RESEARCH PROPOSAL
IMPORTANT: You will be doing this study in class. Everything you propose should be based on using the materials provided and your classmates as participants. Over the next few weeks, you will be participating in other learners’ studies and have your classmate participate in yours. Do not use participants outside of this course.
Use Topic From Literature Review
Materials are provided for three different projects inspired by research found in the literature. For the research proposal, use the same article and materials that you based your literature review on.
There are pre-built materials for three experiments. There are possible variations of design, but choose one of the following. You may not create your own topic or materials without permission from and coordination with the instructor.
- Retraction [DOC]: Use a news article and a retraction to a news article on a bank robbery with a questionnaire to measure responses.
- Myth Busting [DOC]: Use a fact sheet to debunk the myth that humans use only 10 percent of their brain with a questionnaire to measure responses.
- False Balance [DOC]: Use two articles, one on the lack of connection between vaccines and autism and the other on the connection, with a questionnaire to measure responses.
Topic 1: Retraction
Review the materials on Retraction. Then, read the following article, as it may help give you ideas on how to design your study:
- Ecker, U. K. H., Hogan, J. L., & Lewandowsky, S. (2017). Reminders and repetition of misinformation: Helping or hindering its retraction? Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 6(2), 185–192.
Topic 2: Myth Busting
Review the material for Myth Busting. Then, read the following article, as it may help give you ideas on how to design your study:
- Pluviano, S., Watt, C., Sergio, D. S. (2017). Misinformation lingers in memory: Failure of three pro-vaccination strategies. PLoS One, 12(7), 1–12.
Topic 3: False Balance
Review the material for False Balance. Then, read the following article, as it may help give you ideas on how to design your study:
- Cook, J., Lewandowsky, S., Ecker, U. K. H. (2017). Neutralizing misinformation through inoculation: Exposing misleading argumentation techniques reduces their influence. PLoS One, 12(5), 1–17.
If you are not satisfied with the materials provided, contact your instructor to get approval to deviate and to examine how the changes may affect your data analysis. Use only materials approved by your instructor.
Assignment Preparation
- Be sure that you have completed the media piece in this week and have taken notes on methods that you will use to sample your participants and collect and analyze your data.
- If you have not done so yet, revise your literature review based on any instructor feedback you received.
Assignment Instructions
Next week, you will start to conduct your research study. We conduct research studies to expand our knowledge on how human behavior in the world is evolving. To conduct an effective study, we need to understand theories of development as it relates to our current environment and society.
The first step, however, is to create a research proposal that provides the detailed plan for your experiment. For this assignment, write your research proposal. Be sure to use the Research Proposal Template [DOCX], as it provides context and wording that you should use to help you clearly explain your main points. By using the template, you will cover all of the points below.
- Insert your revised literature review in the Literature Review section in the template.
- Operationally define the variables that you are using in your study.
- State your hypothesis for your study.
- Report on the method you will use to sample your participants.
- Use your notes from the media piece to guide your sampling method selection.
- Note: You will be using your classmates as participants for this project.
- Use your notes from the media piece to guide your sampling method selection.
- Explain the method you will use to collect and analyze your data.
- Use your notes from the media piece to guide your sampling method selection.
- Choose the measurement that matches your study.
- Review the template for suggested language.
- Discuss how the measurement increases the reliability and validity of the study.
- Explain your procedure based on research design you chose.
Submission Requirements
Submit your proposal as your deliverable for assessment.
Note: Your instructor may use the Writing Feedback Tool when grading this assignment. The Writing Feedback Tool is designed to provide you with guidance and resources to develop your writing based on five core skills. You will find writing feedback in the Scoring Guide for the assignment, once your work has been evaluated. Learn more about the Writing Feedback Tool on the course Tools and Resources page.