Posted: April 24th, 2025

Seminar

Hi Class,

As you prepare your T7 assignment, you may be interested in seeing exemplars of completed Qualitative and Quantitative Prospectus documents. These are available to you at

https://dc.gcu.edu/dissertation/dissertation-templates/prospectus_template/prospectus_exemplars

For optional participation credit, share the insights that you gained from reviewing these exemplar prospectus documents.

Enjoy!

Dr. Pernsteiner

How college male students perceive Emotional Intelligence through Lovingkindness practice.

Example Prospectus PPT (Qualitative)

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Literature Review: Background to the Problem
When the problem started:
Emotional Intelligence was initially adopted in 1990 by John Mayer and Peter Salovey, since then other researchers has adopted their own version of emotional intelligence, such as Daniel Goleman (Petrovici, & Dobrescu, 2014). Goleman’s theory of Emotional Intelligence includes self-awareness, self-control, motivation, empathy, and social skills (Petrovici, & Dobrescu, 2014).
For several decades, meditation has shown to help people with various illnesses, such as anxiety, depression, stress, and chronic pain (Fredrickson, Cohn, Coffey, Pek, & Finkel, 2008).
How the problem has changed:
Most of the previous research regarding meditation focused on mindfulness meditation (Fredrickson, Cohn, Coffey, Pek, & Finkel, 2008).
Recent research within the Lovingkindness mindfulness techniques on emotional intelligence has focused on how meditation impacts cognition performance, empathy, memory, & self-regulation (Eisenbeck, Luciano, & Valdivia-Salas, 2018).
What the problem is now:
More recent research has focused on mostly females, within certain demographics, which does not lead to diverse populations of participants (Pérez-Fuentes, Linares, Jurado, Márquez, & Martínez, 2020).

10/9/2019

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The outline on this slide is used in the Prospectus to develop a 3 paragraph section on Background to the Problem. This same 3-paragraph version of the Background to the Problem is used in Chapter 1 in the Proposal. It is then expanded and used in Chapter 2 in the Proposal.
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Background to the Problem Space
The problem: Psychological well-being among college males.
What we know about the problem:
Meditation has shown to help people with various illnesses, such as anxiety, depression, stress, and chronic pain (Fredrickson et al., 2008), with more recent research showing a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and mindfulness (Rodriguez et al., 2018; Cejudo et al., 2019)
What still needs to be studied:
Cejudo et al. (2019) focused on women in their study, and recommended that future research should assess men with FB, since it was an all women study, and should include heterogeneous socially and culturally samples as well.
Rodriquez et al. (2018) recommended future research studying different age groups, other than adolescents (age 11-14).
Problem Space: While mindfulness meditation is known to decrease stress and increase well-being (Cejudo et al., 2019), alternative meditation approaches such as LovingKindness should be considered (Eisenbeck et al., 2018) with a specific focus on males and their experiences with mindfulness (Cejudo et al., 2019).

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NEED FIVE Empirical Articles!
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Literature Review: Theoretical Foundations
Emotional Intelligence Theory examines a person’s self awareness, social awareness, self management, and social skills (Goleman, 1998).
Social awareness typically includes empathy towards other people’s emotions (Goleman, 1998).
Each dimension has further subcategories as well (Petrovici & Dobrescu, 2014)
The components of EI will be used to frame the research questions for the proposed study.
10/9/2019

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Two ways to find models or theories for both quantitative and qualitative research are (1) find studies related to your topic and see what theoretical foundation theory, model, or concept they used. Then research it or find a quantitative instrument that is used to collect data on it. Or (2) look for validated quantitative instruments that measure variables you are studying from either a quantitative or qualitative approach; then do a Google or Google Scholar search that combines the name of the instrument and the term “validation study” or “validity”. This document will explain the model behind the instrument, trace it back historically to the creator of the initial model or theory. For the quantitative studies, use the instrument article to provide the reliability and validity statistics for the instrument.
For the Prospectus there should be one slide on each model or theory in outline format. Include a visual of the model or theory if it is available. Focus on describing the theory and not on discussing how it has been used in prior studies. In the Proposal this information is used to develop the research questions for chapter 1 and 3. It is expanded significantly in Chapter 2.

