Quantitative Data Analysis: Univariate and Bivariate Approaches
Significance of this research: why do you think this research is important?
This research study is important for the accumulation of information needed in the policy decision-making and taking of the Australian government, wherein acquired data serve as imperative considerations in coming up with practical and reasonable laws, regulations, and recommendations. Theoretically, this study is intended for government authorities in providing body of knowledge that they may use in the performance of their own individual duties. It is also an attempt to contribute on the literature focusing on the said subject. The trends particularly in terms of economic, social and household circumstances will be identified through description and relationships of variable in the findings of this study.
Definition of the concepts “economic”, “social” and “household” circumstances; discuss the complexities involved in defining any or all of the concepts.
Economic circumstance – this refers to any conditions that involve economic or monetary interaction between the youth and the various aspects of the society. Examples – income, expenditure, bankruptcy and poverty/welfare
Social circumstance – this includes any social condition of the youth particularly in relating or interacting with other people and members of the community. Examples – education, employment and training, cultures and sub-cultures, media and technology, health and health issues, population, etc.
Household circumstance – this relates to familial conditions of the youth and their relationship to members of the family and other family issues. Examples – family types and arrangements, domestic violence, marriage, children and divorce, etc.
The complexities in defining the concepts lay on the fact that there is a given degree of relationship among each variable (circumstance). It could be assumed that a segment of each variable (circumstance) relates to the other. For example, there are economic circumstances that affect household circumstances and same as true with social circumstances or vice versa. Identifying the scope and limitations of the definitions provided is dependent on the operational use or terms of application in reference to the particular objectives or problems of the research study. All definitions must be based on the context of the study or the way they are used in the study. According to and (2003), it is important to define terms used by the researcher in the duration of the process of the study. Defining terms during the first use requires consistency in the way they are used. The researcher should define any terms which may be new to the readers or which are used in a novel way. Both authors added that the researcher should use authoritative definition if possible but it should be properly referenced.
In positivistic studies, it is very important to define terms that are used for the purposes of precision and rigor of the research study. in contrast to phenomenological study, defining the terms used is often more difficult because of the nature of the research is one of exploration and discovery. It could happen that concrete definition will emerge upon the completion of the research process. However, it is still important to have tentative definitions that will give the reader brief descriptions on what do these terms mean.
The development of definition in both paradigms should be based on the process of deconstruction of research question or hypothesis. According to (1994) and (2003), deconstruction is a useful means by which to analyze the research questions or hypotheses because the process enables the researcher to define every term used in considerable detail within the context of the research project. This will not just work on the clarification on the scope and coverage of the research study but also in the understanding of readers.
Specify 2 indicators or variables for “economic circumstance”, 2 variables for “social circumstance” and 2 variables for the “household circumstance”; the indicators/variables need to reflect the underlying concepts as closely as possible.
Indicators/Variables
Economic Circumstance – Youth Monthly Allowance and Monthly Spending Allocation
Social Circumstance – Educational Level/Attainment and Employment
Household Circumstance – Number of Sibling(s) and Marriage
Specify the variables for 2 individual characteristics of young people not included in (2) or (3) above;
Use of technology (computer, Internet and other technologies)
Health (conditions, needs, services, access, and other well-being issues)
List the attributes/values for all the 8 variables above;
Economic Circumstance
Youth Monthly Allowance
- amount
- source of allowance
- average monthly budget
- savings (earnings)
- additional source of allowance
Monthly Spending Allocation
- frequency of spending
- kinds/types of purchase made
- mode of transaction
- mode of payment per transaction
- average monthly spending
- savings
Social Circumstance
Educational Level/Attainment
- primary and secondary
- tertiary or university
- graduate or higher studies
- vocational courses
Employment
- employed or unemployed
- self-employment or casual or formal employment
- full- or part-time
- type of occupation
- employment industry
- labour participation
- traineeship or apprenticeship
- volunteer
Household Circumstance
Number of Sibling(s)
- total number of sibling(s)
- degree of dependency or independency
- cost of living
- spending time together (family time) and family relationship status
- family type and living arrangement
- sibling conditions (competition)
- safety and violence
Marriage
- age of first marriage
- rate of marriage
- family structure
- family and child rearing
- pregnancy and parenthood
- divorce
- husband-wife relationship indicators
Other Variables
Use of technology (computer, Internet and other technologies)
- media and entertainment medium used
- technology consumptions
- technology expenditures
Health (conditions, needs, services, access, and other well-being issues)
- population
- health and safety
- drugs and substance/alcohol abuse
- mental health
- Sexuality and sexual issues (HIV/AIDS)
Detail the sampling methodology you adopt in selecting the respondents. How would you stratify Australia to select the primary sampling unit?
