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Quantitative Research
Quantitative research studies produce results that can be used to describe or note numerical changes in measurable characteristics of a population of interest; generalize to other, similar situations; provide explanations of predictions; and explain causal relationships. The fundamental philosophy underlying quantitative research is known as positivism, which is based on the scientific method of research. Measurement is necessary if the scientific method is to be used. The scientific method involves an empirical or theoretical basis for the investigation of populations and samples. Hypotheses must be formulated, and observable and measurable data must be gathered. Appropriate mathematical procedures must be used for the statistical analyses required for hypothesis testing.
Quantitative methods depend on the design of the study (experimental, quasi-experimental, nonexperimental). Study design takes into account all those elements that surround the plan for the investigation, such as research question or problem statement, research objectives, operational definitions, scope of inferences to be made, assumptions and limitations of the study, independent and dependent variables, treatment and controls, instrumentation, systematic data collection actions, statistical analysis, time lines, and reporting procedures. The elements of a research study and experimental, quasi-experimental, and nonexperimental designs are discussed here.
Elements
Problem Statement
First, an empirical or theoretical basis for the research problem should be established. This basis may emanate from personal experiences or established theory relevant to the study. From this basis, the researcher may formulate a research question or problem statement.
Operational Definitions
Operational definitions describe the meaning of specific terms used in a study. They specify the procedures or operations to be followed in producing or measuring complex constructs that hold different meanings for different people. For example, intelligence may be defined for research purposes by scores on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale.
Population and Sample
Quantitative methods include the target group (population) to which the researcher wishes to generalize and the group from which data are collected (sample). Early in the planning phase, the researcher should determine the scope of inference for results of the study. The scope of inference pertains to populations of interest, procedures used to select the sample(s), method for assigning subjects to groups, and the type of statistical analysis to be conducted.
Formulation of Hypotheses
Complex questions to compare responses of two or more groups or show relationships between two or more variables are best answered by hypothesis testing. A hypothesis is a statement of the researcher's expectations about a relationship between variables.
Hypothesis Testing
Statements of hypotheses may be written in the alternative or null form. A directional alternative hypothesis states the researcher's predicted direction of change, difference between two or more sample means, or relationship among variables. An example of a directional alternative hypothesis is as follows:
Third-grade students who use reading comprehension strategies will score higher on the State Achievement Test than their counterparts who do not use reading comprehension strategies.
A nondirectional alternative hypothesis states the researcher's predictions without giving the direction of the difference. For example:
There will be a difference in the scores on the State Achievement Test between third-grade students who use reading comprehension strategies and those who do not.
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- Descriptive Statistics
- Distributions
- Graphical Displays of Data
- Hypothesis Testing
- Alternative Hypotheses
- Beta
- Critical Value
- Decision Rule
- Hypothesis
- Nondirectional Hypotheses
- Nonsignificance
- Null Hypothesis
- One-Tailed Test
- p Value
- Power
- Power Analysis