Literature Review: Review of Literature
Topic 1
Emotional Intelligence
Self Awareness-knowing your personal emotions (Petrovici, & Dobrescu, 2014).
Social Awareness- identification, awareness, and understanding of other people’s emotions (Petrovici, & Dobrescu, 2014).
Self management- being able to identify and manage your own emotions (Petrovici, & Dobrescu, 2014).
Social Skills- interpersonal relationships (Petrovici, & Dobrescu, 2014).

Topic 2
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation- a technique that can help address certain emotions that are happening at that current moment (Salcido-Cibrián, Ramos, Jiménez, & Blanca, 2019).
Lovingkindness- a technique used to promote caring for self and others, it incorporates warm and tender feelings to self and others (Fredrickson, Cohn, Coffey, Pek, & Finkel, 2008). It includes small phrases or comments to self or others (Sorensen, Steindl, Dingle, & Garcia, 2019).

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In the Prospectus this slide is used to provide an outline of the topics that will be included in the Review of Literature section, which is 30+ pages in Chapter 2.
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Problem Statement
It is not known how college male students perceive self-awareness, social awareness, self management, and social skills through a Lovingkindness mindfulness approach.
10/9/2019

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Research Questions and Phenomenon
RQ1: How do college male students perceive self-awareness through a Lovingkindness mindfulness approach?
RQ2: How do college male students perceive social- awareness through a Lovingkindness mindfulness approach?
RQ3: How do college male students perceive self-management through a Lovingkindness mindfulness approach?
RQ4: How do college male students perceive social skills through a Lovingkindness mindfulness approach?

10/9/2019

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Methodology
10/9/2019

Qualitative
Quantitative

Qualitative research focuses on the perceived meaning of the phenomenon from the participant’s understanding (Arghode, 2012).

Qualitative research uses the collection of various, extensive data of participants within their natural setting, over an amount of time; it is not based on a single type of methodology (Yilmaz, 2013).
Quantitative research focuses on the explanation of phenomenon through the collection of numerical data from participants and then analyzed through statistical means (Yilmaz, 2013).
Quantitative research uses objective measurement to quantify the participant’s responses to either prove or disprove a specified hypothesis (Arghode, 2012).

Justification: The qualitative methodology will be utilized within this study because the study is looking to focus on the participant’s perceived meaning from the research questions within their natural setting.

Justification: The quantitative methodology will not be utilized within this study because it is not wanting to only collect numerical data for statistical analysis. The study is looking for subjective experience, not just objective responses.

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Prospectus: The approach on this slide is used to justify the methodology using methodology article and resources
Proposal: The information presented on this slide is used to develop one of the three paragraphs comprising the methodology section. In addition a second paragraph is added justifying why the opposite methodology is not as appropriate. This second paragraph uses the same argument/citation structure with the arguments and citations coming from methodology articles and books. A third paragraph is developed that uses similar and related empirical articles to justify the proposed methodology for the study
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Design
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Design
Definition
Justification
(use /not use)

Qualitative Descriptive
allows for a summary of an event in everyday terms, in which participants answer questions pertaining to the who, what, and where of those experiences (Sandelowski, 2000).
allows for a clear description of a specific experience from the perspective of the participants (Magilvy & Thomas, 2009)
The descriptive design would not allow for an in-depth exploration of the phenomenon.

Phenomenological
includes trying to understand or uncover the lived experiences described by participants (Felice & Janesick, 2015).
Allows for an understanding to see the phenomenon from the eyes of each participants from the shared experience (Worthington, 2013).
This was not the chosen design because it requires a shared/common experience between each participant involved.

Narrative
is a way of telling the participant’s version of their specific lived experience (Josselson, 2006).
can be be collected orally or textually and provide a coherent story from all participant’s accounts (McAlpine, 2016).
This design is not appropriate because a life experience narrative is not needed by the male college students with their Emotional Intelligence through Lovingkindness.

Case Study
uses semi-structured interview forms and can be face-to-face to understand a real-life experience (Vezne, Günbayi ,& Hromatko, 2018).
It is encouraged to set boundaries for the case study, so the researcher does not deviate from the topic (Baxter and Jack, 2008).
can use multiple sources of data collection in order to collect in-depth and comprehensive data on a specific real-life context (Morgan, Pullon, MacDonald, McKinlay, & Gray, 2017).
This design would be an appropriate design for the study because this study can be bound in space and time to college males currently enrolled in college.

Grounded Theory
where there is limited or no data, so a researcher can establish their own theory (Ali, May, & Grafton, 2019)
where researchers may have difficulty finding previous research within the initial literature review process (Chiovitti & Piran, 2003).

