Homework Help: Psychology

Posted by Ashlynn on Thursday, October 11, 2007 at 2:53pm.

I am doing a psychology report where I have to determine if children of older parents are more adjusted and socially skilled. the problem is we are not supposed to actually do research we are supposed to make our findings up based our hypothesis. I made graphs to support my hypothesis. One graph explains the number of times older parents had to discipline their children compared to the number of times younger parents discipline their children.The other graph shows the childrens grades of children of younger and older parents. My question is are my findings descriptive or inferential? Are my findings statistically significant? How?
My answer is that my findings are not statistically significant because I did not actually do the research. Would this be correct? Can someone please help? This is such a confusing psychology report.

Psychology - MattsRiceBowl, Thursday, October 11, 2007 at 3:32pm
I don't think you even defined what you're researching. Disciplined? How? Spanking is discipline to some while it is out right retched to others.

When did grades become the determiner for adjustment and socially skilled?

I'm curious whether this was a last minute assignment the teacher put together and didn't think ahead? Or whether its point was the show how, without real terms to look into, nothing is well researched.

This is one of the few times I might say, "I would ask your teacher to be more clear." Usually, the students don't understand what the teacher is asking. This time, it sounds like the teacher doesn't even have a clue of what to ask.

Matt
Psychology - PsyDAG, Friday, October 12, 2007 at 12:49pm
You have to have statistical tests to be statistically significant. From your data in this post, there is no indication of statistical tests.

I agree with MattsRiceBowl that you need to define your terms. What criteria are you using for discipline, adjustment and being socially skilled? How young is young (Teens? Twenties?), and how old is old (40s? 65+?)?

Although not doing research means that you don't conduct your own experiments, you should have done library/online research to see what others have found in this area.

Even if your teacher is not clear on what he wants, you can determine your parameters (define your own terms) and start from there.

If you just state the data given in other articles or from your observations, this is descriptive (Fewer children of older parents have been incarcerated [put in jail].)

Trying to interpret or make a causal relationship (saying that one caused another) would be inferential. (Fewer are in jail because of different discipline methods of older parents.)

I hope this helps a little more. Thanks for asking.

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