CAPSTONE RESEARCH

BY RISSA MARGARET P. GACUSAN

s.y.2018-2019
CAPSTONE Experimental Research is
commonly used in sciences such
as sociology and psychology,
physics, chemistry, biology and
RESEARCH PROVIDES medicine .
It is a collection of research
designs which use manipulation
INSIGHT INTO CAUSE- and controlled testing to
understand causal processes.
Generally, one or more variables

AND-EFFECT BY are manipulated to determine

their effect on a dependent
variable. In the strict sense,
experimental research is what
DEMONSTRATING WHAT we call a true experiment.

OUTCOME OCCURS

WHEN A PARTICULAR

FACTOR IS

MANIPULATED.
 Experimental Research
Experimental Research is often used
where:
1. There is time priority in a causal
relationship (cause precedes effect)
2. There is consistency in a causal relationship
(a cause will always lead to the same effect)
3. The magnitude of the correlation is great.

Experiments are conducted to be able to predict phenomenons.

Typically, an experiment is constructed to be able to explain some kind

of causation. Experimental research is important to society

- it helps us to improve our everyday lives.

A.PROCESS for EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

REFLECT!
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1. Why is it important to follow a process for research?

2. What is the value of developing a valid research question?

3. What does having a S.M.A.R.T. research mean?

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THINK !
Complete the idea webs and develop your thoughts in creating your topic of interest.

Define experiment goals to measure virtually anything

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 LEARN!

B. What is a Research Question?

A research question guides and centers your research. It should be clear and focused, as well as synthesize
multiple sources to present your unique argument.

Examples:

1. For instance, the following question is too broad and does not define the segments of the analysis:

Why did the chicken cross the road?

(The question does not address which chicken or which road.)

2. Similarly, the following question could be answered by a hypothetical Internet search:

How many chickens crossed Broad Street in Durham, NC, on February 6, 2014?

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(Ostensibly, this question could be answered in one sentence and does not leave room for analysis. It

could, however, become data for a larger argument.)

3. A more precise question might be the following:

What are some of the environmental factors that occurred in Durham, NC between January and February

2014 that would cause chickens to cross Broad Street?

C. FORMULATING RESEARCH QUESTIONS FOR

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

1) Define or measure a specific fact or gather facts 3) Evaluate and compare two theories, models, or
about a specific phenomenon. hypotheses.

2) Match facts and theory. 4) Prove that a certain method is more effective than
other methods.

REFLECT!

a.Possible research question:

“Are females smarter than males?”

- This question delineates the variables to be measured: gender and intelligence.

- Yet, it is unclear how they will be evaluated: What method will be used to define and measure
intelligence?

b. Revised question:

“Do females age 18-35 score higher than adult males age 18-35 on the WAIS-III?” (The WAIS-III is a
standardized intelligence test.)

- This research question produces data that can be replicated.

- From there, the author can devise a question that takes a stand.

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- In essence, the research question that guides the sciences and social sciences should do the following
three things:
1) Post a problem.
2) Shape the problem into a testable hypothesis.
3) Report the results of the tested hypothesis.

DEFINE!
Look to the picture below:
a.FIRST, define all of the words in the smaller circles.
b.SECOND, explain in your own words how you plan on using the following words in building your
research questions.
1.Non biased-

a.
b.

2. Focused-

a.

b.

3. Perinent-

a.

b.

4.Intriguing-

a.

b.

5.Relevant-

a.

b.

6.Answerable-

a.

8 b.
 WRITE!
Write your research questions, be sure to follow the tips to writing a valid research question.

1._______________________________________________________?

2_______________________________________________________?

3._______________________________________________________?

4._______________________________________________________?

5._______________________________________________________?

D. FORMULATING A HYPOTHESIS

“If _____[I do this] _____, then _____[this]_____ will happen."

Following the scientific method, we come up with a question that we want to answer, we do some initial research, and
then before we set out to answer the question by performing an experiment and observing what happens, we first clearly
identify what we "think" will happen.

We make an "educated guess."

We write a hypothesis.

We set out to prove or disprove the hypothesis.

What you "think" will happen, of course, should be based on your preliminary research and your understanding of the
science and scientific principles involved in your proposed experiment or study. In other words, you don't simply
"guess." You're not taking a shot in the dark. You're not pulling your statement out of thin air. Instead, you make an
"educated guess" based on what you already know and what you have already learned from your research.