- Significance Level, Concept of
- Significance Level, Interpretation and Construction
- Significance, Statistical
- Two-Tailed Test
- Type I Error
- Type II Error
- Type III Error
- Important Publications
- “Coefficient Alpha and the Internal Structure of Tests”
- “Convergent and Discriminant Validation by the Multitrait-Multimethod Matrix”
- “Meta-Analysis of Psychotherapy Outcome Studies”
- “On the Theory of Scales of Measurement”
- “Probable Error of a Mean, The”
- “Psychometric Experiments”
- “Sequential Tests of Statistical Hypotheses”
- “Technique for the Measurement of Attitudes, A”
- “Validity”
- Aptitudes and Instructional Methods
- Doctrine of Chances, The
- Logic of Scientific Discovery, The
- Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences
- Probabilistic Models for Some Intelligence and Attainment Tests
- Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences
- Teoria Statistica Delle Classi e Calcolo Delle Probabilità
- Inferential Statistics
- Association, Measures of
- Coefficient of Concordance
- Coefficient of Variation
- Coefficients of Correlation, Alienation, and Determination
- Confidence Intervals
- Margin of Error
- Nonparametric Statistics
- Odds Ratio
- Parameters
- Parametric Statistics
- Partial Correlation
- Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient
- Polychoric Correlation Coefficient
- Q-Statistic
- R2
- Randomization Tests
- Regression Coefficient
- Semipartial Correlation Coefficient
- Spearman Rank Order Correlation
- Standard Error of Estimate
- Standard Error of the Mean
- Student's t Test
- Unbiased Estimator
- Weights
- Item Response Theory
- Mathematical Concepts
- Measurement Concepts
- Organizations
- Publishing
- Qualitative Research
- Reliability of Scores
- Research Design Concepts
- Aptitude-Treatment Interaction
- Cause and Effect
- Concomitant Variable
- Confounding
- Control Group
- Interaction
- Internet-Based Research Method
- Intervention
- Matching
- Natural Experiments
- Network Analysis
- Placebo
- Replication
- Research
- Research Design Principles
- Treatment(s)
- Triangulation
- Unit of Analysis
- Yoked Control Procedure
- Research Designs
- A Priori Monte Carlo Simulation
- Action Research
- Adaptive Designs in Clinical Trials
- Applied Research
- Behavior Analysis Design
- Block Design
- Case-Only Design
- Causal-Comparative Design
- Cohort Design
- Completely Randomized Design
- Cross-Sectional Design
- Crossover Design
- Double-Blind Procedure
- Ex Post Facto Study
- Experimental Design
- Factorial Design
- Field Study
- Group-Sequential Designs in Clinical Trials
- Laboratory Experiments
- Latin Square Design
- Longitudinal Design
- Meta-Analysis
- Mixed Methods Design
- Mixed Model Design
- Monte Carlo Simulation
- Nested Factor Design
- Nonexperimental Design
- Observational Research
- Panel Design
- Partially Randomized Preference Trial Design
- Pilot Study
- Pragmatic Study
- Pre-Experimental Designs
- Pretest-Posttest Design
- Prospective Study
- Quantitative Research
- Quasi-Experimental Design
- Randomized Block Design
- Repeated Measures Design
- Response Surface Design
- Retrospective Study
- Sequential Design
- Single-Blind Study
- Single-Subject Design
- Split-Plot Factorial Design
- Thought Experiments
- Time Studies
- Time-Lag Study
- Time-Series Study
- Triple-Blind Study
- True Experimental Design
- Wennberg Design
- Within-Subjects Design
- Zelen's Randomized Consent Design
- Research Ethics
- Research Process
- Clinical Significance
- Clinical Trial
- Cross-Validation
- Data Cleaning
- Delphi Technique
- Evidence-Based Decision Making
- Exploratory Data Analysis
- Follow-Up
- Inference: Deductive and Inductive
- Last Observation Carried Forward
- Planning Research
- Primary Data Source
- Protocol
- Q Methodology
- Research Hypothesis
- Research Question
- Scientific Method
- Secondary Data Source
- Standardization
- Statistical Control
- Type III Error
- Wave
- Research Validity Issues
- Bias
- Critical Thinking
- Ecological Validity
- Experimenter Expectancy Effect
- External Validity
- File Drawer Problem
- Hawthorne Effect
- Heisenberg Effect
- Internal Validity
- John Henry Effect
