Test Bank For Adult Development And Aging Biopsychosocial 5Th Ed By by Susan Krauss Whitbourne
Chapter 3 The Study of Adult Development and Aging: Research Methods
Lecture guidelines
This chapter is the third and final chapter that serves as a background for what is to follow in the rest of the course. Given that the topic is not one that is inherently of great interest to students, some imagination is required to keep students motivated. It is recommended that the instructor make ample use of charts and diagrams to provide explanations of the various research designs. Furthermore, examples of specific research studies can be inserted throughout the lecture on design to illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of particular methods.
Videos and films
As stated above, it is helpful to use some imagination in planning the research methods lecture because the material is not of strong inherent interest to students. Suggested videos would include recent studies from the national news media using cross-sectional or longitudinal designs. A segment from “56 Up (http://www.pbs.org/pov/56up/#.UbedgPm1GCl) can be used to illustrate longitudinal research. “Neil” is a particularly interesting case.
Discussion questions:
Can you define independent and dependent variables? Think of examples from research and label the variables as independent and dependent.
Can you think of examples of an experimental study? Are studies on aging experimental or quasi-experimental?
Why is it that cohort, time of measurement, and age cannot truly be separated from each other?
Can you give some examples of cohort and time of measurement effects?
Prior to showing the box with disadvantages and advantages ask students to state what these might be.
Can you provide examples of cases where sequential designs would be important in the study of aging?
How would you interpret the age gradients for intellectual ability from the SLS?
Which designs seem to make more sense to you and would you use in conducting your own research?
Why do researchers maintain that it is not possible to draw cause-and-effect conclusions from correlational research? Â
What types of variables and problems are best studied through correlational methods?
What are the advantages to using multivariate designs in research on adult development and aging?Â
Is it truly possible to infer causal relationships from multivariate models? (This is a rather advanced question.)
How might an older adult feel when tested in a laboratory situation?
For what type of research questions would qualitative methods be particularly well-suited?
In what areas would archival research be of particular value? Why?
What types of special considerations might be needed in conducting surveys on older adults?
What can researchers do to reduce the subjectivity involved in a case report?
How could a focus group help a researcher begin to identify issues that can then be addressed in subsequent empirical studies?
If you were a consultant in a nursing home, how might you use observational methods to answer questions about the factors that affect the adjustment of residents?
Why is it necessary to establish the appropriateness of measures for different age groups of adults?
Why is it necessary to protect the rights of research subjects?
Under what sorts of conditions would it be necessary to keep subjects unaware of the purpose of the study until it had been completed? What steps should be followed in such conditions to ensure that subjects are protected?
How did HIPAA change the way that health information is used in research?
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