CORRELATIONAL DESIGN

EMMANUEL TAIWO

KIERAN FAW

Outline  10 - 15 minutes Review of Chapter  10 minutes review of selected articles related to research interests  15 minutes class discussion/activity  5 minutes post-test on correlational design

Review of Chapter

 Definition: Correlation can be defined as the statistical test used to determine the tendency or pattern for two (or more) variables or sets of data to vary consistently (Creswell, 2012).

 Example: If a score of an English test depends on the number of hours spent studying then we can say that there is a correlation between the test score and number of hours spent on studying

What is Correlation Design

 This design helps to predict score and explain the relationship among variables. We don’t attempt to control or manipulate the variable rather we try to see the link, degree of association, between point A and point B

 We use this design when we want to relate two or more variables to see if they influence each other  For example  The relationship between self-esteem and test

performance  The relationship between audience members' opinions

of a movie and their mood

Types of Correlational Designs   Explanatory Design:   used when the researcher is interested to know the extent to which two or more variables co-vary, i.e. if damage in one would be reflected in the order   ex: loneliness → suicide

  Prediction Design:   used when the researcher try to predict outcome using certain variables as predictors   useful to predict or foretell a future behavior   ex: parent with little or no education might be reluctant to send their kids to school.

Characteristics of Correlational Designs

  Display of scores: Usually on a graph or scatterplots

 Association between scores: •  Positive (+): Exam result, hours spent on revision X↑ Y↑

 Negative (-): Grade Point Average, drinks per week X↑Y↓

 Multiple variable analysis: This is used when more than one variable are used to predict scores or behavior. Such as; motivation, achievement and time on task

X: motivation, Y: achievement, Z: time on task

Degree & Strength of Association Degree of association is the correlation between two variables or sets of scores from correlation coefficient of -1.00 to +1.00 while 0.00 means no linear correlation at all.

  .20-.35: shows there is a slight correlation, usually used to explore interconnection between variables but can’t be used in prediction studies

  .35-.65: It’s said to be useful for limited prediction and also to know the relationship between variables within a scale

  .66-.85: shows a good prediction of one variable on the other

  .86 and above: Usually used for construct validity and test-retest reliability. Usually achieved when two variables are related.

Step for Conducting a Correlational Study

 Step 1: Determine if a Correlational Study Best Addresses the Research Problem

 Step 2: Identify Individuals to Study

 Step 3: Identify Two or More Measures for Each Individual in the Study

 Step 4: Collect Data and Monitor Potential Threats

 Step 5: Analyze the Data and Represent the Results

 Step 6: Interpret the Results

How do you Evaluate…? To evaluate and assess the quality of a good correlational study, we must evaluate in terms of the strength of:

  Data collection  Adequate sample size

  Analysis   Good presentations in graphs and matrices   Clear Procedures

  Interpretation  The relationship(s) among variables

Example of a Correlational Study from Creswell

TOPIC: The Influence of Parental Attachment on the College Adjustment of White, Black, and Latino/Hispanic Women: A Cross-cultural Investigation.

Purpose: The study examined the potential relationship between attachment patterns and college adjustment among a diverse sample of women attending a diverse urban commuter college.

Adjustment was defined as “remaining in college, enjoying psychological well being, and performing well academically” while college retention was defined as “a complex web of events that shape student leaving and persistence”

Methods  95 Female College Students

i.  24 whites ii.  27 black iii.  44 were Latina/Hispanic

They were aged between 17 to 25.

Hypotheses were: i.  Scores on college adjustment will be influenced by the variables of

race and parental college education. More specifically, White students will report higher college adjustment score than their non- White peers.

ii.  Parental attachment will influence score on college adjustment

iii.  Race and parental attachment combined will provide the best model for predicting college attachment.

Result

none of the demographic variables assessed influence college attachment (negative correlation

Hypothesis 2 and 3 were

slightly supported

Hispanic students whose parents offered support

performed better

Among white and black students, there

was a significant correlation between affective quality and

academic adjustment.

Limitation of the research   It relied on self-report measures for its data.

  It lacks random sampling

  It lacks information on SES, parental occupation, financial resources in paying for college, language spoken at home, years of living in US and social support network

Kieran’s Thesis Interest Area: Social Media in Education

I am interested in looking if there is a relationship between the amount of time spent

online and the amount of risk perceived*.

* For example students may have a high level of TPCK and therefore do not perceive risks to be of importance. Parents on the other hand, who are not spending as much time online, may be have unrealistic fears and misconceptions of actual risks (feed my the media)

Thesis Related Article

Effect of Online Social Networking on Student Academic Performance

By: Jomon Aliyas Paul

Paul, Jomon Aliyas. “Effect of Online Social Networking on Student Academic Performance.” Computers in Human Behavior 28, no. 6 (November 1, 2012): 2117–2127.

