10 juni 2022
From Idea to Study — Research Questions, Hypotheses, and Variables
Main Concepts The pathway: Idea → Research Question → Hypothesis → Variables → Design Hypothesis: a testable prediction Variables: elements of your study that can change or vary Independent variable: the factor that you manipulate in your study to investigate its effects Dependent variable: the outcome in your study which might be influenced by the independent variable Control variable: the factor in your study that you keep constant Causation vs. correlation and how design affects claims Learning Goals Formulate a specific research question from a broad idea Write a testable hypothesis aligned with measurable outcomes Identify independent, dependent and control variables for a study Distinguish between experimental and observational designs Key Takeaways Clarity grows step by step: idea → question → hypothesis → variables Keep the IV manageable and the DV aligned to the hypothesis Control what you can; state what you can’t Avoid causal language when the design doesn’t support it Variables become the backbone for design, development, and testing Further Exploration Search: “operationalizing constructs in behavioral research” Search: “experimental vs. quasi-experimental vs. observational” Search: “writing testable hypotheses examples” Search: “construct validity and measurement reliability”