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Explain how the research team's preliminary study demonstrates the descriptive goal of science. Why is it scientifically necessary for the team to complete this descriptive study before moving on to predicting or explaining patient outcomes?
Case context: A research team plans to study patients who use medical marijuana. Before attempting to explain why certain patients prefer specific strains (explanatory goal) or predicting which patient profiles are most likely to continue treatment over a year (predictive goal), the team conducts a preliminary study. They systematically record and document the self-reported symptoms, dosage, and frequency of use of 100 patients to create an accurate description of their usage patterns.
Question: Explain how the research team's preliminary study demonstrates the descriptive goal of science. Why is it scientifically necessary for the team to complete this descriptive study before moving on to predicting or explaining patient outcomes?
Sample answer: The research team's preliminary study demonstrates the descriptive goal because they are conducting systematic observations to accurately document what behaviors and events (symptoms, dosage, frequency) are occurring, rather than explaining why they happen or predicting future outcomes. This step is scientifically necessary because meticulous documentation of a phenomenon forms the foundational basis required before researchers can attempt to predict future occurrences or explain underlying causes.
Key points:
- The study aligns with the descriptive goal by systematically documenting what behaviors and events are occurring (dosage, frequency, symptoms).
- It avoids prematurely predicting outcomes or explaining causes without first describing the phenomenon.
- Meticulous descriptive documentation provides the foundational basis necessary for subsequent prediction and explanation.
Rubric: The response must show comprehension of the descriptive goal by: (1) Identifying that documenting symptoms, dosage, and frequency matches the objective of describing phenomena through systematic observation, and (2) Explaining that skipping this descriptive phase is problematic because descriptive documentation is the foundational basis required prior to predicting or explaining underlying causes.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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Surveying Medical Marijuana Patients
Predictive Goal of Science
Explanatory Goal of Science
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