Effect of Online Social Networking on Student Academic Performance

By: Jomon Aliyas Paul

This study due to the rise in questions about the impact of Online Social Networks (OSNs) on academic performance and the possibility of using it as an effective teaching tool

Paul, Jomon Aliyas. “Effect of Online Social Networking on Student Academic Performance.” Computers in Human Behavior 28, no. 6 (November 1, 2012): 2117–2127.

Summary of Research Questions 1.  Does time spent on OSN, attention deficit, student

characteristics, academic competence, predictors of student behavior, time management skills have a significant impact on academic performance?

2.  Do student characteristics, time management skills, attention span, etc. have a significant impact on time spent on OSN?

Academic Competence

Academic Performance

Planned Behavior

Attention Deficit

Student Characteristics

Time Spent on OSN Time

Management Skills

Indirectly Indirectly

Directly

Findings

Emmanuel’s Thesis Interest Area: A correlational investigation into the use of video games and its impact on the cognitive ability of seniors.

Hwang et al (2011). Elders' Usability, Dependability, and Flow Experiences on Embodied Interactive Video Games. Educational Gerontology (8), pg. 715-731

Hwang et al (2011). Elders' Usability, Dependability, and Flow Experiences on Embodied Interactive Video Games. Educational Gerontology (8), pg. 715-731

Hwang et al (2011). Elders' Usability, Dependability, and Flow Experiences on Embodied Interactive Video Games

Daily physical activities may slowdown the deterioration of cognitive aging. This study intended to develop embodiment interactive video games with friendly human-machine interface to break through the elder’s literacy, cognitive aging, and psychomotor hindrances toward technology

Method and Instrument  30 participants were used: 14 males and 16 females, aged

between 60 and above from three different settings: rural community, elementary school volunteer groups and a from a nursing home for elderly.

 Compared to Nintendo DS and Wii which are sport oriented, the researchers developed a new game called Embodied Interactive Video Game (EIVG) developed by Macromedia flash, a commercial application of Adobe System.

Two clear distinctions of the game are:

o Creation of vectorial graphics and

o The interaction of the user with the animation via webcam. The use of mouse, keyboard and other devices were discarded. The players could move their bodies, wave their hands or shake their head to indicate movements.

Purpose of the research:

a. To understand the elders’ perceived usability and dependability of the embodied interactive video game system.

b.  To understand the flow experiences of the elders while playing on the system.

c.  To explore the relations between the elders’ perceived usability, dependability of the system, and the flow experiences.

Research Questions   How difficult is it to learn to use a device, to understand and to integrate functioning instructions?

  What is the extent to which technological applications satisfy users’ needs?

 How easy can a video game induce (produce) errors for elderly users and how easy can it recover from them?

 Is there any satisfaction of using video games and what are the attitude of adopting technological applications for senior?

 Is there any impact of using video games on the memory and cognition?

Results   Both sexes found it easier to play the game

 They were all satisfied with the game

 Females were more active in exploring activities while male elderly were passive as observers

 Usability and dependability of the game were high

 Females felt learnability, efficiency and satisfaction were higher than males

Embodied Interactive

Video Game (EIVG)

Both sexes found it easier to play

the game They were all satisfied with the game

Usability and dependability of the game were high

Females were more active in exploring activities while male elderly were passive as observers

Class Discussion & Activity

1.  Design a correlational study to investigate the relationship between these two variable. What is your hypothesis? How will you operationally define and measure the two variables?

2.  How will you obtain a random sample of participants?

3.  Assume that your study produces a correlation of .56 between the two variables. What are at least three possible causal explanations for this relationship?

4.  How will you address the weaknesses of correlational design?

Research Topic: The relationship between the physical attractiveness of a political candidate and voters' opinions of him.

Ethical Issues in Conducting Correlational Designs

1.  It is unethical to not have measured appropriate controls (age, gender, race etc.)

2.  It is unethical to edit or make up data 3.  Plagiarism should not be entertained. 4.  It is unethical not to report contradictory findings 5.  It is unethical not to share the result of research

with others 6.  During meta-analyses, it is unethical to exclude

studies because of their small sample sizes and insignificant results

Strengths of Correlational Designs   it can indicate relationship between two or more variables

 It helps to explain a certain behavior

 It shows the degree of relationship between variables

 It helps to predict an outcome

 It helps to determine the strength and direction of a relationship for further

Weaknesses of Correlational Designs

  Its finding cannot be generalized

  It doesn’t show causation, just relationship. Correlation ≠ causation

  It does not reveal which of the variables caused the relationship

  It’s time consuming and expensive

  Its result can be affected by poor survey and unrepresentative sample.

References: Paul, Jomon Aliyas. “Effect of Online Social Networking on Student

Academic Performance.” Computers in Human Behavior 28, no. 6 (November 1, 2012): 2117–2127.

Hwang et al (2011). Elders' Usability, Dependability, and Flow Experiences on Embodied Interactive Video Games. Educational Gerontology (8), pg. 715-731

Creswell J. (2012). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Qualitative and Quantitative Research, 4th Ed. Toronto: Pearson