The respondents of this study are youth ages 15-20 who hails in Australia. As stated, the sampling procedure adopts a stratified multi-stage cluster 7 sampling approach to recruit the respondents of the nationally representative survey. Stratified sampling indicates identifiable strata or group of the given population, which on this case includes 15-20 years old Australian youth. This sampling method overcomes the problem of under and over representation in random sampling. In this case, both men and women ages 15-20 are valid samples. The problem lies on how they will end up as primary unit that will represent the whole Australian youth population. The given sample will be divided into three age groups/levels: 15-16 years old, 17-18 years old, and 19-20 years old. Granted that there are 850 total populations, the example below can clarify the issue:
Population: 850 (580 males and 270 females)
Sample size: 100
580 x 100 = 68 males and 270 x 100 = 32 females
850 850
Meanwhile, multistage sampling involving cluster is used where the groups selected in a cluster sample are so large that a sub-sample must be selected from each group. On this study, the stratification of Australia depends on the basic demographic profile of the respondents indicated like gender (male and female), age (15-20 years old) and age groups/levels (15-16 years old, 17-18 years old, and 19-20 years old). There is also a need to identify the key areas wherein the research is to be conducted. Recommended places include Australian leading colleges and universities and coordination with authorized organizations and institutions will also help the sampling method to stand credible.
Provide model tables for bivariate analysis to establish (a total of 4 tables):
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Economic circumstances is influenced by household characteristics (number of sibling(s) in the family) (you will have a total of 2 tables one each for the 2 dependent variables)
Independent variable – number of sibling(s) in the family
Dependent variable – influence of youth monthly allowance and monthly spending allocation
Number of Sibling(s) in the family
Youth Monthly Allowance
0 or only child
- amount
- source of allowance
- average monthly budget
- savings (earnings)
- additional source of allowance
1-3 siblings
4-6 siblings
7 – above siblings
Number of Sibling(s) in the family
Monthly Spending Allocation
0 or only child
- amount
- source of allowance
- average monthly budget
- savings (earnings)
- additional source of allowance
1-3 siblings
4-6 siblings
7 – above siblings
-
Economic circumstance (Kinds/Types of purchase made) is influenced by the gender of the respondent.
Independent variable – the influence of gender
Dependent variable – Kinds/Types of purchase made
Gender
Kinds/Types of purchase made
Male
Convenience goods (goods that are frequently and immediately purchased by the consumers with minimum effort e.g. food);
Shopping goods (items that consumers buy based on certain characteristics such as style, suitability, price and quality e.g. clothes); and
Specialty goods (items a certain group of buyers characteristically insist on buying and involves special purchasing effort e.g. branded gadgets).
Budget allocation
Degree of frequency
Female
Convenience goods (goods that are frequently and immediately purchased by the consumers with minimum effort e.g. food);
Shopping goods (items that consumers buy based on certain characteristics such as style, suitability, price and quality e.g. clothes); and
Specialty goods (items a certain group of buyers characteristically insist on buying and involves special purchasing effort e.g. branded gadgets).
Budget allocation
Degree of frequency
-
The influence of social circumstance (type of occupation) on economic circumstance (average monthly spending) varies by gender (control variable).
Independent variable – influence of type of occupation
Dependent variable – average monthly spending
Controlled variable – gender
Gender
Type of Occupation
Average monthly spending
Male
Fast food or restaurant crew, helper, dishwasher, staff, etc.
Hospitality industry staff
Full- or part-time
Regular days and hours
Salary or remuneration package
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?
?
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Female
Fast food or restaurant crew, helper, dishwasher, staff, etc.
Hospitality industry staff
Full- or part-time
Regular days and hours
Salary or remuneration package
?
?
?
?
?
Critical reflection on the validity and reliability of the expected findings. This can be done by thinking through the problematic issues covered in steps (2) to (5) above.
On the broadest sense validity addresses issues about the quality of the data and appropriateness of the methods used in carrying the research. Although reliability and validity issues apply mostly to research results and conclusions, one must consider those issues at the time of the design of the research, (i.e. at the earliest stages of the research process), because if the researcher consider them only at the end, it will be too late to gather data on a research question that is of any relevance and quality at all. Validity is the extent to which the research findings accurately represent what is really happening in the situation while reliability refers to the condition of being able to obtain the same results if the research were to be repeated by any researcher ( 2003). On this case, it could be presumed that the validity and reliability of the whole research process as well as its results is credible. However, it is acknowledge that the varying conditions on the stages of life that affects the previously identified variables will somewhat affect the obtained result in one way or the other, significant and insignificantly.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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