Module 6 Discussion: Applying descriptive research strategies.

A discussion is a back and forth dialogue between two or more persons. A discussion cannot take place if you make a comment minutes before the assignment is due. Please make your first comment early so others can respond.

In many psychology classes held since March 18^th there has been discussion of the suicide that took place in campus housing and the possibility of more campus violence that was averted.

For the module six discussion, you will talk about how you might apply descriptive research strategies to the real world problem of campus violence.

Descriptive research and correlational research is intended to describe relationships among variables. These research designs can’t show a cause and effect relationship between any two variables, and they are used to show that there is some type of relationship between variables.

These designs are often used when little is known about some behavior or psychological phenomenon. A common long term research strategy is to first demonstrate a relationship between two variables. The second step is to design experiments to show a cause and effect relationship. Descriptive research is done first so we can be sure that there is a relationship between variables, and only then investing time and effort and money into experimental designs, including research aimed at treating or preventing problem behaviors.

The designs discussed in chapters 12 and 13 include correlational designs, case studies, survey research, and observational designs.

Your task in this discussion is to consider and talk about how psychologists can use descriptive research strategies to better understand campus violence including its causes and effects.

What probably most immediately comes to mind is the thought of a case study of a school short or would be school shooter. For this assignment you should consider the problem more broadly.

For instance, you might look at variables related to school shooters, and you also might consider:

 the effects of these events on students staff and faculty

 variables related to the campuses and campus communities where shootings occur

 the responses of campus and community law enforcement to such events

campus safety

campus prevention efforts

And so on….

You must make at least four posts. Two must be your ideas and two responses to other’s posts.

A final note: there have been reports that some students have been having difficulty sleeping, or having panic attacks, or other signs of anxiety in the wake of the suicide and evacuation of the residence and campus shutdown.

Please know that if you are troubled by the events that occurred on campus and want to talk about it with someone, there are campus resources available to you.

On the main campus the resource is counseling and psychological services (CAPS).

Their web page is http://caps.sdes.ucf.edu/

Phone is 407-823-2811 and email is councntr@ucf.edu

If you are affiliated with a satellite you can contact the main campus office to find out about resources for your satellite campus – they contract with nearby colleges and other providers to make counseling services available to you.