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What are the steps involved in conducting research?

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 Psychology homework help
 n this discussion, you are going to be asked to do a bit of critical thinking. Have you ever heard this expression? “Opposites attract.” What about this one? “ Birds of a feather flock together.” Both of these say something about what attracts one person to another and both are commonly used expressions. The problem is they are opposites.
 
Suppose we wanted to know whether people tend to marry those who have interests and values that are different from their own (opposites) or whether they tend to marry those with similar interests and values (birds of a feather). How might we find out? As you create your discussion post, consider the following:
What are the steps involved in conducting research?
How do we determine what type of research is suitable for a particular problem?
What type of research would be useful in this case?
How would we go about doing it?
Propose a simple research project that would allow you to answer the question: Which of the two statements in quotation marks above applies best to selection of marriage partners in the United States? Choose one of the research methods listed in Module 4 that you think would be the most useful and practical for exploring this question. Explain why this method would be appropriate. Describe in some detail the steps that you would take in setting up and carrying out this research.

What evidence do we have that genetics play a role in intelligence?

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Psychology homework help
Intelligence tests were designed based on the belief that there are measurable differences in ability between individuals that can help to predict future performance. There has been a long-term debate on what the word intelligence really means and a more heated debate on how much of intelligence is a product of nature (genetics) and how much is contributed by nurture (environment). In this discussion, we will explore the arguments for each of those influences.
As you create your discussion post, consider the following:
What is intelligence?
What evidence do we have that genetics play a role in intelligence?
What evidence do we have that environment is also involved?
Over the last hundred years there has been a great deal of discussion and research that has tried to determine the relative influence of nature and of nurture on intelligence. The consensus today is that both make a strong contribution. Find one piece of evidence showing that nature (genetics) makes a contribution and one showing the influence of nurture (environment). Describe each of these pieces of evidence and explain why it supports the influence of either nature or nurture, as appropriate. What is the practical importance of understanding that intelligence is influenced by both factors?

Relationship Between Purpose Of Study And Data Analysis Techniques

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Psychology homework help
 Relationship Between Purpose Of Study And Data Analysis Techniques
In order to make decisions about the value of any research study for practice, it is important to understand the general processes involved in analyzing research data. By now, you have examined enough research studies to be aware that there are some common ways that data are reported and summarized in research studies. For example, the sample is often described by numbers of participants and by certain characteristics of those participants that help us determine how representative the sample is of a population. The information about the sample is commonly reported in tables and graphs, making use of frequency distributions, measures of central tendency, and dispersion. Information about the variables (or concepts) of interest when quantified are also reported in similar manner.
Although the actual data analysis takes place after data have been collected, from the initial planning of a research study, the researcher needs to have an awareness of the types of questions that can be answered by particular data analysis techniques.
For this Discussion, review the case study entitled “Social Work Research: Measuring Group Success.” Consider the data analysis described in that case. Recall the information presented in the earlier chapters of your text about formulating research questions to inform a hypotheses or open-ended exploration of an issue.

By Day 3

Post an explanation of the types of descriptive and/or inferential statistics you might use to analyze the data gathered in the case study. Also explain how the statistics you identify can guide you in evaluating the applicability of the study’s findings for your own practice as a social worker. Please use the resources to support your answer.

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Yegidis, B. L., Weinbach, R. W., & Myers, L. L.  (2018). Research methods for social workers (8th ed.). New York, NY:  Pearson.
Chapter 13, “Analyzing Data” (pp. 295–297, “The Data in Perspective”)

Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Foundation year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
Social Work Research: Measuring Group Success

Bauer, S., Lambert, M. J., & Nielsen, S. L. (2004). Clinical significance methods: A comparison of statistical techniques. Journal of Personality Assessment, 82, 60–70.
Retrieved from Walden Library databases.

Gibson, F. H. (2003). Indigent client perceptions of barriers to marriage and family therapy (Dissertation, University of Louisiana at Monroe).
Retrieved from Walden Library databases.

Describe the basic functioning of a neuron beginning with receiving signals from other neurons or sense organs and ending with the transmission of a signal to another neuron

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 Psychology homework help
The Midterm Essay Examination will cover the material we have studied in Modules 1 – 4. You will need to answer four essay questions, each question requires a three to five paragraph (250 – 500 word) answer. Each answer should be clearly labeled with the question number and a copy of the question. Your answers need to be supported with information from the textbook or other appropriate sources. Do NOT use wikipedia or other encyclopedias, dictionaries or online sources such as Ask.com.

  1. Describe the basic functioning of a neuron beginning with receiving signals from other neurons or sense organs and ending with the transmission of a signal to another neuron. Explain how a pattern of neuron firing is related to behavior.
  2. Describe one personality trait that you believe to be highly heritable (mostly a product of genetics) and another trait that seems to be much less so. Provide reasons for your answer, and explain why you would expect genetics to exert a much greater impact on some personality traits than on others.
  3. You have been hired by a large public school system to construct a musical aptitude test. Describe what itmeans to standardize a test and the methods you would use to assess its reliability and validity. Explain why it might be more difficult to develop a valid musical aptitude test than a reliable one.
  4. Ray was assigned to barracks in a very old building with old plumbing. While showering for the first time, he heard the toilet flush and then, a few second later, was scalded when the water suddenly became much hotter. He screamed in pain. The next time he took a shower, when he heard the toilet flush, he immediately jumped out of the stream of water and screamed before the water became hotter. Name and describe the process of learning that took place. Be sure to use the correct terminology associated with all of the components involved in the process. For example, originally the sound of the toilet flushing was a (an)____________ and it later became a (an) __________ because of the process of learning.
  5. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald believe in the importance of stern discipline; they impose strict rules which they expect their children to obey without question. They penalize misbehavior harshly, frequently with a spanking. Mr. and Mrs. Mendoza instead use milder forms of punishment to enforce their rules. They also have regular family meetings in which their children help them to establish household rules and penalties for breaking them. What is the name of each of these two approaches to parenting and what do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of each. Explain the reasons for your answer.
  6. When your friend hears that you are taking a psychology course, she asserts that psychology is simply common sense. Explain why common sense is not the best way to understand human behavior. Describe the methods of science and explain why they are superior to common sense in understanding human behavior.