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Education Bit of a thought

Discussion in 'General' started by loops, 10 Mar 2008.

  1. loops

    loops What's a Dremel?

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    Go back to uni in september(2nd year) and been putting some thought into what I could do for my dissertation. I'm a psychology student (just for clarity)
    I'm interested in doing something where I can compare two groups of people. Male and female would probably be the easiest to do considering time frame.
    I had a few ideas in first year one of which involved the difference between male and female ideas of 'cheating' as I could probably pull a fair few explanations of biological and evolutionary reasons for what I'd expect to be the outcome, plus when I was reading other people from my universities dissertations I was suprised that it hadnt yet been done.
    Wondered on peoples opinions as I have seen good arguments on here. Plus any other ideas as nessacary. putting my all into reading/ doing some research before I go back as Im determined not to shag it up this time.
    So any ideas/ opinions would be good
    Thanks
    Loops
     
  2. RinSewand

    RinSewand What's a Dremel?

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    Does it have to be something of which you're fairly sure there will be differences? Or are you not too fussed over that? If i remember correctly such things as spacial awareness and maths have been done before. A few off the top of my head would be to do with perception/style of arguements, memory, motivation, attitudes to family perhaps?

    I'm impressed at the level of preparation btw, I've got to hand in a project proposal (which is worth 20% of a 2nd yr module rather oddly) by the 11th of april, and I've yet to come up with an idea!

    RwD
     
  3. loops

    loops What's a Dremel?

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    I made a bit of a cock up of my first attempt, I started 2nd year and left due to some problems with a vindictive ex and regretted it since. Started a new degree in september doing teaching but immediately realised i was in the wrong bloody job and left, and managed to get back onto the course I was on before in second year ( through some luck and batering as it was either that or go and study abroad). Know from first time that they started asking for my proposal round about now, but we had a lot of work to do before that and I struggled so dont want to struggle again if I can help it. I want a decent idea to start with so I have a decent proposal etc.
    Biological psych explanations were my big thing in first year, I loved it, and with the cheating issue you can easily relate back that through evolution men have not been designed to be with just one woman.... women form emotional attatchments prior to sex, men form emotional attachments afterwards so on so forth. and since most people on this planet has been through it it seemed a good one for doing the questionaire round campus type issues. Im not bothered if there is no significant difference as it gives me something to disprove particular theories by- which is good in itself.

    What are you studying?
     
  4. DougEdey

    DougEdey I pwn all your storage

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    You've still got another year! You headin back to Tees?

    I've got a few mates who're on Psych related courses so I'll see what they reckon
     
  5. loops

    loops What's a Dremel?

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    Yeah going back to tees, was at durham.
    I know ive got plenty of time but things have been difficult the last year, ill/ upheavals all the time so want to be ahead a bit so if anything happens im not having a pan shite over my work!
     
  6. CardJoe

    CardJoe Freelance Journalist

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    All of this sounds much more impressive than my dissertation. I studied the language on cereal packets, which I also did at A-level.
     
  7. Smilodon

    Smilodon The Antagonist

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    Write something about driving habits and skill difference between sexes and age groups. Could be interesting.


    Ehm... wow... :duh:
     
  8. DougEdey

    DougEdey I pwn all your storage

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    If you need a chat, lob me a PM, I work in the Union so can give you a tour of the whole site quite easily with insider info :D
     
  9. loops

    loops What's a Dremel?

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    you work in the union? Class. I was there between 2005 and 2006.... I think, but like I said freak of an ex, wasnt allowed to go out etc, so I think ive only ventured into what now is the hub? once.

    What kind of research did you base your cereal packet dissertation on CardJoe? I got told Id taken on too much last time I put in a research proposal
    ( Observing the link between depression and chronic bowel diesease). so i imagine ill get told the same this time
     
  10. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    It hasn't been done because it is tricky to do. You'd have to design an elegant experiment in which males and females are being set a task on which they can secretly cheat in various different (but a limited number of) ways --without the researcher appearing to notice. The study subjects may of course turn out to be painfully honest, so you have to give them an incentive to cheat, e.g. set an attractive reward for a goal that can really only be achieved by cheating. You may also have to pit them against each other in a competetive setting. Add extra incentive by pitting males against females. Make it a fun task, and you'll find it easier to recruit participants.

    The different ways of cheating have to be decided by hypothesising how you expect males and females to cheat, respectively. The literature may have some ideas on that, but it may not, in which case you just have to try a different set of cheats and see what they go for. Check literature on con artists and cheats to see what different ways there are to cheat: break the rules, lie to others, manipulate odds into your favour, seduce/charm others etc.

    The different ways that can be cheated also have to be quite obvious to the test participants, so you are not just testing intelligence/resourcefulness in developing strategies. You may have to do an intelligence test, and a personality test (e.g. competitiveness, honesty) to factor out such variables.

    As long as you can discuss the results well, it doesn't really matter what you get. Sounds interesting though.
     
  11. DougEdey

    DougEdey I pwn all your storage

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    You mean the old club one? The hub is NOTHING like Club One, kinda miss the old place, so I got the old sign in my back yard.

    Don't worry about freakish ex's, a few of my mates have had them too, one of them just finished with his girlfriend as she reckoned that he wasn't allowed out without her but she was, so it's not just controlling boyfriends :)

    There's a roller-disco on the 23rdish I think.
     
  12. loops

    loops What's a Dremel?

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    Nexxo I actually meant cheating on a partner, and the differences in opinions on what this is. I came up with this after an argument in a lecture/ seminar once between a group of girls and boys about what constitutes cheating- which were both very different. However your overall general cheating thing could be an option
     
  13. loops

    loops What's a Dremel?

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    Yeah it was club one when I went in I think, ages ago, last June/ July. Yeah mega controlling boyfriend, same type of issue, he didnt drink so I couldnt, the night I once dared to I got rollocked to high hell so never did it again. Looking forward to being back for the people stakes.
     
  14. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    Lesson one: define your topic accurately. :)

    This is more difficult. You are now looking at qualitative research, which involves lots of interviews, transcribing of those, and analysis looking for common/recurrent themes.
     
  15. loops

    loops What's a Dremel?

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    I hate quantatative so transcribing interviews etc does not bother me too much. I just wanted to know if it was a stable enough idea
     
  16. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    If you think you hate quantitative, you'll have a new-found appreciation for it after you've done qualitative. It looks like a simple and fun way to do research, but it grinding hard work.
     
  17. loops

    loops What's a Dremel?

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    I did a lot of SPSS and no Quals during first year so you'd probably be right, and its possibly easier to summerise?
     
  18. D3s3rt_F0x

    D3s3rt_F0x What's a Dremel?

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    Dont listen to him loops he knows nothing :p

    Im doing a computing course and re-taking my final year due to personal reasons and was making an SNMP application although possibly thinking of doing something about the effects of social engineering on network security although I know nothing about psychology atm if I cant do the same project lol
     
  19. Slink

    Slink B7

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    Doug you gonna buy me a pint when i start in january you hunk of man
     
  20. badders

    badders Neuken in de Keuken

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    Wows.
    I am very glad I never did A-levels or Uni.
     
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