Explain processes to conduct a study

Review the resources from the Course Resources link, located in the top navigation bar, to prepare for this weeks assignments. Please review the provided excerpts from previous NU psychology dissertations that demonstrate alignment between Problem Statement, Purpose Statement, and Research Questions (hypotheses).

Instead of a traditional paper outline, your assignment this week will be to complete a Purpose Table where you include the key aspects of your potential research study. These specific key aspects will be included in your Purpose Statement as part of your Lesson 8 Signature Assignment. Here is an example table:

Problem gap

Resilience has been shown to be an important protective factor for mental health among older adults, although further research is needed to investigate how resilience may buffer the impact of loneliness and ageism on psychological distress (Ribeiro-Gonalves et al., 2023).

Purpose of the Study (including method and design)

The purpose of this quantitative correlational design study is to assess the potential mediator role of resilience between the effects of ageism and loneliness on PD in older adults.

1-2 Research Questions/

Hypotheses

RQ1: How does resilience mediate the relationship between agism and psychological distress for older adults 60+?

Null hypothesis: Resilience does not mediate the relationship between agism and psychological distress for older adults 60+

Alternative hypothesis: When resilience is high, there will be no predictive relationship between agism and psychological distress.

RQ2: How does resilience mediate the relationship between loneliness and psychological distress for older adults 65+?

Null hypothesis: Resilience does not mediate the relationship between loneliness and psychological distress for older adults 60+

Alternative hypothesis: When resilience is high, there will be no predictive relationship between loneliness and psychological distress.

Population, Sampling and recruitment

The population of interest is older adults age 60 and over. A convenience sampling technique will be used to recruit older adults through social media. Target sample size: according to Wison VanVooris and Morgan (2007), researchers can target a minimum of 30 participants for each predictor in a correlational study. With 2 predictors (ageism, loneliness) and 1 mediator (resilience), we can consider this the same as 3 predictors. While 30 per predictor is the minimum (3×30=90), I want to make sure I have a large enough sample, so I will aim for more participants: a target of 200 participants.

Data collection strategy

Online survey will be used to collect data at a single time point (i.e. each participant will complete the survey only once).

Operationalization and instruments

Variables of interest include: loneliness(predictor) will be measured using he Short-Form of UCLA Loneliness Scale (USL-6), ageism (predictor) will be measured using the Ambivalent Ageism Scale (AAS), resilience (mediator) will be measured using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), and psychological distress (criterion/outcome) will be measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6).

Data analysis

2 multiple regression analyses will be performed. For each hypothesis, mediation will be determined if:

Predictor and outcome are significantly associated (block 1) until the mediating variable is added to the regression model (block 2) and the predictor is no longer significant.

Note. Study information based on Ribeiro-Gonalves et al. (2023)

References:

Ribeiro-Gonalves, J.A., Costa, P. A., & Leal, I. (2023). Loneliness, ageism, and mental health: The buffering role of resilience in seniors. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 23(1). DOI: .

Wilson VanVooris, C. R., & Morgan, B. L. (2007). Understanding power and rules of thumb for determining sample sizes. Tutorials in Quantitative Methods for Psychology, 3(2), 43-50. DOI: 10.20982/tqmp.03.2.p043

Instructions

There are 2 parts to this assignment that can be included in a single Word document. You can include the revised Problem and Research Questions/hypotheses at the beginning of the document with the table, and you can add your reflection after the table.

Part 1

Begin with your Problem Statement and Research Questions (and hypotheses, if applicable) from previous assignments in this course. Be sure to revise these components based on any feedback and suggestions for revision provided by your professor. Next, you will begin to plan a proposed study to address your research problem and research questions.

Using the table provided in the Course Resources, complete each section of the table, citing sources to support claims as necessary. Your table should include the following:

1. The purpose of this [Study method], [study design] study is to . . . [complete the sentence by identifying your goal in conducting the research, which should address the gap you identified in your problem and answer your RQs]
2. Target population
3. Sampling frame and sampling method (including recruitment strategy)
4. Sample size (justified by scholarly sources and power analysis for quantitative studies, discussing the role of saturation for qualitative studies)
5. Research setting (location for study procedures and data collection)
6. Data collection method (including specific measurement instruments or interview protocols for all constructs/variables or phenomena of interest)
7. Data analysis method (identify the specific process or analysis you will use to answer each RQ)

Part 2

Reflect on how the revised Research Questions/Hypotheses and the information in your Purpose Table for Part 1 of this assignment were influenced by the examples you reviewed and the requirements of the assignment. Explain how well you feel the Problem/Purpose/RQs are aligned. Identify potential ethical considerations related to the research processes proposed in the Purpose Statement.

Expectations

Length: Part 1 of this assignment must be 1-2 pages (excluding the title and reference page); Part 2 must be 1-2 pages.

References: Include 2 scholarly resources.