Develop a Hypothesis Assignment
Instructions: In this assignment, you will develop a research question related to the topic you have chosen. Please read the literature review related to your topic prior to completing this assignment.
The reason you do a literature review is to give you an idea of what has been done in this area and what theoretical or methodological gaps exist. In fact, the author(s) of the literature review may specifically point to what is needed in the field in the future directions section of the review. While you consider the literature review, you should consider the following questions:
• What questions have not been addressed?
• In what settings is research lacking?
• Are there any variables (or constructs) that have not been examined but may be related to the issue?
• Have all methods (survey, experiments, observations) been used to examine the question or set of questions?
o Are there alternative operational definitions for the constructs of interest that would help to generalize the findings? For example, could you measure or manipulate one of the variables in a different way?
• Are there any populations that have been ignored with regard to this issue (e.g., East Asians, mature adults, professionals, Buddhists)?
• Theoretically or methodologically, are there alternative explanations for the phenomena than that proposed that could be tested?
Remember, your job as a researcher is to describe, predict, or explain psychological phenomena.
Please brainstorm more than one idea. Then pick your favorite and complete the questions below. Please type your answers to the questions.
1) State your rough research idea or question or prediction (What relation exists between 2 or more variables?):
2) Make sure your research question is scientific and quantitative by answering the questions below.
a) Explain how your research question is Observable
b) Explain how your research question is Testable (i.e., could you create a situation under which to test your idea?).
c) Can you count observable behaviors, measure, or manipulate the variables of interest?
3) Define an independent and a dependent variable (just name them for now):
4) Which one is the Independent (predictor*) Variable (X):
a) Operational Definition (how you will measure this variable):
5) Which one is the Dependent (criterion*) Variable (Y):
a) Operational Definition (how you will measure this variable):
6) Develop a working hypothesis. That is, form an expectation/prediction about the relationship between X and Y, or describe how X will influence Y. Your hypothesis should mention both your variables, make a prediction, and be stated as a statement (not a question).
Please turn in this assignment using Turnitinon Blackboard.