Part 1

Jane, a military psychologist, wants to examine two types of treatments for depression in a group of military personnel who have suffered the loss of their legs. She has only 20 men to work with.

• What would be the best research design for the study and why?
• What are some issues that Jane needs to consider before starting the study?
• What is a longitudinal study? What are the benefits and challenges associated with a longitudinal study?
• Using the South University Online Library find two peer-reviewed articles (one that has used a between study design and one that has used a within study design) Summarize both of these articles. Make sure you discuss the research design specifically.
• Explain what practice and carryover effects are in the context of the within subjects design study that you found. What steps did the researchers take to reduce these effects?

Part 2

Hector is a graduate student hoping to conduct research with statistically significant results. He is using a survey to investigate the ways in which medical students manage stress. He thinks they consume coffee, eat, and watch television. He wants to control for demand characteristics, and does not want his bias to influence his results. Answer the following questions regarding the approach he should take:

• Is it ethical for Hector to use deceit in order to control for demand characteristics? Why or why not? Does it matter whether or not the documentation that his University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved addressed the use of deceit? Why or why not?
• What are three strategies Hector can use to identify and eliminate biases in his survey?
• Do you think Hector’s body language or clothing can convey biases? Why or why not?
• Hector is planning to recruit subjects and administer his survey in the Student Center (where students gather to converse, eat, and study) at his University. Is this a good way to control for demand characteristics? Why or why not?
• The participants in Hector’s research are of different genders, ages, races, ethnicities, and religions. However all of them are current medical students. Is it appropriate for him to make a generalization based on the results of his research? Explain your reasoning.