The Role of Personality and Emotions in the Way People Deal with Different Situations - Essay Example

?Research design week 6 Assignment Write a brief summary of the research you participated in online or read about. Be sure to the research question(s) posed by the researcher. Explain the use of online survey tools for this specific study. Also describe the pros and cons of using online research in general. Identify any ethical concerns you think the researcher had to address when designing this study and assess the validity of the data collected. Finally, state whether or not you think online research has a role in your area of interest as a legitimate way to gather survey data, and defend your position. The research study that I participated in online is central to addressing the question ‘how personality and emotions are related to the way people deal with situations of everyday life?’ Keeping that in mind the study examines, through the use of a series of online questionnaires, the personality, emotional disposition and individual choices. The questionnaire used a rating scale that was provided to get an indication of how accurately the participant though each statement described him. There were five possible responses to each statement from ‘very inaccurate’ (number1) to ‘very accurate’ (number 5). Example of some of the research questions was: ‘I feel comfortable around people’, ‘I have a vivid imagination’, ‘I get upset easily’ etc. The online survey highlights the fact that by participating in the research complete anonymity as the questions asked do not require identifying information. Also entering the survey will be equal to giving consent so that the information provided can be used by the researcher in his study. These two measures effectively eliminate the chances of any ethical implications compromising the validity of the research. There are many advantages of conducting the research survey online. Some of these are the ability of the researcher to obtain a large and diverse sample which increases statistical power. Also it prevents data entry errors as data is automatically coded. Lastly it reduces the cost of conducting the research. Some disadvantages are some subjects might rush through the study, it might be difficult to recruit subjects online and lastly there is also a high chance that most participants might drop out from the study or exit the survey before completing it. (Psychwiki) I do not believe an online survey is the way to gather information on my research topic of juvenile delinquency mostly because it requires the participants to be of a specific type whereas online surveys are mostly effective for a randomized diverse large sample. References: Elizabeth Austin (20110. Personality, emotions, and making choices. University of Edinburgh. Survey link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=0lO5XPOkxGqPx68WUvVRIg%3d%3d Psychwiki. Internet research. Retrieved from: http://www.psychwiki.com/wiki/What_are_the_advantages/disadvantages_of_doing_internet_research%3F Research Design week 6 Assignment 2 The survey aiming to analyze the meaning of sex in a relationship by asking several intimate questions would make confidentiality of critical importance for a participant. This would be a key ethical issue for the researchers, the sole importance of which can simply be realized when you look at the discomfort and unwillingness to share the answers with a third party (the professor) here for instance. By mixing the asked questions with random one’s might be an adoption to divert the participant’s attention for a while or perhaps simply to make sure that one does not simply fill away at answers at random. This being one of the cons of conducting an online study that can be countered by simply asking questions that are linked to each other or are repeated to check the level of attention paid by the participant. The pros of an online survey might be relevant in gaining information on parents feedback in regard to their child’s ADHD. However to gain a further advantage interviews might be a lot more helpful to gouge the body language and responses by the way each parents answers various questions. This I see the writer has already considered in the way he deduces that a good set of data should never rely on simply one survey as the sole instrument to gather data for a study. Research design week 6 Assignment 3 My area of interest is that of criminology, the study of the nature, extent, causes and control of criminal behavior in an individual as well as a society. To narrow down my area of interest into a specific branch of criminology I have picked the topic of juvenile crime and delinquency which analyses the acts committed against the law by underage individuals. Looking at the research by adopting a qualitative approach the possible potential research question one might ask is ‘What role do social environment factors, such as, domestic violence, substance abuse, peer pressure, play in the lives of juveniles and their ability to commit crimes?” Other research questions relating to the issue at hand could be ‘Why do juveniles commit crimes?’ or ‘How can juvenile crime be prevented?’ These questions will be addressed using a true experiment design with randomly assigned individuals to separate conditions or levels of the independent variable(peer pressure, media exposure, substance abuse) or a combination of variables to judge what impact they have on the dependant variable (juvenile crime). However a true experiment design might comprise of a lot of complications in which case a quasi-experiment might be more appropriate with no random assignment but by simply observing the two naturally occurring variables (social environment factors and crime) which are then measured and correlated. The survey research method that I believe will be most appropriate to conduct this qualitative study is through the use of questionnaires as well as interviews that aim to dig into the root of the problem. Furthermore qualitative research, in terms of statistics that map out the frequency of juvenile behavior can be used to aid the research and gather and analyze data that can then be elaborated by the use of the qualitative data gathering methods. Null Hypotheses (Ho): The social environment factors, such as, domestic violence, substance abuse and peer pressure have no effect on juvenile behavior and crime. Alternative Hypothesis (Ha): Social environment factors, such as, domestic violence, substance abuse and peer pressure, greatly effect juvenile behavior and crime. Research Design Population: Under 18 boys and girls with a juvenile record, who are primarily high school students and belong to the American culture. Sampling: The method of non probability sampling I believe will be most appropriate for carrying out my research. In fact to be even specific purposive sampling technique which aids exploratory research and encompasses obtaining data from specific individuals, in case of my investigation this would be juveniles. This will ensure internal validity of the study as the chosen sample will be a certain fraction of the population. Measures: With the help of self report surveys, questionnaire or poll participants will select a response by themselves without researcher interference. With the use of open questions as well as a Likert rating scale will provide in depth data that will facilitate data gathering for the research. Ethical protection of participants: There will be several ethical dilemmas according to the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (2010) that I might face. Standard 3.04, avoiding harm. In questioning these juveniles to gain an understanding of their motivations and the reasons behind their criminal activities there is a high probability of exposing them reliving traumatic incidents and disturbing personal experiences. Standard 4.02 that pertains to limiting confidentiality is another obstacle.. This ethical consideration would limit the amount of information disclosed by the subjects regarding their offenses and confidential details of the crime scene. This information could be critical in aiding the research however due to the confidentiality ethical dilemma further complexities in terms of reaching a comprehensive conclusion can be deterred. Furthermore according to Creswell (2009) there might be a rising need to gain a consent form from the participants which might pose to be a problem since these juveniles might be hesitant to officially sign documents that pertain to formal information collecting. The third ethical dilemma that research on this issue might face would be that of 4.06 – Consultation. This restricts the release of confidential information that might lead to the identification of the client during a consultation. References Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. (3rd Ed). SAGE Publications American Psychological Association (2010). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx Read More