PSY1HPM: Basics of Inferential Research- Impact of Electronic Media Use Case Study- Discussion and Display Poster Assignment

Internal Code: 1HJEG

Discussion and Display Poster Assignment:

Task: Oral Presentation and Discussion and Display Poster (DDP) The ability to design, execute and communicate research effectively is an essential skill. Without it knowledge in any field would fail to progress as our understanding fails to develop and stagnates. The aim of this assessment is to introduce you to the process of developing a study and explaining the outcome of your investigation to your peers. We will give you time during some tutorials to work on the presentation, but we also expect you to be in contact with each other to ensure the project is fully completed before presentations are held in Week 8. Introduction to the Basics of Inferential Research As you will see over the course of the semester, researchers in Psychology employ a number of different investigative techniques in order to answer research questions. Some techniques assess questions of interest through direct and deliberate manipulation of situations by the investigator, while others are less invasive as the investigator takes a more passive role. Each technique has advantages and disadvantages, and one must assess these when determining how a question or phenomena of interest would best be explored. It may be that a combination of methods is required as the question to be answered becomes more complex. For this Enquiry, your team will be assigned to ‘conduct’ one study by your facilitator to present to your tutorial members in Week 8. In ‘conducting’ this research, your team will need to identify a research question and describe the background, aim and hypothesis of the investigation; develop a method that will suitably test the study aims and hypothesis. For the lab report we will analyse the data and generate a statistic to determine whether the hypothesis was supported or not; and, finally, discuss the main implications and the conclusion of your investigation (including identification of potential methodological issues that may impact the conclusions your study can make). The word ‘conducting’ is in inverted commas as we are providing data for your scenario to analyse for the assessment. Thus, we aren’t conducting a study in the true sense as in reality we would need to develop the research question, aim and hypothesis before we obtain any numbers! Scenario 1 – The benefits of pets for mental health Most of us either own a pet (or two), or know someone who does. Why? Because they are so cute (most of the time)! But could owning pets actually be of benefit to our health? Research evidence shows that people who have lower stress levels have improved physical health as well, so it is of great importance to understand the different factors that could help us manage stress in our daily lives. Pet ownership could be one of these factors. Can your team determine whether there is information on the positive effects of dog ownership, and mental and physical health? Are there certain populations where pet ownership could particularly assist quality of life? How could you measure whether people who own a pet are ‘happier’ than those who do not? Scenario 2 – The importance of social connections in preventing post-partum depression The time after birth is a particularly important time for bonding between mother and child. Unfortunately, this is also a time when mothers may begin to experience symptoms of post-partum depression (PPD) that may have a detrimental impact on such bonding. Recent initiatives have encouraged mothers to participate in Mother’s Groups (sometimes with mothers from antenatal classes) to share their experiences in informal and social environments, which could act as a possible prevention of PPD, but this is not always possible and practical for new mothers. However, a phone support service could be another strategy for preventing PPD by linking new mothers with their peers. Can your team to provide some background on PDD and peer support services? How would you assess rates of PDD in new mothers who receive peer support and those who do not? Scenario 3 – The impact of electronic media use on children In Australian society we tend to readily take up the use of new technologies. Walking through a shopping centre it’s not unusual to see very young children playing with mobile or tablet devices. The question is, what impact does engaging in the use of technology at a young age have on the development of a number of skills. Current research debates that device use may have consequences for the development of attention, emotional, social and problem solving skills that are typically obtained by exploring, unstructured play and interacting with peers. Can your team gather information on the potential impact of technology one aspect of child development? How could you assess whether technology does have an impact on this area of development?