This would not be an appropriate design for this study as a theory is not being developed

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Prospectus: The format and approach on this slide is used to develop the one paragraph argument for the proposed design for the Prospectus
Proposal: When doing the proposal the approach shown on this slide is used to develop the first paragraph/section. Then there are a series of short paragraphs (3-4 sentences) that argue as to why the alternative designs are not as appropriate for the study

All five designs listed (see five on slide)
Two definitions for for the design and then using the wording of the definition to justify why are you using it
Then you will use two definitions for why you are NOT using the others

Quant: LAIRD.com
Web of Science for definitions resources

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine how college males within the Southwest perceive their self-awareness, social awareness, self management, and social skills through Lovingkindness mindfulness.
10/9/2019

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Population, Target Population, and Sample
10/9/2019

Population
Target
Sample

The population is the total number of group members (Etikan et al, 2016).
The population, which meets specific criteria, is the group in which the sample will be selected from (Banerjee & Chaudhury, 2010).
The sample is a portion selected from the population (Etikan, Musa, & Alkassim, 2016).

The population for the study will be college male students in the United States.

The target population for this study will be all college level males within Metropolitan area post-secondary education (appr. 600~), that practice or have practiced Lovingkindness mindfulness.
Questionnaires will be accessible to male students of the represented target population to meet the minimum requirement of 40+ responses to the questionnaire and 10-15 qualifying interview participants will be identified from the questionnaire responses.

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Please discuss the target population from which you will collect your data in detail and include at least two options. For the target population identify the specific way to access the target population which might include: using your organization; asking an association to support/communicate the study; using a social group such as a church to support/communicate your research; use social media to find the sample; use archival data from an organization or association; use publicly available archival data; use photographs of the phenomena being studied. In addition to discussing the specific sample source also estimate the size of the target population and assume 5-20 percent of this group would participate.
In the Prospectus this outline is used to ensure there is an appropriate and reachable target population. In the Proposal this outline becomes a section in Chapter 1.
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Instruments and Data Sources
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Questionnaire Structure

Interview Structure

Focus Groups

Informed consent
Criteria check (Pre-qualifying questions)
Have they practiced Lovingkindness.
Demographic questions (age, socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, level of education)
How long they have practiced Lovingkindness
Content questions –Likert scale (1-7 scale). The results will be used to inform the interviews and triangulate data analysis.
Invitation to participate in the next level of data collection.

60-90 minutes in length
A research-developed interview protocol will be used to align the RQs, theory, and interview questions.
Open-ended questions will be asked as related to the research questions.
Opportunities to ask follow-up questions allowing the participants to provide additional information.
Interviews will be held via video-conference and digitally recorded.

Two focus groups each 6-7 participants from the interviews.
Focus groups topics will be determined by themes identified from the interview data.
Participants will be asked to discuss the themes identified, provide their reactions to the themes, and add to the themes based on their collective discussion.
Focus groups will be held via video-conference and digitally recorded.

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Prospectus: This outline is used in the Prospectus. This outline is then used to develop the section on Sources of Data in Chapter 3 in the Proposal.

Data Collection Steps:
1.Obtain various required permissions
Site approval
Permission to use each instrument (Emotional Intelligence Scale) or data source
Obtaining administrative guide and validation information on each data sources from owner/literature
GCU Chair and Committee Approvals
AQR Approval

IRB Approval
Consent form from individual participants
Results of the field tests for qualitative studies
Results of the expert panel review for qualitative instruments such as interviews or observations

Required permissions/approvals (prior to data collection)

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There are four separate slides that will comprise the data collection section in the Prospectus and the proposal. Please do not alter the names on the slides. Modify each bullet point to be specific to your study and if you do not believe the bullet is relevant for your study put in a statement justifying this. Also please do not change the order of the fours data collection slides or the bullets within them. It is important to show the bullets in the order in which they would occur. This first slide only discusses all of the permissions required. When moving these slides into your documents keep the title shown right above the bullets which is “Required permissions/approvals”
NOTE: These set of four slides are used in outline format in the Prospectus. They then provide the outline for the Data Collection section in Chapter 3 in the Proposal.
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Data Collection Steps:
2. Sampling Approach and Sample Selection
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Strategy 1
Strategy 2

Convenience Sampling is an approach where members of the target population that meet certain practical criteria are included for the purpose of the study (Etikan, Musa, & Alkassim, 2016).
Purposeful sampling is an approach this is used when the researcher is targeting a specific group of people, while knowing that it will only represent itself, not the wider population (Vezne, Gunbayi, Hromatko, 2018). Researchers use purposeful sampling for the main goal of gaining information-rich material from that specific sample (Sandelowski, 2000). It is a deliberate choice of a participant due to the specific qualities that they possess (Etikan, Musa, & Alkassim, 2016).

