Imagine you have been hired to develop an experimental research study, and you need to choose one type of variable for the study. Describe the study; include the specific experimental research method(s) you would use. What type of research variables would you choose (nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio), and how are your study variables consistent with the experimental research method you chose?
When you are describing the research study, keep in mind our focus is on -applying- what we have learned about variables and research overall. Just cite the method you are using from the Rooney and Evans (2019) text and then describe it briefly. If participants are used, those would be mentioned along with the basic idea of the study including the hypothesis, Independent Variable (IV), and Dependent Variables (DVs) (indicating if they are nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio), as well as how the variables are consistent with the experimental method.
For instance, here is one basic example…
(1) Experimental method: I would use a basic laboratory experimental design as addressed by Rooney and Evans (2019) in Chapter 1 (distinguishing it with other types of research) and addressed later in Chapter 7 and on.
(2) Variables:
Independent Variable (IV)(predictor variable/what is changed/manipulated to look at effects)= sugar intervention assigned to group 1, group 2, and group 3/ control (nominal)
Dependent Variable (DV)(measured effects/outcome variable) = how well rats focus measured by their attention to task on a scale of 1-10(ordinal)(could be adapted to be interval).
(3) Variables Consistency/Alignment with the experimental research:
We use IV and DV variables in experimental studies. For this study, we want to know the extent to which sugar (3 intervention groups) affects the rats’ focusing ability on a measured task (DV as measured on a scale of 1-10). So, this is clearly a basic lab experimental study design where we are isolating variables for ultimate control so we can look solidly at the effects and draw causal conclusions.
There are some methodological limitations given the level of control in laboratory studies as highlighted by Rooney and Evans (2019) including compromised external validity. However, this study aims to identify direct effects of a sugar intervention on focus while limiting factors that might confound the study. Given that and the need for high results-confidence and a causal conclusion, this seems appropriate.
MUST USE CITATION/REFERENCES FROM THE BOOK “Rooney, B. J., & Evans, A. N. (2019). Methods in psychological research (4th ed.). Sage Publications”
