Research Design and t Tests : How Are They Connected?
Whether in a scholarly or practitioner setting, good research and data analysis should have the benefit of peer feedback. For this Discussion, you will perform an article critique on t tests. Be sure and remember that the goal is to obtain constructive feedback to improve the research and its interpretation, so please view this as an opportunity to learn from one another.
To prepare for this Discussion:
- Review the Learning Resources and the media programs related to t tests.
- Search for and select a quantitative article specific to your discipline and related to t tests. Help with this task may be found in the Course guide and assignment help linked in this week’s Learning Resources. Also, you can use as a guide the Research Design Alignment Table located in this week’s Learning Resources
Assignment Task Part 1
Write a 5-paragraph critique of the article. In your critique, include responses to the following:
- Which is the research design used by the authors?
- Why did the authors use this t test?
- Do you think it’s the most appropriate choice? Why or why not?
- Did the authors display the data?
- Do the results stand alone? Why or why not?
- Did the authors report effect size? If yes, is this meaningful?
Be sure to support your Main Post and Response Post with reference to the week’s Learning Resources and other scholarly evidence in APA Style.
Assignment Task Part 2
Respond to one of your colleagues’ posts in 150 words of the following:
- Make recommendations for the design choice.
- Explain whether you think that this is the appropriate test to use for the research question. Why or why not?
- As a lay reader, were you able to understand the results and their implications? Why or why not?
Bottom of Form
Learning Resources
Required Readings
Frankfort-Nachmias, C., Leon-Guerrero, A., & Davis, G. (2020). Social statistics for a diverse society (9th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
- Chapter 8, “Testing Hypothesis” (pp. 243-279)
Wagner, III, W. E. (2020). Using IBM® SPSS® statistics for research methods and social science statistics (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
- Chapter 6, “Testing Hypotheses Using Means and Cross-Tabulation” (previously read in Week 5)
- Chapter 11, “Editing Output” (previously read in Week 2, 3, and 4)
For help with this week’s research, see this Course Guide and related weekly assignment resources.
Document: Week 6 t test Scenarios (PDF)
Use these scenarios to complete this week’s Assignment.
Document: Walden University: Research Design Alignment Table
Datasets
Your instructor will post the datasets for the course in the Doc Sharing section and in an Announcement. Your instructor may also recommend using a different dataset from the ones provided here.
Required Media
Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2016l). The t test for independent samples [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 5 minutes.
In this media program, Dr. Matt Jones, demonstrates the t Test for independent samples in SPSS.
Accessible player –Downloads– Download Video w/CC Download Audio Download Transcript
Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2016m). The t test for related samples [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 5 minutes.
In this media program, Dr. Matt Jones, demonstrates the t test for related samples in SPSS.
Accessible player –Downloads– Download Video w/CC Download Audio Download Transcript
Optional Resources
Use the following app/weblink to enter your own data and obtain an interactive visual display.
Skill Builders:
- Research Design and Statistical Design
- Hypothesis Testing for Independent Samples t-test
To access these Skill Builders, navigate back to your Blackboard Course Home page, and locate “Skill Builders” in the left navigation pane. From there, click on the relevant Skill Builder link for this week.
You are encouraged to click through these and all Skill Builders to gain additional practice with these concepts. Doing so will bolster your knowledge of the concepts you’re learning this week and throughout the course.
For Research Design and t Tests Help please click here
