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Portfolio Task

Student Number

Exploring Research in Psychology

Submission Date:

Word Count:
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Portfolio Task

Task 1-Quantitative Methodology and Design

According to Apuke (2017), quantitative research methodology involves quantifying and

analysing variables in a quest to obtain results. This methodology utilises and analyses numerical data via
particular statistical techniques in responding to questions such as how, who, where, and when. It is
suggested that quantitative research provides explanations about an issue or phenomenon by collecting
numerical data and analysing it with the help of statistical methods. Sukamolson (2007) highlights four
major groupings of quantitative research, including experimental, survey, causal-comparative, and
correlational research. In experimental research such as randomised controlled trials (RCTs), researchers
scrutinise the treatment of an intervention into the study group and then measures the treatment’s
outcomes. Placing task 1 into context, a quantitative study, specifically an RCT will be utilised to examine
if meditation can reduce exam stress among university students. To begin with, the proposed study
hypothesises that the introduction of mobile apps’ meditation in universities stand a good chance to
make students feel less stressed about exams. Second, the study’s independent variable (IV) will be a
mobile app meditation intervention with two levels, namely an experimental group and a control group.

Notably, the experimental group will comprise students participating in the mobile app
meditation intervention, integrated in their daily routine for three weeks while the control will
encompass students who will not be engaged in the meditation intervention. The IV will be manipulated
by assigning the participants to either the experimental or control group, in which those randomized in
the experimental group will participate in a 3-week meditation mobile app intervention for at least 10
minutes daily, while participants in the control group will not. Through this manipulation, the researcher
will be able to compare the impact of the meditation intervention on the outcomes of the experimental
and control groups (Bhide et al., 2018), thereby determining its significance toward reducing students’
exam stress. Equally, the dependent variable (DV) in the RCT will be stress, whose level within the
experimental group will be assessed at the onset of the intervention and daily, for the three weeks using
the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS).

For the control group, the participants’ stress levels will only be assessed at the beginning and
the end of the meditation intervention via the PSS. Roberti et al. (2006) point out that the PSS comprises
10 items utilised to assess perceived stress by measuring the level in which situations are considered
stressful. The 10 response items are rated on a 5-point scale ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (very often),
while its scores range from 0-40, with higher scores representing greater extents of perceived stress.
Third, the study is expected to have a sample size of 50 participants who will be students from Arden
University to enable the researcher to get a substantial change in perceived stress between the students
in both the experimental and control groups. The participants’ recruitment will be undertaken via social
media and flyers, whereby interested students will be required to complete an online survey. Their
eligibility for selection will include; being full-time undergraduate student attending Arden University,
above 18 years old, score over 15 points on the PSS, have a smartphone, ability to read and comprehend
English, and willing to be randomised.

Moreover, the RCT design was selected for this study due to the likelihood of confounding
emanating from systematic disparities between two or more groups being compared in observational
studies using a particular intervention. An RCT will be suitable in the proposed study owing the
possibility that any difference in the students’ levels of stress will be due to the meditation intervention
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whose impact will be distributed equally between the experimental and control group since their
allocation to the groups will be random (Bhide et al., 2018). Also, the overarching benefit of utilising
qualitative research in this study is because the methodology will aid in testing of hypothesis to ascertain
the effect of meditation intervention on university students’ exam stress (Apuke, 2017).

Task 2-Qualitative Methodology and Design

Creswell (2006) mentions that qualitative research methodology is an inquiry approach that
deals with the study of research problems by examining the meaning ascribed to a social or human
problem by individuals or groups. Generally, qualitative research tends to commence with certain
assumptions, worldviews, and perhaps a theoretical lens of the topic under investigation. Data is
collected in natural settings by researchers with a great sensitivity to the study’s participants, which is
then analysed inductively to establish themes or patterns. Reflecting on task 2, a qualitative study will be
utilised to investigate the experiences of university students in coping with exam stress. To start with, the
research question for the suggested study is; how do university students cope with stress emanating
from exams? Second, method of data collection to be used in the study will be in-person interviews
(100)

Third, the collected data will be analysed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (100)

You want to investigate university students’ experiences of coping with exam stress. Your task is to
design a qualitative study to investigate this topic. You will need to write a research question and choose
a data collection method (interviews, focus groups, observations) and analysis (Interpretative
Phenomenological Analysis, Thematic Analysis, Discourse Analysis). Please include the reasons why you
chose your data collection method and analysis method, as well as the benefits of using qualitative
research for this particular study.

Fourth, (why in-person interviews will be utilised to collect data) reasons (100)

Fifth, interpretative phenomenological analysis (reasons) (100)

In addition, using qualitative research in the proposed study will be beneficial in terms of (100)

Gray et al. (2007)

(650 words)
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Task 3-Ethics in Research

Intro’ (50 words)

Your task is to read the research scenario below and identify 3 ethical considerations present in the
scenario – these may be ethical issues or aspects of good ethical practice. Using the BPS code of ethics
outline each of your 3 identified ethical considerations in detail. If you have chosen ethical issues, explain
how the procedure could be improved. If you have chosen good ethical practice, explain why it is good
practice. You can choose to present ethical issues, areas of good ethical practice, or a combination of
both for your 3 considerations for this task.

Trochim, W. M. (2020). Ethics in research. Conjointly. Retrieved May 2, 2024,

from https://conjointly.com/kb/ethics-in-research/

Aspects of good ethical practice: (2)

Confidentiality- labelling of the students’ questionnaires with their IDs and locking them in the cabinet

Ethical issues: (1)

(700 words)

Task 4-Conducting Quantitative Analysis

You will find it beneficial to refer to your iLearn lessons and your Jamovi workbook for this task.
https://cloud.jamovi.org/

Below you will see a scenario of a study a researcher has conducted along with the collected data. You
task is to determine the appropriate statistical test to conduct on this data. You should then input this
data into Jamovi and conduct both the descriptive and inferential analysis. (200 words)

Task 5-Interpreting Quantitative Analysis

You will find it beneficial to refer to your iLearn lessons and your Jamovi workbook for this task.

Below you will find a different research scenario. The researcher has conducted their study and chosen
the appropriate statistical test to conduct on their data. You will see the output of their analysis
presented with the scenario. Your task is to interpret this output and prepare an APA formatted results
section based on these findings. Your results section should contain the descriptive statistics, parametric
assumption checks, and the appropriate inferential statistic. (300 words)

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Gray, P. S., Williamson, J. B., Karp, D. A., & Dalphin, J. R. (2007). The research imagination: An
introduction to qualitative and quantitative methods (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press.
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References

Apuke, O. D. (2017). Quantitative research methods: A synopsis approach. Arabian Journal of Business
and Management Review, 6 (11), 40-47. https://doi.org/10.12816/0040336

Sukamolson, S. (2007). Fundamentals of quantitative research. Language Institute Chulalongkorn

University, 1(3), 1-20.

Bhide, A., Shah, P. S., & Acharya, G. (2018). A simplified guide to randomized controlled trials. Acta
Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 97(4), 380-387. https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.13309

Roberti, J. W., Harrington, L. N., & Storch, E. A. (2006). Further psychometric support for the 10‐item
version of the perceived stress scale. Journal of College Counseling, 9(2), 135-147.
http://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1882.2006.tb00100.x

Creswell, J. W. (2006). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd
ed.). Sage Publications.

White, T.L. and McBurney, D.H., 2012. Research methods (2nd ed.). Cengage Learning.