If you keep in mind the format of a well-constructed hypothesis, you should find that writing your hypothesis is not difficult
to do. You'll also find that in order to write a solid hypothesis, you need to understand what your variables are for your
project. It's all connected!

If I never water my plant, it will dry out and die.

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 Hypotheses Tips

• A hypothesis is a statement, not a question. Your hypothesis is not the

scientific question in your project. The hypothesis is an educated, testable
prediction about what will happen.
• Make it clear. A good hypothesis is written in clear and simple language.
• Keep the variables in mind. A good hypothesis defines the variables in
easy-to-measure terms, like who the participants are, what changes during the
testing, and what the effect of the changes will be.
• Make sure your hypothesis is "testable." To prove or disprove your
hypothesis, you need to be able to do an experiment and take measurements or
make observations to see how two things (your variables) are related. You
should also be able to repeat your experiment over and over again, if necessary.

To create a "testable" hypothesis make sure you have done all of these things:

o Thought about what experiments you will need to carry out to do the test.
o Identified the variables in the project.
o Included the independent and dependent variables in the hypothesis statement. (This helps ensure
that your statement is specific enough.
• Do your research. You may find many studies similar to yours have already been conducted. What you
learn from available research and data can help you shape your project and hypothesis.
• Don't bite off more than you can chew! Answering some scientific questions can involve more than one
experiment, each with its own hypothesis. Make sure your hypothesis is a specific statement relating
to a single experiment.

Putting it in Action
• To help demonstrate the above principles and techniques for developing and writing solid, specific, and testable
hypotheses,

Good Hypothesis Poor Hypothesis

When there is less oxygen in the Our universe is surrounded by

water, rainbow trout suffer more another, larger universe, with
lice. which we can have absolutely no
contact.
This hypothesis is good because it
is testable, simple, written as a This statement may or may not be
statement, and establishes the true, but it is not a scientific
participants (trout), variables hypothesis. By its very nature, it is
(oxygen in water, and numbers of not testable. There are no
lice), and predicts effect (as observations that a scientist can
oxygen levels go down, the make to tell whether or not the
numbers of lice go up) hypothesis is correct. This statement
is speculation, not a hypothesis.

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 PRACTICE!

Mark whether each of the following hypotheses are GOOD hypotheses (G =

good; B = bad):

1. ____ Cheeseburgers are better than hot dogs.

2. ____ Mountain Dew may make a plant grow taller than water, milk, or Powerade.
3. ____ When plants are given water, they grow larger.
4. ____ Students who eat breakfast may get better grades in school than those who do not eat
breakfast.
Make a GOOD purpose question and identify a good hypothesis:

Scenario: Jane takes bubble baths. She noticed that when she takes hot bubble baths, the bubbles
are bigger than when she takes colder baths. She is curious to see how the size of soap bubbles are
affected by the temperature of water.

What is the purpose question?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Which of these would be a good hypothesis?

a. Soap bubbles are clear

b. Warm water and cold water will differ by temperature
c. The warmer the water the higher the temperature
d. The warmer the water, the larger the soap bubble

Make a GOOD hypothesis for each of the following purpose questions using an if, then statement:

5. Purpose Question: Does chocolate cause pimples?

A GOOD Hypothesis:
___________________________________________________________________________________________

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 ___________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Purpose Question: Do plants grow larger when they receive more light?
A GOOD Hypothesis:
___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Purpose Question: Do Kusa and Gemini (Ms. Grom’s cats) like wet cat food better than they
like dry cat food?
A GOOD Hypothesis:
___________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

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E. IDENTIFYING VARIABLES
Variables are the factors in a experiment that change or potentially change. There are two types of variables
independent and dependent, these variables can also be viewed as the cause and effect of an experiment.

Independent Variables
A independent variable is the variable that the experimenter purposes changes or manipulates. The independent
variable is the cause, input, or what is being done during the experiment.
Dependent Variables
A dependent variable is the variable that changes in response to the changes in the independent variable. The
dependent variable is the effect, output, or what happens during the experiment

