Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Thinking Like a
Researcher
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
3-2
Learning Objectives
Understand . . .
The terminology used by professional
researchers employing scientific thinking.
What you need to formulate a solid
research hypothesis.
The need for sound reasoning to enhance
research results.
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Language of Research
Concepts
Concepts
Constructs
Models
Models
Terms
Terms used
used
in
in research
research
Theory
Theory
Conceptual
Conceptual
schemes
schemes
Operational
Operational
definitions
definitions
Variables
Propositions/
Propositions/
Hypotheses
Hypotheses
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Language of Research
Success
of
Research
Clear conceptualization
of concepts
Shared understanding
of concepts
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Operational Definitions
How can we define the variable
class level of students?
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
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Act
Event
Variable
Variable
Characteristic
Trait
Attribute
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Types of Variables
Dichotomous
Dichotomous
Male/Female
Male/Female
Employed/
Employed/Unemployed
Unemployed
Discrete
Discrete
Ethnic
Ethnicbackground
background
Educational
Educationallevel
level
Religious
Religiousaffiliation
affiliation
Continuous
Continuous
Income
Income
Temperature
Temperature
Age
Age
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Dependent Variable
(DV)
Criterion
Presumed effect
Response
Predicted to.
Consequence
Measured outcome
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Hypothesis Formats
Descriptive Hypothesis
In Detroit, our potato
chip market share
stands at 13.7%.
American cities are
experiencing budget
difficulties.
Research Question
What is the market
share for our potato
chips in Detroit?
Are American cities
experiencing budget
difficulties?
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Relational Hypotheses
Correlational
Causal
An increase in family
income leads to an
increase in the
percentage of income
saved.
Loyalty to a grocery store
increases the probability
of purchasing that stores
private brand products.
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Identify
Identify relevant
relevant facts
facts
Suggest
Suggest most
most appropriate
appropriate research
research
design
design
Provide
Provide framework
framework for
for organizing
organizing
resulting
resulting conclusions
conclusions
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Adequate
Adequate
AA
Strong
Strong
Hypothesis
Hypothesis
Is
Is
Testable
Testable
Better
Better
than
than rivals
rivals
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Researchers
Encounter problems
State problems
Propose hypotheses
Deduce outcomes
Formulate rival
hypotheses
Devise and conduct
empirical tests
Draw conclusions
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Sound Reasoning
Types of Discourse
Exposition
Deduction
Argument
Induction
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Deductive Reasoning
Inner-city
Inner-city household
household
interviewing
interviewing is
is especially
especially
difficult
difficult and
and expensive
expensive
This
This survey
survey involves
involves
substantial
substantial inner-city
inner-city
household
household interviewing
interviewing
The
The interviewing
interviewing in
in this
this
survey
survey will
will be
be especially
especially
difficult
difficult and
and expensive
expensive
2002 McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., McGraw-Hill/Irwin
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Inductive Reasoning
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Tracys Performance
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Key Terms
Argument
Case
Concept
Conceptual scheme
Construct
Deduction
Empiricism
Exposition
Hypothesis
Correlational
Descriptive
Explanatory
Relational
Hypothetical construct
Induction
Model
Operational definition
Proposition
Sound reasoning
Theory
Variable
Control
Confounding (CFV)
Dependent (DV)
Extraneous (EV)
Independent (IV)
Intervening (IVV)
Moderating (MV)