Research question proposal
Choosing an appropriate research question is perhaps the most important step in the Extended Essay process. That is why we must think carefully about the nature of the question and not just try to "get started." Below is a list of potential question styles and some questions for you to consider when choosing your question. Ultimately, you cannot finalize your question until you have done some research; however, answering the questions below in the "proposal" can help you think about your question's value and a potential way to approach it.
Although it seems that most Extended Essay questions start with "To what extent," it is possible to start with other words. However, there are some guidelines that you should keep in mind when forming your question.
First, always have only one variable that you are investigating. For example, to what extent does social media play a role in clinical depression? This question looks at the role of one variable - social media use - on one behavior. A poor question looks like this: To what extent does social media use and academic stress play a role in depression and anxiety?
Although several sites may say otherwise, you do not have to specify a target population for your question. These questions often end up earning low marks. For example, To what extent do violent video games lead to aggressive behavior in Czech adolescents? If you have a question like this, it would be expected that your research is all done on Czech adolescents. If a study is included that is not done with a Czech sample, or if the study is made up of Czech children or adults, the study is irrelevant to your research question. Do not specify a population unless you have found a significant amount of research on this specific population.
Also, do not write questions comparing two theories or therapies. To do this essay successfully, your research must directly compare the theories or therapies. Writing an essay that evaluates one theory (or therapy) and then the other will usually earn a C.
Finally, you should not try to apply a theory on your own to understand a modern issue. Take a question like Could fear arousal strategies be used to encourage pro-environmental behavior? If you can find examples of this in your research, it could be a great question. However, if you simply evaluate fear arousal campaigns - for example, to encourage people to stop smoking - you cannot then apply the findings of those studies to draw a conclusion about pro-environmental behavior. The research in your essay would be considered only marginally relevant, leading to low marks.
To what extent does x play a role in y? To what extent do genetic factors play a role in prosocial behavior?
Questions about significance: Does social media use play a significant role in the growth of teen anxiety in the EU?
Questions about validity: Is social media addiction a valid diagnosis?
Why questions: Why are women more likely to be diagnosed with BPD than men?
Evaluation of a program, strategy, or technique: Is Olweus's anti-bully program an effective strategy to reduce bullying in schools?
The question proposal
In developing your research question, there are several things to think about. The following questions will help you to increase the focus of your question. This will also help you to decide if a study you find in your school's database or Google Scholar is important for answering your question.
- What is your proposed research question?
- Write out a definition for each of the variables in your question.
- How might two different perspectives answer your question?
- How would you go about answering this question?
- What potential problems can you see with the investigation of your question?
A sample proposal
What is your proposed research question?
Is music therapy effective for the treatment of Alzheimer’s patients?
Write out a definition for each of the variables in your question.
There are different types of music therapy; after looking at a few studies, it appears that directed listening is a common approach for people with Alzheimer's. The therapist makes music or plays a recording, and the patient listens.
Alzheimer’s patients: For this essay, Alzheimer’s patients will be defined as people living with Alzheimer’s disease who have been put into hospital care (Stage 5 or later).
Effective treatment will be defined as a treatment that decreases agitation and/or increases cognitive functioning.
How might two different perspectives answer your question?
Two positions might be that music therapy improves symptoms for Alzheimer’s patients. The other position would be that it is not effective or is effective only in certain stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
How would psychologists go about answering this question?
The research will most likely be randomized controlled trials, ideally using blind techniques to avoid researcher bias. In addition, case studies may be used. The samples will most likely be from assisted living situations or hospitals, as they are easier to obtain. It is easier to document potential extraneous variables that may interfere with the effects of treatment.
What potential problems can you see with the investigation of your question?
It may be difficult to evaluate “effectiveness” as patients will have different symptoms of the disease. In addition, music therapy is not a highly standardized treatment. There will also be the problem of getting an adequate sample size, as patients will need to consent, which is problematic. In addition, the patients have to be healthy enough to participate in the treatment. Also, if the treatment is effective, we do not know if this is a short-term or long-term effect. Finally, as with all treatments, it won't be easy to know if there is a placebo effect – that is, simply taking part in the treatment may lead to improvement rather than the treatment itself.