Analysis of Self-Administered Survey: Relationship Between Social Media usage, Mental Health, and Gender

For the final assignment in this class you are asked to prepare an analysis of data from the self-administered survey you helped create. This exercise provides an opportunity for you to develop skills presenting and analyzing quantitative data. You will do this assignment using the software SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). You will also be provided with a copy of the data collected from the self-administered survey. Prepare for this by studying your textbook and going over the lecture notes. Re-read the survey questionnaire to familiarize your self with all the questions and think about the conceptual and operational definitions of variables.
Your statistical analysis will study the relationships among at least three variables using the survey data developed this semester by our class. It is important to note that no other data set will be accepted for use in Assignment 3 in this class. A mark of ZERO will be assigned automatically in the case that any other data set is used. We are looking for 1 independent variable, 1 dependent variable, and 1 potential control variable. At least one of these variables must be selected from outside the CORE group of questions that we ask each semester. This doesn't mean that you have to use a question developed by your own group but at least one question from any of the groups' questions developed this semester must be included in this assignment. After conducting your research prepare a written report that includes the following:
Introduction
Briefly describe the conceptual definitions and operational measures of the three variables you are studying. Indicate any hypotheses you may initially have about your variables and their relationships. Identify the independent, dependent, and potential control variable.
In this section you should begin with a discussion of the topic, the main concepts and the linkages between the concepts and the operational measures (questions).
Make sure that you:
clearly define the research topic (and hypothesis)
identify and define the conceptual definitions of the main variables (including at least one of each of the following types of variables: independent, dependent and potential control variables)
discuss how the variables are linked to the questions (the operational definitions used as measures)
Discuss whether the questions measure the full meaning of the conceptual definitions or only part of the meaning?
Univariate Statistics
Description and discussion of univariate statistics for each variable
Present the frequency distributions and, where appropriate, the measures of central tendency and one measure of variation for each variable. Present the statistics in a table and include a short verbal description of each.
In your discussion describe and analyse your data preparation and coding. Present the coding scheme for open-ended questions if applicable. Decide if and how you will group categories of attributes (by recoding) and present the recoded variables. Include a brief discussion of why you grouped them this way. (You may decide to group the variables after running cross-tabulations but present the univariate statistics for the recoded variables with grouped attributes in this section.)
Bivariate Statistics A
Presentation and discussion of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables using a bivariate table (Crosstab in SPSS).
Use SPSS to prepare a Crosstab (bivariate table). Prepare a Crosstab that includes Row Percentages and Observed and Expected Counts using your grouped categories (attributes) of your independent and dependent variable. Ensure that the presentation of the variables is consistent with your hypothesis. Briefly discuss your findings in words. Describe the patterns you found and discuss whether or not these patterns support, partially support, or do not support your hypothesis.
Bivariate Statistics B
Presentation and discussion of the relationship between a potential control variable and your dependent variable using a second bivariate table (Crosstab in SPSS). Continue to explore the data by introducing a third variable in another separate Crosstab. Replace the independent variable used in step 3 with a potential control variable that might potentially have a relationship with the dependent variable that you are exploring. Discuss your findings and the implications for your hypothesis. Here the third variable will be a different independent variable that might also have a relationship with your dependent variable.
Sampling
Provide a short critique of the sampling procedure used in this course and some suggestions for how this could be improved. The data obtained in this course were not obtained through a process of random selection. Discuss why this is an issue in relation to the concept of representativeness. For example, what population could your findings be applied to? Do you think your findings are representative of the population of all Canadians, or all undergraduate students in Canada? Or only second year Communication students at SFU?
Critiqe of the Survey
A discussion of your analytical process, what your findings tell you (or don’t tell you) about your hypothesis, and what you might do to improve the survey in the future. Think about the key issues of validity and reliability from the beginning of the course, how do these concepts play into your analysis of the data.
Future Research
This part of the assignment asks you to imagine how you would continue to pursue the line of inquiry that you have developed in this class. Develop a research question that refines the specific topic you would choose to study on the general topic of an examination of the value of social media usage. Use the knowledge that you have gained from this course so far (experiments and non-reactive research covered in chapters 7 and 9) to pick a different quantitative approach (other than a survey) that you would use to examine your research question. How would you go about gathering and analysing data using a different approach? If you have taken 202 or are just interested in general, you can also choose a Qualitative approach from Chapters 10, 11, or 12 (field research, qualtitative interviewing, or evaluation research). Just be aware that we have not covered that material in this course but you are welcome to work through the material on your own to present your choice.
References/Bibliography (optional for this assignment)
Note: If you refer to publications in your report list your sources using APA formatting (as you did in Assignment 1). For this assignment a bibliography is not required but in most reports of this type you would include references to other research to provide readers with information about your sources of inspiration and other works they could consult to further their knowledge of the topic.