Tok Essay (IB theory of knoledge)
...iable. Only by this highly controlled procedure can the researcher be sure that the observed changes in the dependent variable were in fact caused by his manipulations. The conclusions you reach are very precise. The downside is that you can only achieve these controlled conditions in the lab, these conditions are artificial and may not reflect what really happens in the less controlled and far more complex reality. Correlation is a nonexperimental, descriptive method. This is because variables are not directly manipulated like they are in the experimental method. A correlational study is one designed to determine the degree and direction of relationship between two or more variables or measures of behavior. For example suppose that a competitors North Island champs Slopestyle score and Boarder X placing correlate at 2nd place. Knowing this, NZSBA officials can predict a competitors New Zealand ranking, with a fair degree of accuracy. This method uses reason to determine the conclusion; the scope of the research is fairly wide because you have to consider a lot of things. The conclusions you can reach are fairly estimated and not as accurate as an experimental method. The naturalistic observation is a type of study used in the field or in real-life settings. In the naturalistic observation method the researcher very carefully observes and records behavior, sometimes over a prolonged period, in its natural setting. In the social sciences this involves observing humans or animals as they go about their activities in real life settings. In the natural sciences this may involve observing an animal or groups of animals or some physical phenomena, like the eruption of a volcano. The strength of this method is that it allows researchers to observe behavior in the setting in which it normally occurs rather than the artificial and limited setting of the laboratory like the experimental approach. This method uses perception to make conclusions from the research. The advantage is you can reach conclusions about what happens in real life. The scope of the research is extremely wide; the researcher uses all their senses to gather information about the subject. The conclusions you reach can be affected by disrupting the behavior of the subject, the conclusion can also take a long time to reach. The survey is another type of non experimental descriptive study that does not involve direct observation by a researcher. Data is collected via interviews or questionnaires. Surveys are particularly useful when researchers are interested in collecting data on aspects of behavior that are difficult to observe directly for exampl...