A counselor at a high school is interested in whether being a working student impacts academic performance. They hypothesize that students who work 15 or more hours per week will have a lower GPA than those who work 5 hours or less. The document outlines the steps in causal-comparative research, including selecting a topic, reviewing literature, developing a hypothesis, defining variables, selecting participants, collecting data, analyzing differences between groups, and interpreting results. It provides examples of how these steps would be applied to research on the effects of student employment.

1. CausalCausal
ComparativeComparative
ResearchResearch
Tony ColomaTony Coloma
MME 202MME 202

2. Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research
Counselor
at an urban
high school
Knows that the
students value
their money but
concerned if
being a working
student might
interfere with
their studies
Frequently
talks with
working
students
Knows the
students

3. …..is there a
difference in
grades between
working
students and
non working
students?
…. Students who work will have a lower grade point
average than the students who do not work
Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research

4. - interview
- rule out possible extraneous variable (EV)
-2 groups of juniors with good aptitude for
Employment status of over 100
students
Some works 5
hours a week or
less
Many works 15
hours a week or
more
Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research

5. Students who worked 15
hours or more during
their junior or senior year
had a grade point average
that were on average 0.5
below those who worked
5 hours or less
Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research

6. Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research

7. Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research
 SELECT A TOPIC
 REVIEW LITERATURE
TO IDENTIFY
IMPORTANT
VARIABLES
 DEVELOP A RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
 CLEARLY DEFINE THE
INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE
 SELECT
PARTICIPANTS USING
PROCEDURES TO
CONTROL
EXTRANEOUS
VARIABLES
 SELECT RELIABLE AND
VALID INSTRUMENTS
AND COLLECT DATA
 ANALYZE DATA TO
SEE IF THE GROUPS
DIFFER
 INTERPRET THE
RESULT
Like experimental research, causal-comparative involves
grouping to see if some I.V. has caused changes in D.V.
The types of research questions addressed in causal-
comparative research is difficult or impossible to
manipulate experimentally because they are experience
that have already occurred.
Do children with a history of abuse have lower
levels of academic achievement than the children
without the history of abuse?
Do students who are retained a grade have high
school graduation rates different from those who
are not?
Are woman who attend a same sex college more
likely to attain leadership positions after graduation
than those who attend coed colleges?
abuse
retention
type of college
academic
achievement
academic
achievement
graduation
rates
graduation
rates
leadershipleadership

8. Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research
 SELECT A TOPIC
 REVIEW LITERATURE
TO IDENTIFY
IMPORTANT
VARIABLES
 DEVELOP A RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
 CLEARLY DEFINE THE
INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE
 SELECT
PARTICIPANTS USING
PROCEDURES TO
CONTROL
EXTRANEOUS
VARIABLES
 SELECT RELIABLE AND
VALID INSTRUMENTS
AND COLLECT DATA
 ANALYZE DATA TO
SEE IF THE GROUPS
DIFFER
 INTERPRET THE
RESULT
The topic is likely based on past experiences
that are thought to a have a strong effect on
person’s later behavior
The topic is likely based on past experiences
that are thought to a have a strong effect on
person’s later behavior
A researcher is interested in students’ creativity
-What causes creativity?
- Why are few students highly creative while
most are not?

9. Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research
 SELECT A TOPIC
 REVIEW LITERATURE
TO IDENTIFY
IMPORTANT
VARIABLES
 DEVELOP A RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
 CLEARLY DEFINE THE
INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE
 SELECT
PARTICIPANTS USING
PROCEDURES TO
CONTROL
EXTRANEOUS
VARIABLES
 SELECT RELIABLE AND
VALID INSTRUMENTS
AND COLLECT DATA
 ANALYZE DATA TO
SEE IF THE GROUPS
DIFFER
 INTERPRET THE
RESULT
Why?
•To Identify what research has revealed
about the impact of the past experiences
on later behavior
•Identification of potential extraneous
variable
Why?
•To Identify what research has revealed
about the impact of the past experiences
on later behavior
•Identification of potential extraneous
variable
Leadership position of women who attended same sex
college vs coed
Possible EV could be:
- Single sex colleges tend to come from
families with higher levels of income and
education

10. Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research
 SELECT A TOPIC
 REVIEW LITERATURE
TO IDENTIFY
IMPORTANT
VARIABLES
 DEVELOP A RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
 CLEARLY DEFINE THE
INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE
 SELECT
PARTICIPANTS USING
PROCEDURES TO
CONTROL
EXTRANEOUS
VARIABLES
 SELECT RELIABLE AND
VALID INSTRUMENTS
AND COLLECT DATA
 ANALYZE DATA TO
SEE IF THE GROUPS
DIFFER
 INTERPRET THE
RESULT
• Useful information about the method
used to select samples in past studies or
measure DV
• Possible participants may also identified
• An IV can be identified also (prior
experience or group difference that
cannot or should not be manipulated)
and a DV that might be affected by the IV
• Useful information about the method
used to select samples in past studies or
measure DV
• Possible participants may also identified
• An IV can be identified also (prior
experience or group difference that
cannot or should not be manipulated)
and a DV that might be affected by the IV

11. Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research
 SELECT A TOPIC
 REVIEW LITERATURE
TO IDENTIFY
IMPORTANT
VARIABLES
 DEVELOP A RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
 CLEARLY DEFINE THE
INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE
 SELECT
PARTICIPANTS USING
PROCEDURES TO
CONTROL
EXTRANEOUS
VARIABLES
 SELECT RELIABLE AND
VALID INSTRUMENTS
AND COLLECT DATA
 ANALYZE DATA TO
SEE IF THE GROUPS
DIFFER
 INTERPRET THE
RESULT
It is hypothesized that
students who are
employed 15 hours or
more a week will have
lower achievement than
students who are
employed 5 hours or less a
week
IV is being employed or
not employed
DV is achievement
measured by high school
grade point average
DV is achievement
measured by high school
grade point average

12. Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research
 SELECT A TOPIC
 REVIEW LITERATURE
TO IDENTIFY
IMPORTANT
VARIABLES
 DEVELOP A RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
 CLEARLY DEFINE THE
INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE
 SELECT
PARTICIPANTS USING
PROCEDURES TO
CONTROL
EXTRANEOUS
VARIABLES
 SELECT RELIABLE AND
VALID INSTRUMENTS
AND COLLECT DATA
 ANALYZE DATA TO
SEE IF THE GROUPS
DIFFER
 INTERPRET THE
RESULT

13. Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research
 SELECT A TOPIC
 REVIEW LITERATURE
TO IDENTIFY
IMPORTANT
VARIABLES
 DEVELOP A RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
 CLEARLY DEFINE THE
INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE
 SELECT
PARTICIPANTS USING
PROCEDURES TO
CONTROL
EXTRANEOUS
VARIABLES
 SELECT RELIABLE AND
VALID INSTRUMENTS
AND COLLECT DATA
 ANALYZE DATA TO
SEE IF THE GROUPS
DIFFER
 INTERPRET THE
RESULT

14. Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research
 SELECT A TOPIC
 REVIEW LITERATURE
TO IDENTIFY
IMPORTANT
VARIABLES
 DEVELOP A RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
 CLEARLY DEFINE THE
INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE
 SELECT
PARTICIPANTS USING
PROCEDURES TO
CONTROL
EXTRANEOUS
VARIABLES
 SELECT RELIABLE AND
VALID INSTRUMENTS
AND COLLECT DATA
 ANALYZE DATA TO
SEE IF THE GROUPS
DIFFER
 INTERPRET THE
RESULT

15. Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research
 SELECT A TOPIC
 REVIEW LITERATURE
TO IDENTIFY
IMPORTANT
VARIABLES
 DEVELOP A RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
 CLEARLY DEFINE THE
INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE
 SELECT
PARTICIPANTS USING
PROCEDURES TO
CONTROL
EXTRANEOUS
VARIABLES
 SELECT RELIABLE AND
VALID INSTRUMENTS
AND COLLECT DATA
 ANALYZE DATA TO
SEE IF THE GROUPS
DIFFER
 INTERPRET THE
RESULT
……….the results of her
sample cannot be
generalized to the whole
population of students at
her school
No random
selection……….

16. Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research
 SELECT A TOPIC
 REVIEW LITERATURE
TO IDENTIFY
IMPORTANT
VARIABLES
 DEVELOP A RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
 CLEARLY DEFINE THE
INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE
 SELECT
PARTICIPANTS USING
PROCEDURES TO
CONTROL
EXTRANEOUS
VARIABLES
 SELECT RELIABLE AND
VALID INSTRUMENTS
AND COLLECT DATA
 ANALYZE DATA TO
SEE IF THE GROUPS
DIFFER
 INTERPRET THE
RESULT

17. Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research
 SELECT A TOPIC
 REVIEW LITERATURE
TO IDENTIFY
IMPORTANT
VARIABLES
 DEVELOP A RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
 CLEARLY DEFINE THE
INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE
 SELECT
PARTICIPANTS USING
PROCEDURES TO
CONTROL
EXTRANEOUS
VARIABLES
 SELECT RELIABLE AND
VALID INSTRUMENTS
AND COLLECT DATA
 ANALYZE DATA TO
SEE IF THE GROUPS
DIFFER
 INTERPRET THE
RESULT

18. Steps in Causal-
Comparative
Research
 SELECT A TOPIC
 REVIEW LITERATURE
TO IDENTIFY
IMPORTANT
VARIABLES
 DEVELOP A RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
 CLEARLY DEFINE THE
INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE
 SELECT
PARTICIPANTS USING
PROCEDURES TO
CONTROL
EXTRANEOUS
VARIABLES
 SELECT RELIABLE AND
VALID INSTRUMENTS
AND COLLECT DATA
 ANALYZE DATA TO
SEE IF THE GROUPS
DIFFER
 INTERPRET THE
RESULT

19. Research ideas come from

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