PRACTICE!
EXERCISE #3
Instructions: Read the question, hypothesis and experiment. Identify the variables for each
example.
Experiment #1
Question: Does penicillin prevent infection?
Hypothesis: If the medicine prevents infection, than the medicine will prevent the growth of bacteria that cause
infection.
Experiment: Leo placed two circles of paper in a Petri dish (something used for growing bacteria). One circle
of paper was soaked in penicillin. The other had nothing on it. He poured a liquid filled with bacteria into the
Petri dish. Both circles of paper were placed in the Petri dish about 3cm apart.
At the end of the experiment, a circle with a radius of 2cm formed around the circle of paper soaked in
penicillin. There were no bacteria growing in the 2cm circle. No change had occurred around the other circle of
paper. The bacteria were growing well.
A. What was the independent variable? ______________________________________________________
B. What was the dependent variable? ________________________________________________________
C. What was the control? _________________________________________________________________
D. Was there a constant variable? ___________________________________________________________

Experiment #2
Question: Do different types of music affect how well a person can do his/her homework?
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Hypothesis: Music that does not have a strong beat makes concentrating on a homework assignment easier.
Music with heavy beats makes concentration more difficult.
Experiment:
Sara Lilia pulled out four different CD’s to find out which type helped her to finish her homework the
fastest. The first CD was rock, the second reggaeton, the third classical, and the fourth was cumbia. She chose a
math assignment that required concentration.
Sara Lilia used a stopwatch with an alarm to make sure that she only listened to each CD for 5 minutes.
Each time the alarm went off, Sara Lilia recorded how many problems she was able to finish.
At the end of the experiment, she found that she was able to concentrate the most with the classical
music, then the rock, and the cumbia. She noticed that she did not concentrate much at all with the reggaeton
and felt like dancing and singing along instead of working.
A. What was the independent variable? ______________________________________________________
B. What was the dependent variable? ________________________________________________________
C. What was the control? _________________________________________________________________
D. Was there a constant variable? ___________________________________________________________

EXERCISE #2

Instructions: For the following experiments, identify and describe the (IV) independent variable, (DV)
dependent variable, (CG) control group, and (Con) the constant. 1) Different rose bushes are grown in a
greenhouse for two months. The number of flowers on each bush is counted at the end of an experiment.
IV_____________________________________________________________________
DV_____________________________________________________________________
Con____________________________________________________________________

2) You water three sunflower plants with salt water. Each plant receives a different concentration of salt
solutions. A fourth plant receives regular water. After a two-week period, the height is measured.
IV_____________________________________________________________________
DV_____________________________________________________________________
CG_________________________________________________________________

) Three wax palm trees are kept at different humidity levels inside of a greenhouse for 12 weeks. One tree is left

outside in normal conditions. Height of the tree is measured once a week.

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IV_____________________________________________________________________

DV_____________________________________________________________________

CG_____________________________________________________________________

Con____________________________________________________________________

4) One tank of goldfish is fed the normal amount of food once a day, a second tank is fed twice a day, and a

third tank four times a day during a six week study. The fish’s body fat is recorded daily.

IV_____________________________________________________________________

DV_____________________________________________________________________

CG_____________________________________________________________________

Con____________________________________________________________________

5) Strawberry plant clones are given different amounts of water for a 3-week period. First strawberry plant

receives 400 millilitres (ml) a day. The second strawberry plant receives 200ml a day. The third strawberry

plant receives 100ml a day. The fourth strawberry plant does not receive any extra water; this plant only

receives natural ways of receiving water. The height of the strawberry plants is recorded daily.

IV_____________________________________________________________________

DV_____________________________________________________________________

CG_____________________________________________________________________

Con____________________________________________________________________

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D. DESIGNING AN EXPERIMENT TO TEST HYPOTHESIS

When constructing an experiment, it is best to use the BUILD-

MEASURE- LEARN APPROACH

We build what is necessary for the experiment, measure results, and

learn if this experiment proves our hypothesis to be true or false.

The goal when designing an experiment is to:

• Prove (or disprove) our hypothesis

• Do so with a fixed timeframe (e.g. one week)
• Do the least amount of work to achieve the proof (or refutation) we require
• State what actions you will do (e.g. send a new email to 100 newly signed-up users)
• State the expected result for success (e.g. retention will go up 5

PUT INTO ACTION!

Write down what you plan on building, measuring from your research and lastly,
what your assumed learnings are.

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E. VALIDITY IN EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

There are two types of validity: internal validity and

external validity.

Internal validity refers to the validity of the findings within the research study. It is primarily
concerned with controlling the extraneous variables and outside influences that may impact the outcome. This is
especially important in experimental studies to ensure that the experimental treatment (X) is, in fact, responsible
for a change in the dependent variable (Y). This is critical if the study is going to be able to determine a causal
relationship. Therefore, the researcher must plan to control or eliminate the influence of other variables in order
to be confident when making conclusions about the relationship between X and Y. For example, if a researcher
wanted to determine if there was a causal relationship between increasing physical activity and lowering
cholesterol levels, he or she would need to consider other factors that impact cholesterol levels and attempt to
eliminate those influences in the test group.