- Mortality
- Multiple Treatment Interference
- Multivalued Treatment Effects
- Nonclassical Experimenter Effects
- Order Effects
- Placebo Effect
- Pretest Sensitization
- Random Assignment
- Reactive Arrangements
- Regression to the Mean
- Selection
- Sequence Effects
- Threats to Validity
- Validity of Research Conclusions
- Volunteer Bias
- White Noise
- Sampling
- Cluster Sampling
- Convenience Sampling
- Demographics
- Error
- Exclusion Criteria
- Experience Sampling Method
- Nonprobability Sampling
- Population
- Probability Sampling
- Proportional Sampling
- Quota Sampling
- Random Sampling
- Random Selection
- Sample
- Sample Size
- Sample Size Planning
- Sampling
- Sampling and Retention of Underrepresented Groups
- Sampling Error
- Stratified Sampling
- Systematic Sampling
- Scaling
- Software Applications
- Statistical Assumptions
- Statistical Concepts
- Autocorrelation
- Biased Estimator
- Cohen's Kappa
- Collinearity
- Correlation
- Criterion Problem
- Critical Difference
- Data Mining
- Data Snooping
- Degrees of Freedom
- Directional Hypothesis
- Disturbance Terms
- Error Rates
- Expected Value
- Fixed-Effects Models
- Inclusion Criteria
- Influence Statistics
- Influential Data Points
- Intraclass Correlation
- Latent Variable
- Likelihood Ratio Statistic
- Loglinear Models
- Main Effects
- Markov Chains
- Method Variance
- Mixed- and Random-Effects Models
- Models
- Multilevel Modeling
- Odds
- Omega Squared
- Orthogonal Comparisons
- Outlier
- Overfitting
- Pooled Variance
- Precision
- Quality Effects Model
- Random-Effects Models
- Regression Artifacts
- Regression Discontinuity
- Residuals
- Restriction of Range
- Robust
- Root Mean Square Error
- Rosenthal Effect
- Serial Correlation
- Shrinkage
- Simple Main Effects
- Simpson's Paradox
- Sums of Squares
- Statistical Procedures
- Accuracy in Parameter Estimation
- Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA)
- Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
- Barycentric Discriminant Analysis
- Bivariate Regression
- Bonferroni Procedure
- Bootstrapping
- Canonical Correlation Analysis
- Categorical Data Analysis
- Confirmatory Factor Analysis
- Contrast Analysis
- Descriptive Discriminant Analysis
- Discriminant Analysis
- Dummy Coding
- Effect Coding
- Estimation
- Exploratory Factor Analysis
- Greenhouse-Geisser Correction
- Hierarchical Linear Modeling
- Holm's Sequential Bonferroni Procedure
- Jackknife
- Latent Growth Modeling
- Least Squares, Methods of
- Logistic Regression
- Mean Comparisons
- Missing Data, Imputation of
- Multiple Regression
- Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA)
- Pairwise Comparisons
- Path Analysis
- Post Hoc Analysis
- Post Hoc Comparisons
- Principal Components Analysis
- Propensity Score Analysis
- Sequential Analysis
- Stepwise Regression
- Structural Equation Modeling
- Survival Analysis
- Trend Analysis
- Yates's Correction
- Statistical Tests
- Bartlett's Test
- Behrens-Fisher t′ Statistic
- Chi-Square Test
- Duncan's Multiple Range Test
- Dunnett's Test
- F Test
- Fisher's Least Significant Difference Test
- Friedman Test
- Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) Test
- Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test
- Kruskal-Wallis Test
- Mann-Whitney U Test
- Mauchly Test
- McNemar's Test
- Multiple Comparison Tests
- Newman-Keuls Test and Tukey Test
- Omnibus Tests
- Scheffé Test
- Sign Test
- t Test, Independent Samples
- t Test, One Sample
- t Test, Paired Samples
- Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference (HSD)
- Welch's t Test
- Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test
- z Test
- Theories, Laws, and Principles
- Bayes's Theorem
- Central Limit Theorem
- Classical Test Theory
- Correspondence Principle
- Critical Theory
- Falsifiability
- Game Theory
- Gauss-Markov Theorem
- Generalizability Theory
- Grounded Theory
- Item Response Theory
- Occam's Razor
- Paradigm
- Positivism
- Probability, Laws of
- Theory
- Theory of Attitude Measurement
- Weber-Fechner Law
- Types of Variables
- Validity of Scores
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