• Read: Morgan, Leech, Gloeckner, & Barrett: Chapters 1 – 2, Appendices A – B
• PageRead: Keller: Introduction – Part I
• PageWatch: Research Questions Hypothesis and Variables

Discussion Assignment Instructions

The student will complete short-answer discussions in this course. The student will post short answers to the prompted questions in the thread for each short-answer discussion. The answers must demonstrate course-related knowledge and support their assertions with scholarly citations in the latest APA format. Minimum word count for all short answers cumulatively is 200 words. For each thread the student must include a title block with your name, class title, date, and the discussion forum number; write the question number and the question title as a level one heading (e.g. D1.1 Variables) and then provide your response; use Level Two headings for multi part questions (e.g. D1.1 & D1.1.a, D1.1.b, etc.), and include a reference section.

Respond to the following short answer questions from Chapter 1 of the Morgan, Leech, Gloeckner, & Barrett textbook:

This introduction to the research problem and questions raised by the HSB dataset should help make the assignments meaningful, and it should provide a guide and some examples for your own research.

Interpretation Questions

D1.1.Compare the terms active independent variable and attribute independent variable. What are the similarities and differences?

D1.2.What kind of independent variable (active or attribute) is necessary to infer cause? Can one always infer cause from this type of independent variable? If so, why? If not, when can one infer cause and when might causal inferences be more questionable?

D1.3.What is the difference between the independent variable and the dependent variable?

D1.4.Compare and contrast associational, difference, and descriptive types of research questions.

D1.5.Write a research question and a corresponding hypothesis regarding variables of interest to you but not in the HSB dataset. Is it an associational, difference, or descriptive question?

D1.6. Using one or more of the following HSB variables, religion, mosaic pattern test, and visualization score

(a.)Write an associational question.

(b.)Write a difference question.

(c.)Write a descriptive question.