Module 2 Mini-Research Activity
Complete the following activity.
· Find 2-4 participants. Ask each of them to help you by answering some questions in writing. Proceed only if each participant volunteers to answer.
· Explain that you are interested in people's understanding of how their bodies react when they experience emotions.
· Give each participant a sheet of paper divided into three equal parts. At the top of each part write "Angry," "Happy," and "Sad."
· Then provide the following instructions: "On this sheet of paper you will see three emotions. How does your body react when you feel each of these? Please list as many bodily reactions as possible for each emotion. For example, if the emotion was fear, one answer you might give would be "feel jittery" and another "fast heartbeat." Please give as many answers as possible for each emotion."
· Collect participants' answers and thank them.
Your Responsibilities as a Researcher
1. RIGHT OF INFORMED CONSENT. You should always explain to your participants what you will be asking them to do, and then ask if they are willing to do it.
2. RIGHT OF NON-PARTICIPATION OR WITHDRAWAL. Everyone has the right to refuse to participate in your work. If someone says "No," thank them and ask a different person. Also, if a person has started completing something for you and then has to hurry off to do something else, they have the right to do that. If someone does not want to answer one of your three questions, they have the right to do that.
3. RIGHT OF ANONYMITY/CONFIDENTIALITY. Your participants need to know that you will not be broadcasting their names. Several times you will be posting results on your discussion boards. These postings should always be anonymous. You can call your volunteers A, B and C (and so on), but you should never reveal their names.
4. RIGHT OF FEEDBACK. Volunteers may want to know more about what you are looking for in your research, and how their participation will help you. After they have completed the research, you should answer any questions they have. Some of your answers may be that you "Do not know".
Here is a research recruitment statement that will help you protect all four rights. Use this pattern when approaching volunteers.
"Hello ___! Would you be able to help me with some research for my emotion course? I would be asking you to ____________ (explain what they need to do). This will take about 5 minutes. I will be keeping your identity confidential, though I will be discussing the research with several other students. If you do not wish to participate that's fine, so please just say so. If you are asked to answer any questions that you do not want to answer, you can skip them. After you have answered my questions, I will be pleased to answer any questions that you have about my course and this research."
Key Questions
Your research activities will help you answer the following questions. Some of these questions may be helpful as you study for your final exam so make sure that you are able to answer them at the end of your mini-research activity.
1. What are the bodily responses most commonly associated with anger? With happiness? With sadness? (This question can be answered by providing three lists.)
2. Do people give similar answers when describing their bodily reactions?
3. For which emotion do bodily reactions most resemble the activation of the sympathetic nervous system?
4. According to some researchers, depression, an extreme form of sadness, is deactivating (it results in a LOWER activation of the sympathetic nervous system). Is there any evidence supporting this claim in your participants' answers?
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO DO THE ACTIVITY
Mini-Research Activities
You will be conducting some simple research activities as part of your course and are required to report on some of the results on the Discussion Forum.
For the Discussion Forum postings, you will be assigned to a group. Groups will be automatically generated, and you will find your group under the Groups tab. However, this is not group work. You are expected to complete your own work.
You will take part in two Discussion Forum conversations based on two Mini-Research Activities. Specific instructions for each Mini-Research Activity can be found within the module content. Both mini-research postings will count toward your final grade.
At the end of the process, you should be able to summarize both your own data and that posted by others. Your efforts in completing and discussing the Mini-Activities are related to the Learning Outcomes for the course. For example, after completing the Mini-Activity for Module 2, you should be able to “describe some of the things that happen to the body when the sympathetic nervous system is activated, and relate these to emotion.”
For each activity you must post
1. the results of your research along with some comments to provide context and an interpretation of your data based on the relevant readings and
2. your responses to other students' postings and engage in the discussion (i.e., make comments, ask questions, and, if applicable, answer others' inquiries posted in response to your posts).
You are responsible for posting and discussing the Mini-Activities associated with Modules 2 and 5.
There are two due dates for each module's postings:
1. the first is for posting your results and your initial comments, and
2. the second is for posting your responses to other students' postings and engaging in the discussion.
Post early so that everyone has sufficient time to respond to your posts. (You are welcome to continue the discussion after the due date, but marks will be assigned as soon as the due date passes.)
Note the following expectations:
1. You are expected to refer to your course material in your posts.
2. In-text citations and references must be in APA 7th edition format. In-text citations must include page numbers, if available.
3. Direct quotes are not allowed.
4. The initial posts should
a. be 200-250 (+/- 10%) words (excluding the data),
b. include raw data, some comments to provide context (any information relevant for understanding your data such as participants’ demographic information and their comments), and interpretation of your data based on the readings.
c. not include the answers to the “key questions.” (These answers should be based on the whole group’s data, and, therefore, they could only be provided in a response post.)
5. The response posts
a. must be 200-250 (+/-10%) words,
b. should refer to specific information mentioned in another student’s post,
c. add something new to the discussion, and
d. may include answers to the “key questions” based on the whole group’s data.
GRADING SYSTEM PLEASE FOLLOW THIS
1 point:
only raw data and some comments to provide context at least three context-related pieces of information should be included for a full mark (e.g., age, gender, and level of education)
2 points:
data posted with some comments to provide context and interpretation of data but no participation in the discussion
3 points:
data posted with comments that provide context and interpretation of data and only one response that refers to the course readings in the discussions
4 points:
data posted with comments that provide context and interpretation of data and course-informed participation in the discussion (e.g., at least 2 insightful responses with references to the course readings; any questions, regarding initial posts posted one day before the due date must be answered – these responses are not counted toward the total number of required posts)
5 points:
data posted with comments that provide context and interpretation of data and extraordinarily strong participation in the discussion (e.g., at least 3 insightful responses supported with references to the course readings; synthesizing of group data and/or discussion, any questions regarding initial posts are answered – these responses are not counted toward the total number of required posts)
