COM 297 ISU Effects of Social Media on Students Academic Performance Research Proposal Assignment: The proposal assignment is to write an original research

COM 297 ISU Effects of Social Media on Students Academic Performance Research Proposal Assignment: The proposal assignment is to write an original research proposal about a topic in mass

communications that interests you. This assignment asks you to examine the relationships between ‘media consumption’ and ‘relevant outcomes’ (linkage of message to attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors), to review how communication theory has been used in previous scholarly studies, and then to design your own original research proposal. Your proposal must include an introduction, rationale, literature review, and method. The proposal must also include a title, a bibliography (a minimum of 10 references), and a draft of your questionnaire (a minimum of 40 questions). Use word processing program for spelling check and proofread it carefully for other typographical errors. This proposal may be no less than 7 pages and no more than 12 pages long (not including the cover page, references, and draft questionnaire), single-spaced with one-inch margins, formatting according to the publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th Edition: http://www.apastyle.org).

PROPOSAL GUIDELINE & EXAMPLE

INTRODUCTION: A brief, general statement about the focus of the study, including why it is important and how you propose to conduct it. Think of this as a summary or abstract of the entire proposal.

• What is the general area of your research problem? Introduce topic and why it is worth studying.

• What previous work has been done in this area that is directly related to your problem?

Introduce (briefly) prior research and/or theoretical framework.

• What is the specific problem that you investigate in your research?

RATIONALE: A more detailed elaboration of the theoretical background of your study. This section should explain and justify the need to do research on your topic, and fit it into some larger context. In other words,

you should explain both the specific aims of your original research and also discuss its larger, more general

significance.

• Why is an important or interesting area to study?

• What answer did you expect to get and why?

• What is the purpose of your study? State purpose of the research.

LITERATURE REVIEW (PREVIOUS RESEARCH): A critical discussion of previous research on your topic.

It is unlikely to include all major previous studies, but it should deal with a sufficient number to indicate that this

is an ongoing area of concern (minimum: 10 articles). Do not simply report the results of these studies. Describe what the authors did to reach their conclusions, and assess any methodological flaws, limitations, or threats to the validity of their findings and inferences. Use this section to build a foundation for your own study and to point out gaps in what we already know about the topic — gaps our own study will fill.

• Discussion of previous research on your topic (Just do not report their findings).

• Should include all major studies in your topic.

• Outline the theory guiding your research.

• Describe what the researchers did to reach their conclusion.

• Assess any methodological problems, limitations, and possible reliability and validity problems.

Sample Writing (Literature Review):

It has been agreed that television has become the source of the most broadly shared images and messages in history (Gerbner et al., 1986). Since television sets have become common household items, television has played a role as a powerful agent of people’s socialization (Morgan & Signorielli, 1990; Kang 1990). Although some critics say that television has lost its magic so that people regard it simply as furniture, it still offers fun, excitement, and imagination and remains fascinating to the mass audience.

Television has played a number of different roles. In some homes, it has been a substitute for the mother, a baby-sitter for the children that makes no demands on anyone, and is a constant playmate that is entertaining and non-threatening (England, 1984). Television can help children, as well as adults, relax and escape from the problems and tensions of daily existence. Television’s symbolic impacts on shaping or directing viewers’ perceptions and behaviors toward others and society have been widely researched and documented in the United States and other countries.

Over the past three decades, however, the television industry has been under continuing attack because of the heavy diet of violence and mayhem it feeds to enormous audiences, a diet feared to produce a variety of ill effects (Weaver & Wakshlag, 1986). For a number of years, Gerbner and his associates profiled the amount of violence on U. S. network television from the theoretical background of cultivation. Results from their studies (1969, 1970, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, and 1986) have indicated that there is an overwhelming amount of violence on television. According to their research, frequent exposure to great numbers of violent scenes leads viewers to a distorted and fearful view of society.

The findings by Gerbner and his associates have suggested that heavy television viewers are more likely to express exaggerated apprehensions about their chances of encountering violence (1973, 1978, 1979, and 1980) and to overestimate interpersonal mistrust (1980). Similar findings were reported by Dominick and Greenberg (1972), Gross and Morgan (1985), Pingree (1983), Robinson and Bachman (1972), Kang (1993) and among others. Specifically, heavy television viewers are more likely to express alienation and fear of crime (Gerbner & Gross, 1976; Gerbner et al., 1978; Gerbner et al., 1979). In addition, heavy viewers are more likely to describe their lives as less satisfying (Morgan 1986), and regard the elderly as weak and ineffectual (Gerbner et al., 1980).

METHOD: This section is likely to have several sub-sections, each explaining (in full detail) a specific aspect of what you propose to do. For example, how will you draw your sample? Explain the data collection procedure — phone interview, mail survey, personal interview, classroom data collection, etc. Be specific!

