Controlling for Extraneous Variables - Assignment Example

In all three research studies, researchers were highly particular about devising means of ensuring that there was a constancy of conditions. The constancy of conditions refers to scenarios and instances where there is a very high level of consistency with all dependent and independent conditions including variables, data sources, data collection procedure, reliability of the information, and general analysis of data. In research works of this nature such as the ones reported by the three different researchers, constancy of conditions is very important in ensuring the general reliability and validity of research conclusions. The issues of constancy of conditions become even more eminent when the research design is a case study as seen in the studies in question.

This point is made against the backdrop that in the case of studies, the findings of the researchers are related or linked to a wider and universal population. It is therefore always important to ensure that there would be consistency with conditions. Looking through the study by Boyce, Hiatt, and Jones (1992), it can be seen that the researchers strategically relied on the credibility and consistency associated with the source from which they had their data to ensure the constancy of conditions. This point is made against the defense that the researchers used a health promotion program that has been in existence since 1980. With such history, there was every indication that there was going to be subjective records and consistency of data that can be checked for reliability and trendy changes.

Ridley and Husband (1998) also took very pragmatic steps in ensuring that they conducted research that came out with findings that could be trusted as reliable and be given a universal accent. This was done in several ways. First, there was a very large sample used. The researchers used as many as hundred (100) respondents. This was indeed a pragmatic approach to ensure the constancy of conditions. For instance, with such a sample size, the researchers were sure that even if for some reason there were going to be fallouts by respondents, there would still be a very sizeable number of respondents to generalize the findings possible. Yet again, the researchers used realistic data rather than assumed data.

It is for this reason that the researchers depended on the actual grades of respondents rather than assumed grades through the collection of opinions from respondents. This was a very perfect approach to ensuring the accuracy of conditions because their findings were based on facts rather than opinions and assumptions. The final group of researchers who were Schneider and Workman (2000) were also cautious with the constancy of conditions. Looking through their study report, one clear indication is that the researcher did a lot of extensive secondary data collection to back all their hypothesis and assumptions. This has always been a proactive approach in qualitative research of that nature to ensure that data analysis and defense of the constancy of conditions are not merely based on the researchers’ viewpoints but on empirical findings from other reliable sources.

Part B: Develop a Detailed Hypothesis
Based on the strategies used by the different researchers in ensuring constancy of conditions, a detailed hypothesis can be developed out of the substantive project as “among a very large population of soft drink consumers, not even customers who have patronized a particular brand of soft drink can different their preferred brands from other brands by merely looking at labels without tasting.”

“Elimination” and why they were used.
Elimination was used at the sampling stage to ensure that only the most reliable and useful respondents were selected for the study. This was done by coming into contact with and selecting only respondents who had personal experiences with the various situations that were being measured. For instance, in the case of Boyce, Hiatt, and Jones (1992), only police officers who had had the opportunity of belonging to both the supervised and unsupervised status were included in the sample size. In the case of Ridley and Husband (1998), it was also only student candidates who had experienced both traditional and online education were selected. All other conditioners were eliminated. Read More