a situational variable of teenager screen time.