RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND HYPOTHESES

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RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND HYPOTHESES

• DISTINGUISH AMONG
• 1. RESEARCH PROBLEM (PROBLEM STATEMENT)
• 2. RESEARCH QUESTION
• 3. HYPOTHESIS

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RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND HYPOTHESES

• 1. RESEARCH PROBLEM (PROBLEM STATEMENT)
• --- QUESTION ADDRESSED IN THE STUDY (WHY?)
• MOST DIFFICULT YET IMPORTANT TO STATE THIS
  CLEARLY SUCCINCTLY.
• 3. HYPOTHESES
• ---CONVERTS A QUESTION INTO A DECLARATIVE
  STATEMENT WHICH PREDICTS AN EXPECTED OUTCOME.
• 2. QUESTION ADDRESSED IN STUDY (WHY?) -REPHRASES
  THE PROBLEM IN THE FORM OF A QUESTION.

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RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND HYPOTHESES

• 1. RESEARCH PROBLEM
• DO ONLY INTELLIGENT PEOPLE GO TO UNIVERSITY?

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RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND HYPOTHESES

• 2. RESEARCH QUESTION
• ---REPHRASES THE PROBLEM IN THE FORM OF A
  QUESTION.

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RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND HYPOTHESES

• DO ONLY STUDENTS WITH A HIGH I.Q. GO TO
  UNIVERSITY?
• WHAT PREDICTS UNIVERSITY ADMISSION/ SUCCESS?

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RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND HYPOTHESES

• 3. HYPOTHESES
• CONVERTS A QUESTION INTO A DECLARATIVE STATEMENT
  WHICH PREDICTS (DIRECTION) AN EXPECTED OUTCOME.

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RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND HYPOTHESES

• 3b. NULL (STATISTICAL) HYPOTHESES
• PHASES HYPOTHESIS IN TESTABLE FORMAT SO THAT NO
  RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT
  VARIABLES IS EXPECTED.

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RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND HYPOTHESES

• 3b. NULL (STATISTICAL) HYPOTHESES
• THERE WILL BE NO RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN I.Q. SCORES
  AS MEASURED BY THE STANFORD BINET I.Q.TEST AND
  ADMISSION TO UNIVERSITY.

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STEPS IN REFINING RESEARCH PROBLEM

• 1. DEFINE SPECIFIC PROBLEM AREA (NOT TOO BROAD OR
  INCLUSIVE). THIS STEP IDENTIFIES INDEPENDENT
  DEPENDENT VARIABLES.
• DEPENDENT (TO BE PREDICTED)
• INDEPENDENT (TO BE MANIPULATED)

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STEPS IN REFINING RESEARCH PROBLEM

• 2. REVIEW RELEVANT SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE

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STEPS IN REFINING RESEARCH PROBLEM

• 3. EXAMINE SIGNIFICANCE TO YOUR SITUATION/WORK

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STEPS IN REFINING RESEARCH PROBLEM

• 4. EXAMINE FEASIBILITY (PILOT)

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VARIABLE PROPERTIES STUDIED IN RESEARCH

• CHARACTERISTICS OF VARIABLE
• SEPARATE AND DISTINGUISHABLE FROM ONE ANOTHER
• AGE, GENDER, WEIGHT, ANXIETY, STRESS

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VARIABLE PROPERTIES STUDIED IN RESEARCH

• INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
• MANIPULATED BY RESEARCHER, INDICATED BY X
• EFFECT OF GENDER ON ???

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VARIABLE PROPERTIES STUDIED IN RESEARCH

• DEPENDENT VARIABLE
• NOT MANIPULATED, INDICATED BY Y
• PRESUMED EFFECT VARIES WITH IMPACT OF
  INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
• EFFECT OF GENDER ON ADIPOSITY DISTRIBUTION

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VARIABLE PROPERTIES STUDIED IN RESEARCH

• PREDICTIONS FROM INDEPENDENT TO ? DEPENDENT