Quantitative study
1. Explore three (3) specific research studies found by using a selected database, finding an example of studies that uses an easily identifiable type of data.
2. List the actual research question(s) asked in each study, explaining the type of study being completed due to the way the questions are being posed. Be sure to use information from your readings to help support such position.
3. Identify the specific type of variables that were used to complete this selected study, explaining the level of measurement being used (nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio).
4. Discuss the type of research (descriptive and/or inferential) that the data required.
5. Describe if the reported study shared the effect size of this study and if not why do you believe that the researcher did not include this information.
6. If the study was a quantitative study, how would you change the way the research questions were presented to make it a qualitative study. If it was a qualitative representation, how would the questions be rewritten to develop a truly quantitative study? Include the rationale for such a different perspective and explain how the question can help to support the earlier recommended study.
Sample Solution
- Research question: What is the relationship between exercise and depression?
- Type of study: This is a correlational study, because it is examining the relationship between two variables, exercise and depression.
- Variables: The independent variable is exercise, and the dependent variable is depression.
- Level of measurement: The independent variable is measured on an ordinal scale, because it is a categorical variable with ordered categories (e.g., low, moderate, high). The dependent variable is measured on a continuous scale, because it is a quantitative variable that can take on any value.
Full Answer Section
- Type of research: This is a descriptive study, because it is simply describing the relationship between the two variables.
- Effect size: The study does not report the effect size.
- Quantitative to qualitative: To make this a qualitative study, the research questions would need to be changed to focus on the experiences of people who have depression and how exercise has affected their lives. For example, the research questions could be:
- How has exercise helped you to manage your depression?
- What are the challenges of exercising when you have depression?
- What advice would you give to someone who is considering exercising to help manage their depression?
Study 2:
- Research question: What are the factors that contribute to academic success in high school students?
- Type of study: This is a survey study, because it is collecting data from a large number of people about their experiences and opinions.
- Variables: The independent variables are the factors that contribute to academic success, such as parental involvement, socioeconomic status, and school climate. The dependent variable is academic success, which is measured by grades or test scores.
- Level of measurement: The independent variables are measured on a nominal or ordinal scale, because they are categorical variables. The dependent variable is measured on an interval or ratio scale, because it is a quantitative variable that can take on any value.
- Type of research: This is a descriptive study, because it is simply describing the factors that contribute to academic success.
- Effect size: The study does not report the effect size.
- Qualitative to quantitative: To make this a quantitative study, the research questions would need to be changed to focus on the specific effects of each factor on academic success. For example, the research questions could be:
- Does parental involvement have a significant effect on academic success?
- Does socioeconomic status have a significant effect on academic success?
- Does school climate have a significant effect on academic success?
Study 3:
- Research question: How does the use of social media affect the mental health of adolescents?
- Type of study: This is an experimental study, because it is randomly assigning participants to different conditions (e.g., high social media use vs. low social media use) and then measuring the effects of those conditions on mental health.
- Variables: The independent variable is the use of social media, and the dependent variable is mental health.
- Level of measurement: The independent variable is measured on a nominal scale, because it is a categorical variable with two levels (high social media use vs. low social media use). The dependent variable is measured on a continuous scale, because it is a quantitative variable that can take on any value.
- Type of research: This is an inferential study, because it is trying to make inferences about the population from the sample.
- Effect size: The study reports the effect size, which is a measure of the strength of the relationship between the two variables.
- Quantitative to qualitative: To make this a qualitative study, the research questions would need to be changed to focus on the experiences of adolescents who use social media and how it has affected their mental health. For example, the research questions could be:
- How does social media make you feel?
- What are the positive and negative effects of social media on your mental health?
- How do you manage your social media use?