Communication hypothesis/research questions
IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS:
- The exam should be no more than 900 words.
- To receive full points, you must:
- provide unique and appropriate responses to each question
- briefly define each underlined term THAT YOU USE in your proposed study
- Please number your responses.
For each of the following questions, please propose a Communication-related study that is NOT about the pandemic. You can decide if you want to use similar hypotheses/research questions or entirely different hypotheses/research questions for #1-4 below.
Survey Research
1. In 1-2 sentences describe a communication study that you would conduct if you had unlimited resources. Next, provide one hypothesis (H) you would test using a continuous statement that must be answered with a longitudinal survey using one of the three longitudinal survey designs (select one and define) described in lecture. Explain why that design is the best fit to test your hypothesis. What specific sampling technique (select one and define) will you use to collect your data and why? What is your target population and the sampling unit? How will you statistically test this relationship? Do you expect the relationship to be negative or positive? What are two problems (identify and define each) that were discussed in lecture that arise when statistically testing a survey-based hypothesis, and how might these show up in your proposed study?
Experimental Research
2. Now propose and describe a true experimental study related to the field of communication in 1-2 sentences. Which type of design will you use and why? What is your hypothesis, and what are the independent and dependent variables? How can you demonstrate the construct validity of the measure used to assess your dependent variable? Finally, what are the key elements of experimental design as described in lecture and how will you apply them in this study specifically?
3. Add an independent variable to the study you proposed for #2 to make a factorial design. Describe the amended study design. What would you expect to find?
Qualitative Research
4. Finally, propose a qualitative research study using an interview approach that is related to the field of communication. What is the research question you are trying to answer? What sampling technique will you use, and what are the strengths and limits of that approach? What unstructured interviewing technique will you use and why is it the best choice for your study? What does qualitative research allow you to do that quantitative research does not allow you to do?