External validity refers to the extent to which the results of study can be generalized or applied to other
members of the larger population being studied. For this reason, the random selection of participants and
random assignment of the study participants into groups is critical so that the members of the study are truly
representative of the larger population. External validity is concerned with real life applications that have
relevance beyond the confines of the experiment. Random selection is really the key ensuring that results are
generalizable. In the physical activity/cholesterol example, the researcher would want to be sure that race,
gender, age, BMI, and other factors that may differ among test subjects did not influence the results. Again,
random selection of participants should control for these influences.

WRITE!

Complete the diagram.

Threats to Internal Validity

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 THREATS TO
INTERNAL
VALIDITY

Threats to External Validity

THREATS TO
EXTERNAL
VALIDITY

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F. PILOT TESTING & SAMPLING PROCEDURE
A pilot study, pilot project, pilot test, or pilot experiment is a small scale preliminary study conducted in
order to evaluate feasibility, time, cost, adverse events, and improve upon the study design prior to performance
of a full-scale research project.

The purpose is to make sure that everyone in your sample not only understands the questions, but understands
them in the same way..
When to pilot test? Once you have a version your project is happy with, but before training your data
collectors about how to administer it.
Who to test it on? People that represent the various subgroups within your intended sample.

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGNS WITH SAMPLING PROCEDURES

Completely randomized design: - Study design in which participants are randomly assigned to treatment
Matched-pair designs: - Study design where either where two matched individuals are randomized to opposite
treatments or an individual is selected to receive each of two treatments - Randomization still used to assign
order of treatments, blinding should be used
Block design: - Experimental units are divided into homogenous groups (blocks) and treatment is randomly
assigned to one or more units in each block - Blocks should be related to the outcome - Randomization to
control or active treatment occurs within each block
Repeated-measures design – a design in which participants are measured repeatedly under differing condition

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Simple Random Sample

– A sample of n subjects selected in such a way that

every possible sample of the same size has the same

chance of being chosen.

– Ex: A random number generator is used to select the

sample from the study population.

Stratified Sampling

– The population is divided into homogeneous groups

(strata), and then a sample is randomly drawn from each

strata. This method can reduce between sample

variation

– Ex: The study population is divided into 3 groups based

on age and then a random sample from each group.

Systematic Sampling

– The 1st element is randomly selected and then every

nth element of the population is selected

– Ex: The 14th individual in the study population is

randomly chosen and then every 10th individual after

that was chosen to be included in the study.

Cluster Sampling

– Also known as Block sampling

– The population is first divided into subgroups, and then

randomly selects members from some of the clusters.

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–Ex: The study population is divided into 5 clusters based

on the hospital in which they received treatment. Two of

the clusters are randomly chosen to be included in the

sample.

PUT INTO PRACTICE!

In each of the following examples, identify the sampling method being used.

_______________________1. A sample of 2,000 was sought to estimate the average achievement in

science of fifth graders in a city’s public schools. The average fifth grade enrollment in the city’s elementary
schools is 100 students. Thus, 20 schools were randomly selected and within each of those schools all fifth
graders were tested.

_____________________2. A researcher has a population of 100 third grade children from a local school
district from which a sample of 25 children is to be selected. Each child’s name is put on a list, and each
child is assigned a number from 1 to 100. Then the numbers 1 to 100 are written on separate pieces of paper
and shuffled. Finally, the researcher picks 25 slips of paper and the numbers on the paper determine the 25
participants.
__________________3. A sociologist conducts an opinion survey in a major city. Part of the research
plan calls for describing and comparing the opinions of four different ethnic groups: African Americans,
Asian Americans, European Americans, and Native Americans. For a total sample of 300, the researcher
selects 75 participants from each of the four predetermined subgroups.
_____________________4. Instructors teaching research methods are interested in knowing what study
techniques their students are utilizing. Rather than assessing all students, the researchers randomly select 10
students from each of the sections to comprise their sample.
_______________________5. Instructors teaching research methods are interested in knowing what study
techniques their students are utilizing. Rather than assessing all students, the researchers randomly select 10
students from each of the sections to comprise their sample.

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