2. Dis lectures: Choosing a Topic

Choosing a Topic

• Instructor: Dr. Valerie Todd

• Contact: vat8@aber.ac.uk

Overview

• Key Points:

  • Choosing a topic

  • Identifying barriers

  • Example topics

  • Methodological considerations

  • Next steps

Choosing a Topic

• Considerations:

  • Project must hold your attention.

  • Must be attainable within the timescale.

  • Needs to be suitable for ethical approval.

  • Realistic access to participants is essential.

Barriers

• Challenges in Research:

  • Working within the NHS.

  • Conducting research in prisons.

  • Recruiting participants with existing mental health issues.

  • Finding participants in recovery (e.g., from gambling addiction).

  • Addressing sensitive subjects (e.g., suicide).

  • Working with vulnerable groups (e.g., children).

Example Topics

1. Updated Versions of Classic Studies

• Doll Test (Clarke, 1940s):

  • Examined impact of racism on self-esteem in Black children aged 3-7 in America.

  • Adapted to Muslim children in the UK.

• The Bouba/Kiki Effect (Kohler, 1929):

  • Study related shape to sound.

  • Applied to food texture and sound.

2. Adaptations of More Recent Topics

• Examining mass media's influence on attitudes toward asylum seekers in the UK (e.g., media portrayal of young boy washed ashore).

• Effects of media on perceptions of minority groups.

• The impact of Instagram on self-esteem in adolescent girls and middle-aged men.

3. Current Expertise

• Qualified Dietician:

  • Impact of dietary regimes on disordered eating behaviors (e.g., Slimming World Syns).

• Working with adolescents with High Functioning Autism (HFA) in specialized colleges regarding interpersonal relationships.

• Long-term experience in wild water swimming and its impact on wellbeing.

4. Personal Experience

• Experiment assessing how epilepsy affects short-term memory.

• Parental perspectives on raising a child with autism.

• The influence of sexual experiences on self-esteem in obese women.

• Experiences surrounding diabetes diagnosis.

Methodological Considerations

• After selecting a broad topic, decide on the methodology to address research questions.

• Methodology should align with the desired outcomes, not personal comfort levels.

• Correct methodology is essential for effectively answering research questions.

Importance of Methodology Design

• Study design influences:

  • Participant recruitment strategies.

  • Timeline for study setup, execution, and data analysis.

  • The rigor and quality of the project.

• Early considerations related to methodology affect supervisor allocations.

  • Changing supervisors only possible in extreme cases; post-allocation methodology changes may lead to a mismatch in supervisor expertise.

Quantitative or Qualitative?

• Questions to Consider:

  • Do you have a testable hypothesis?

  • Are you interested in cause-and-effect relationships?

  • Do you want to investigate trends, patterns, or correlations?

  • Is generalizability of information important to you?

  • Do you prefer exploring and understanding phenomena in-depth?

  • Are you more focused on individual experiences and interpretations?

Lab Studies Considerations

• Supervision Requirements:

  • Specific staff are necessary for supervising lab studies (e.g., EEG, Bio-pac, Eye-tracker).

  • Limited capacity for supervising such studies.

  • Consult relevant staff early if considering laboratory work.

  • Compulsory training prior to summer and early ethics applications are necessary.

Support for Using Equipment

• Responsibilities upon Using Equipment:

  • Responsibility to organize needed materials and programs lies with the researcher.

  • Attend compulsory training if laboratory equipment is involved.

  • Supervisor serves as the primary support resource.

Methodological Approaches: Attention

• Examples:

  • Alex T: Physiological responses using attention tasks; Experimental design (bio-pac, E-Prime).

  • Nigel: Influence of auditory presentation on attention; Experimental design (E-Prime).

  • Victoria: Role of visual advertising stimuli; Experimental design (eye-tracker).

  • Antonia: Attention creation in conversation; Naturally occurring data analysis (focus groups, IPA).

Methodological Approaches: Bilingualism

• Examples:

  • Hanna: Role of language acquisition; Quasi-experimental design (E-prime).

  • Victoria: Influence of language structure on cognitive ability; Experimental design (bio-pac, eye-tracker with E-Prime).

  • Rachel: Experience of healthcare provision in first or second languages; Individual interviews (thematic analysis/IPA).

  • Saffron: Language status's impact on employability; Questionnaire design.

  • Val: Health barriers in non-native English speakers; Population survey.

Methodological Approaches: Wellbeing

• Examples:

  • Martine: Wellbeing discussions in committed relationships; Individual interviews (discourse analysis).

  • Gil: Humor's role in wellbeing; Experimental design (questionnaire-based).

  • Alison: Gender's role in social wellbeing construction; Focus groups (thematic analysis).

  • Trefor: Efficacy of complementary therapies on wellbeing; Focus groups (thematic analysis).

  • Val: Social support's impact on refugee women’s wellbeing; Mixed-methods intervention study.

Methodological Approaches: Performance

• Examples:

  • Heather: Academic performance understanding among underachieving students; Focus groups (adolescents).

  • Val: Self-efficacy's influence on academic success; Longitudinal survey (HE students).

  • Simon: Intervention strategies on sport performance; Intervention design (questionnaires).

  • Catherine: Developmental tasks' predictability for wellbeing in children; Experimental design (questionnaires).

  • Gareth H: Influence of images on male athletic perceptions; Experimental design (eye-tracker and questionnaires).

Next Steps

• Determine your topic area and appropriate broad methodological approaches.

• Organize meetings with relevant staff for project development discussions.

• Adapt your approaches and designs based on staff feedback.

• Consider your preferences for quantitative vs. qualitative methodologies; changes after supervisor allocation are typically not possible.

Any Questions?

• Open invitation for inquiries regarding the process.