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The Great Parking Debate

A Research Methods Case Study

By Jennifer Feenstra

The Great Parking Debate


 

Abstract

Two friends debate whether people leave their parking spaces faster if others are waiting. They decide to see if they can design a study to test their ideas.  In this interrupted case study, students develop a research question and hypothesis and consider how to test a hypothesis. Students read about what researchers have done to answer the research question and identify and evaluate different research designs. Students are also asked to evaluate data. Developed for a use in an introductory psychology course to cover terms and concepts related to research methods, the case could be used in other introductory science classes, early in research methods courses, or in upper-level social science courses.

   

Date Posted

04/05/2011

Overview

Objectives

  • Critically evaluate terms and concepts related to research methodology.
  • Evaluate various research methods and understand the positives, negatives, and potential uses of those methods.
  • Evaluate data.

Keywords

Research methods; experiment; experimental design; hypothesis testing; observational research; naturalistic observation; survey; dependent variable; independent variable; random assignment; human behavior; parking

  

Subject Headings

Psychology
Science (General)
Sociology

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

High school, Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper division

  

FORMAT

PDF

   

TOPICAL AREAS

Scientific method

   

LANGUAGE

English

   

TYPE/METHODS

Discussion, Interrupted

 

 

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