• Explain research method. The method(s) should help you answer your research questions/hypotheses.

• What data will you collect? Explain the data collection procedure.

• How will you draw your sample? Define population and justify sampling method and sample size.

• Explain independent and dependent variables.

• What scales will you use to measure your IVs and DVs?

Sample Writing (Method):

A self-administered questionnaire will be given to a random sample of 500 students attending a large university in June 2016. College students are chosen because they are likely ___________. The survey will be conducted in classes over a one-week period. Trained instructors will be present to answer any questions raised by respondents, although they did not reveal the specific purposes of the study.

The independent variable in this study is amount of television viewing, and is measured by the question, “On an average day, how much time do you spend watching television?” While the research question focuses primarily on television viewing, this study will examine several other media uses: magazine, internet, computer game, and SNS. Other media consumptions will be studied for insurance purposes. For example, internet use will be measured by the question, “On an average day, how much time do you spend using internet?”

The dependent measures are derived from a total of 30 items which deal mainly with respondents’ attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors toward _________. Response categories are five-point Likert scales from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree,” with “no opinion” as midpoint. Conceptually and empirically, these 30 items are reduced to three indices of ‘attitudes,’ ‘perceptions’ and ‘behaviors.’ The dimension tapped by the indices are as follows:

REFERENCES: Your references should include a minimum of 10 articles from ‘scholarly sources.’ Use the communication

research database (‘Communication Source’) to find relevant research articles from communication textbooks, journals, and conference papers (see Lecture Notes A, pp. 21-25). Follow the proper APA style (6th Edition: http://www.apastyle.org).

Sample References:

References

Anderson, C., & Dill, K. (2000).Video games and aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the laboratory and in life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 772– 790.

Ferguson, C (2007). The Good, The Bad and the Ugly: A Meta-analytic Review of Positive and Negative Effects of Violent Video Games. Psychiatric Quarterly , 78, 309-316.

Kang, J. G. (1993). The Case of Violence in Prime-Time Television Drama in the U.S., the Netherlands, and

Korea: Message System Analysis. World Communication Journal, 22: 30-36.

Strauss, S., Rupp, S., & Love, T. F. (Eds.). (2013). Cultures of energy: Power, practices, technologies. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press.

Rowling, L. (1993, September). Schools and grief: How does Australia compare to the United States. In Wandarna coowar: Hidden grief. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 8th National Conference of the National Association for Loss and Grief (Australia), Yeppoon, Queensland (pp. 196-201).

QUESTIONNAIRE: Using the guidelines discussed in your readings for writing valid survey questions and response

measurements (scales), prepare a minimum of 40 survey questions (5 demographics, 5 IVs, & 30 DVs) to test the relationships between ‘media use’ and ‘relevant outcomes’ (linkage of message to attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors). For more information, please go to ‘Lecture Notes B,’ pp. 26-51.

These questions are part of a study of people’s opinions about various topics. Most questions do not have right or wrong answers; if you are not sure, just take your best guess. Please do not write your name on this questionnaire; everything you say will be completely anonymous, so please answer as honestly as you can. Thank you very much for your help!

1. What is your gender? male female

2. How old are you? years old

3. How well would you say you do in school?

In general, my grades are: Well above average

Above average

Average

Below average

Well below average

4. How many close friends do you have? _______ friend(s)

5. Which do you think best describes you?

1 2 3 4 5___

Very Very

Conservative Conservative Moderate Liberal Liberal

6. What is your weight? _______lbs

7. What is your height? ___ ‘ ___’’

On an “average day,” how much time do you spend:

8. Watching television? hour(s) minute(s)

9. Reading magazine? hour(s) minute(s)

10. Using internet? hour(s) minute(s)

11. Playing computer games? hour(s) minute(s)

12. On social networking? hour(s) minute(s)

The next section of survey consists of 30 questions concerning your opinions about various topics.

Please circle the number corresponding to the term that describes how you feel about the following statement.

13. Fighting is a way to solve problems.

___1___ ___2__ _ _ 3_ _ __ _4__ __ 5____

Strongly Disagree No Agree Strongly

Disagree Opinion Agree

14. Many people are victims of violence.

___1___ ___2__ _ _ 3_ _ __ _4__ __ 5____

Strongly Disagree No Agree Strongly

Disagree Opinion Agree

15. It is dangerous to walk alone in the big city at night.

___1___ ___2__ _ _ 3_ _ __ _4__ __ 5____

Strongly Disagree No Agree Strongly

Disagree Opinion Agree

43. I get impatient if I have to wait long periods of time.

___1___ ___2__ _ _ 3_ _ __ _4__ __ 5____

Strongly Disagree No Agree Strongly

Disagree Opinion Agree