COMM 250 Agenda - Week 4

1. COMM 250 Agenda - Week 4 Housekeeping Setting Grade Weights Then – Remaining Team Pictures – Back of Room If your team has changed, get another picture Remaining Team Names (?) Lecture Paradigms & Paradigm Shifts Epistemology, Ontology, Axiology Variables MTW-I: Acknowledgment Research Questions & Hypotheses Operationalizing Variables

2. The Philosophy of Science Epistemology – the Study of Knowledge • FBK: “relation of researcher to the topic” • Positivists: independent (objective knowledge) • Naturalists: interdependent (subjective) What is the Nature of Knowledge? • Is some/all knowledge “absolute?” • Is some/all knowledge “relative?”

3. The Philosophy of Science Ontology – the Study of “Being” • FBK: “the nature of reality” • Positivists: the world is objective • Naturalists: the world is subjective What is the nature of “Being” ? • Beings as Passive: S-R Psychology, SMCR Communication • Beings as Active: Constructivism, Cognitive Psychology

4. The Philosophy of Science Axiology – the Study of Values • FBK: “the role of values” • Positivists: science can be “value-free” • Naturalists: science is always “value-laden” What are the nature of “Values?” • Values – Are there objective values? (Is there “Truth” with a capital “T” ?) • Values – or subjective, depends upon who is deciding the values

5. 4 Types of Variables Independent – influences another variable • IV = “Predictor” variable Dependent – variable influenced by another • DV = “Outcome” variable Control – variable one tries to control for • Either: “keep constant,” balance across groups, or extract in the statistical analysis (aka a “concomitant” variable) Extraneous – variable not studied/interested in • But it has some impact on the IV–DV relationship

6. MTW I: Acknowledgment Acknowledgement is . . . • Personal • Powerful • A Contribution to Another Person • A Connection with Another Person • Simple • Satisfying • An Aid in Building “Team”

7. MTW I: Acknowledgment Accepting Acknowledgement is . . . • Generous • Open • Honest • A Connection with Another Person • Simple • Allowing Another to Contribute to You

8. In-Class Team Exercise # 4 Part I: Two rounds of Acknowledgment • Deliverable: No Written Deliverable • ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Additional Team Work (if time permits) • Make Sure Team Picture is Current • Is your team name in?

9. The Research Process Conceptualization • Start with / Develop a Theory and Develop Hypotheses Planning & Designing Research • Operationalize all Variables • i.e., How will you measure each variable? (must be precise!) Methods for Conducting Research • Plan the Study and Collect the Data Analyzing & Interpreting Data • Run Statistics and Interpret Results Re-Conceptualization • Back to the Drawing Board

10. RQs and Hypotheses RQs • Open-ended, general • When researcher is unsure or new to the area • E.g.: “How does education level affect income? • Hypotheses • Predict a relationship • When researcher knows an area, or has a theory • E.g.: “The more education a person has, the higher his/her annual income.”

11. RQs use Variables; Hs use IV, DV Independent – influences another variable • IV = “Predictor” variable Dependent – influenced by another • DV = “Outcome” variable Sample RQ: • “What is the relationship between education level and income? Sample H1: • “The more education a person has, the higher his/her annual income.

12. RQs and Hypotheses RQs • Open-ended, general • When researcher is unsure or new to the area • “How does education level affect income? • Hypotheses • Predict a relationship • When researcher knows an area of has a theory • “The more education a person has, the higher their annual income.”

13. Hypotheses Two-Tailed Hypotheses • Non-directional – researcher predicts a relationship, but does not specify the nature • “Education level is related to income.”

14. . One-Tailed Hypotheses • Directional –predicts a relationship AND the direction of that relationship • “The more education a person has, the higher their annual income.”

15. Operationalization Operational Definition • Defines a concept in observable / measurable terms • A scientist can propose/claim/offer virtually ANY operational definition of a concept – all he/she has to do is be able to defend it • So operational definitions must be: • Plausible (must make sense to most in the field) • Measurable (must be specified in detail) • Replicable (must be complete - so others can repeat)

16. Examples of Operational Definitions Good (Defensible): • IQ = “score achieved on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale” Poor (Indefensible): • IQ = “how smart someone is” Good (Defensible): • Educ Level = “highest grade completed” Poor (Indefensible): • Educ Level = “total years in school”

17. In-Class Team Exercise # 4 - Part II: First Do as Individuals, then produce a Team Version: 1) Create 2 Hypotheses(One 1-Tailed, One 2-Tailed) • Relate the concepts: “regular exercise” and “health” 2) Create a specific, measurable Operational Definition of each concept 3) Which is the IV, which the DV? 4) Propose 2 (likely/possible) “Intervening Variables” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deliverable: a written version of the above

18. Correlation & Causality Correlation • Two variables are related (as one varies, the other varies predictably) Causation 3 “Necessary & Sufficient” Conditions: • Two variables must be shown to be related • The IV must precede the DV in Time • The relationship cannot be due to another variable (an “Intervening” or “Confounding” variable)