The Descriptive Research Strategy

Chapter 13

Descriptive research

• Typically involves measuring a variable or set of variables as they exist naturally.

• The descriptive strategy is not concerned with relationships between variables but rather with the description of individual variables.

Examples?

Three descriptive research designs

• the observational research design, • the survey research design, and • the case study research design.

Types of observation sampling?

• Time interval, event sampling, and individual sampling

Measurement process

1. Establishing behavioral categories

For example, if you want to observe aggression?YellingSulkingPushingDefianceName calling

Measurement process

2. Obtain a numerical score for each behavioral category using. the frequency method(how many/hour/day/month)the duration method (how long) the interval method - how often (happens every hour/day/month)

What is the observer problem and what are the solutions?

Types of observation• In naturalistic observation, or nonparticipant observation, a

researcher observes behavior in a natural setting as unobtrusively as possible. (one-way mirrors/video recording)

• In participant observation, the researcher engages in the same activities as the people being observed in order to observe and record their behavior. (high school confidential)

• Contrived observation, or structured observation, Observation of behavior in settings arranged specifically to facilitate the occurrence of specific behaviors. (Bully)

The survey research design

• A research study that uses a survey to obtain a description of a particular group of individuals is called a survey research design.

Types of Questions

• Open- Ended Questions• Restricted Questions• Mixed

Advantages & Disadvantages?

Rating- Scale Questions

Criticism of rating- scale

• Honesty• Awareness (accuracy)• Easy way?

• It is recommended that the items include a mixture of positive and negative

• PTS service is available when you need it.• PTS service is available only for new costumers. • Today’s teenagers are rude and disrespectful• Today’s teenagers are polite and courteous

Semantic Differential

presents pairs of bipolar adjectives ( such as happy— sad, boring— exciting), and asks each participant to identify the location between the two adjectives that best describes a particular individual.

Survey General Guidelines

• Include demographic questions• Sensitive questions should be placed in the

middle of the survey.• Questions dealing with the same general topic

should be grouped together.• The format for each page should be relatively

simple and uncluttered.• Finally, vocabulary and language style should be

easy.

Sampling?• (online courses)

Which one works better?

Qualities of good items

Qualities of good items• Do you spend a lot of time preparing for your classes? • Are most of your students from California?

Qualities of good items

• Do you agree with experts that…?• Do you agree with most people that…?

Single- Subject Research Designs

Chapter 14

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Single- subject designs

Single- subject designs, or single- case designs, are research designs that use the results from a single participant or subject to establish the existence of cause- and- effect relationships.

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Phases and phase changes

A phase is a series of observations of the same individual under the same conditions.

When no treatment is being administered, the observations are called baseline observations.

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Visual Inspection Techniques

• Unfortunately, there are no absolute, objective standards for determining how much of a change in pattern is sufficient to provide a convincing demonstration of a treatment effect.

• The most convincing results occur when the change in pattern is immediate and large.

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4 types of change

• Change in average level• Immediate change in level• Change in trend• Latency of change.

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1- Change in average level

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The problem with single subject design

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THE ABAB REVERSAL DESIGN

• the majority of single- subject research studies use ABAB design;

• consists of four phases: a baseline phase ( A), followed by treatment ( B), then a return to baseline ( A), and finally a repetition of the treatment phase ( B).

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Effective

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Not Effective

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Variations on the ABAB Design

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1- B not working use C

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2- B not working add C

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B= Graduated exposureC= Reinforcement

3- MULTIPLE- BASELINE DESIGNS

1- Eliminates the need for a return to baseline and therefore, 2- Is particularly well suited for evaluating treatments with long- lasting or permanent effects.

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3- MULTIPLE- BASELINE DESIGNS

ExamplesA therapist uses the same method for 2 different behaviors (across behaviors)For one behavior that is exhibited in 2 different situations. (across situations)A teacher uses the same method on 2 different students (across subjects)

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2 different students

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Person1

Person2

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Yelling

Crying

2 different behaviors

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School

2 different situations.

Home

4- Dismantling design

A dismantling design, also called a component- analysis design, consists of a series of phases in which each phase adds or subtracts one component of a complex treatment to determine how each component contributes to the overall treatment effectiveness.

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Example

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5- The Changing- Criterion Design

• The criterion level is changed from one phase to the next.

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Smoking Treatment

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6-The Alternating- Treatments Design

• In an alternating- treatments design, also called a discrete-trials design, two ( or more) treatment conditions are randomly alternated from one observation to the next.

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Example - Alternate weeks

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Group Discussion

• Describe the primary distinction between descriptive research and other research strategies.

• Describe the three types of survey questions and outline the advantages and disadvantages of each.