Introduction/ Answering Questions/Surveys/Case Study

Introduction/ Answering Questions/Surveys/Case StudySection A, B, & C

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHA, is not diagnosed by any medical tests but on the behavioral problems

A child must have six or more symptoms of inattention (making careless mistakes in school work, not following instructions, and being easily distracted

A child must also show six symptoms of hyperactivity (fidgeting, leaving, classroom seat, running about when should not, and talking excessively

Since ADHD is not based on medical tests but rather on the occurrence of behavioral problems, how can children with ADHA be distinguished from those who are naturally outgoing and rambunctious

The American Academy of Pediatrics stated that children must be from ages 6 to 12 and be showing symptoms for six months

Ritalin is given to ADHD sufferers and is actually a stimulant that slows down the affects of ADHD

The four goals of Dusty’s case: Describe Dusty’s symptoms Explain their causes Predict their occurrence Control Dusty’s behavior

Must be careful of the Rhino dust or magic magnet effect in this study

Answering Questions

ADHD is surrounded in controversy– the name has changed three times to go along with that

The possible causes include genetic, hormonal, neurological, and dietary factors

The most popular treatment is giving the child a stimulant drug

The three major methods to study this problem are survey, case study, and experiment

Answering Questions

Survey

Survey is a way to obtain information by asking many individuals to answer a fixed set of questions about particular subjects

The disadvantage is that some information may contain errors or be bias

The advantage is that you obtain a lot of information from a large number of people

Answering Questions

Case Study

Researchers gather in-depth data about a particular individual with a case study

Case study is an in-depth analysis of the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, experiences, behaviors, or problems of a single individual

One disadvantage is that it only applies to one person and may not apply to other children

One advantage is that it allows a greater understanding of a particular person’s life

Answering Questions

Experiment

When researchers want to establish a cause-and-effect relationship they would use an experiment

Experiment is a method for identifying cause-and-effect relationships by following a set of rules and guidelines that minimize the possibility of error, bias, and chance occurrences

Disadvantage is that one result may not apply to all other situations

It is the greatest potential to find cause-and-effect relationship with less error and less bias

Surveys

Although surveys tell us what others believe or how they behave, survey questions can be written to bias the answers, people may not always answer truthfully

Do people wash their hands?—94% said they did on the telephone and a direct survey found that 68% actually did

Surveys provide a great deal of information but have problems with accuracy as well as wording of questions

Surveys

Disadvantages

How questions are asked Would you say that

industry contributes more or less to air pollution than traffic?

Would you say that traffic contributes more or less to air pollution than industry?

Same question different result– second question– traffic get more attention

Surveys

Disadvantages

Who asks the questions? Sex or race can affect

the outcome of a survey

When asked about sensitive or emotional issues, people take into account the race or sex of the interviewer

Surveys

Advantages

If guarded against error and bias surveys can be a useful research too to collect information on behaviors, beliefs, experiences, and attitudes

Surveys allow people to identify problems and evaluate treatment programs

Case Study

Researchers can answer questions by studying a single individual in great detail, which is a case study

Sometimes case studies can help answer questions but can also result in wrong or bias answers

Observations from case studies may be misinterpreted if the observer has preconceived notions of what to look for

Testimonial is a statement in support of a particular viewpoint based on detailed observations of a person’s own personal experience

To test testimonials researchers will ask teachers and parents to evaluate the behaviors and cognitive functions of children who were ADHD and given a placebo and Aspartame

Case Study

Error and Bias

Testimonials are based on our personal observation, which can be wrong

Personal beliefs can lead to credit an unrelated treatment or event as the reason for some change

Self-fulfilling prophecy having a strong belief or making a statement about a future behavior and then acting, usually unknowingly, to fulfill or carry out the behavior

Case Study

The main disadvantage to a testimonial is their high potential for error and bias

The advantage is providing detailed information that may point to potential answers or lead to future studies