Learning Team Research Proposal - Essay Example

Learning Team Research Proposal Elements of the Study The study design explores the question of whether television programming has influenced and potentially encouraged teenage pregnancy through depictions that glamorize it. This is a behavioral study and the primary approach implemented is a survey design. In this context of investigation two primary methodological survey approaches have been implemented. The first approach involves a survey to students age 13-18 in the Tucson area as a means of gaining a broad sample range.

The second element of the survey implements behavioral investigation, as these individuals – divided into three groups – watch specific programming and then receive a post program survey. The epistemological assumption is grounded in behavioral approaches to psychological investigation that consider human perception as potentially impacted through television stimulus, just as human behavior is impacted through external reward and punishment mechanisms. The results of the survey data, including the control study, will be measured along the Likert scale.

The responses are then quantitatively calculated in an effort to determine if there are statistically significant correlations between television viewership and teenage perceptions of pregnancy. The study recognizes the limitations of such a research approach, as this quantitative methodology fails to significantly determine whether television programming directly contributes to teenage pregnancy. Still, it’s recognized that in establishing statistically significant correlations between television programming and shifting teenage perspectives on pregnancy, the research contributes to literature on the subject and points the way forward for future investigations.

Ethical Considerations There are a number of ethical considerations that are involved in the research design. Rosnow (2005) indicates that the involvement of human subject matter in behavioral research contexts necessitates the development of ethical consent forms. The American Psychological Association Ethics Code outlines general principles and ethical standards that research studies must comply ("Ethical principles of," 2011). While these standards span a broad array of issues, there are a number that are specifically relevant for this research design.

The first standard that is necessary is that of 3.10 ‘informed consent’, which necessitates that research subjects be reasonably informed of the parameters of the study. In the context of this specific study, subjects will be informed of the general type of programming they may be required to watch. Another prominent ethical consideration is that of privacy and confidentiality. The American Psychological Association (APA) necessitates that researchers make great efforts to maintain study participants confidentiality in both the research process and in the data that the respondents offer.

In addition, participants are to be informed of the potential limitations of confidentiality. In our specific research design, participants will be informed of the researchers that will have access to their survey responses and will be ensured that these responses remain stored and implemented only for the specific research in question. A final ethical concern relates to the programming as potentially subjecting the sources to glamorized portrayals of pregnancy. While this is a drawback, only programming from mainstream network sources, including 16 and Pregnant, Baby Borrowers, and Star Trek will be shown.

ReferencesEthical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx Rosnow, R. (2005). Beginning behavioral research. New York: Pearson Prentice Hall.