Convenience sampling will be used in this study through the utilization of networking within a Metropolitan area Community College.

Purposive sampling will be used in this study due to the sample being specifically picked to be male college students from Metropolitan area Community College that have complete Lovingkindness meditation(s).

Sampling Criteria will include college-level, male students at Metropolitan area Community College, and have completed Lovingkindness meditation(s) currently or in the past.

Flyers will be distributed across campus and faculty will be asked to inform students of the study. A description of the study will be presented to promote participation, including an embedded link to the questionnaire accessible on surveymonkey.com

If second round is needed for participants, researcher will ask faculty and staff to announce to students of study and if interested, to contact researcher. Participants that agree to partake in the study will provide primary phone and email contact information, along with dates and time available for follow-up questions.

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There are four separate slides that will comprise the data collection section in the Prospectus and the proposal. Please do not alter the names on the slides. Modify each bullet point to be specific to your study and if you do not believe the bullet is relevant for your study put in a statement justifying this. Also please do not change the order of the four data collection slides or the bullets within them. It is important to show the bullets in the order in which they would occur. This second slide only discusses the sampling approach and then the steps for the sampling process. When moving these slides into your documents keep the title shown right above the bullets which is “Sample Approach and Sample Selection”

Data Collection Steps:
3. Collecting the Data
10/9/2019
Receive approval from Metropolitan area Community College to ask instructors to announce (electronically and verbally in class) potential of study participation and provide description of study along with access to questionnaire link.
Invite for participation will be requested on a weekly basis until minimum participant number of 40 has been received.
Questionnaire begins with informed consent question followed by pre-qualification question, demographic questions, and content questions that will be presented using the 7-point Likert Scale.

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There are four separate slides that will comprise the data collection section in the Prospectus and the proposal. Please do not alter the names on the slides. Modify each bullet point to be specific to your study and if you do not believe the bullet is relevant for your study put in a statement justifying this. Also please do not change the order of the four data collection slides or the bullets within them. It is important to show the bullets in the order in which they would occur. This third slide only discusses the specific detailed steps to collect the data. When moving these slides into your documents keep the title shown right above the bullets which is “Collecting the Data”

Data Collection Steps:
3. Collecting the Data
10/9/2019
After completing SurveyMonkey.com Questionnaire of Pre-qualification questions, Demographic questions, and Content questions (7-point Likert Scale), the participant will be asked to be part of the semi-structured interview.
The informed consent will be received from participants using “Docu-Sign”, that will grant the usage of the question responses and video/audio recording consent.
Participants will receive an invitation to Google Calendar where Interview scheduling for completion will be done. They have the option to meet on campus (in-person) or through Google Meets (electronical meeting). If participant does not sign up for an available scheduling block by 2 days after receiving scheduling invite, another reminder email invitation will be sent to initiate a reply.
Interview data collection will be conducted in conducive area for both participant and researcher with limited distractions.
Two forms of digital recording will occur during the interview process. One that will collect both visual and voice audio, while the other only collecting voice audio.
Semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions will begin. Opportunity for follow up questions to allow participants to provide additional information related to the content of the study. Probing questions will be conducted if researchers needs additional information related to the content of the study.
Transcription services “Otter.ai” will be utilized as a platform to transcribe data collected from the interviews.
There will member checking, which will allow for all participants to review their semi-structured interview answers to check for accuracy.

Semi-structured Interview Protocols

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There are four separate slides that will comprise the data collection section in the Prospectus and the proposal. Please do not alter the names on the slides. Modify each bullet point to be specific to your study and if you do not believe the bullet is relevant for your study put in a statement justifying this. Also please do not change the order of the four data collection slides or the bullets within them. It is important to show the bullets in the order in which they would occur. This third slide only discusses the specific detailed steps to collect the data. When moving these slides into your documents keep the title shown right above the bullets which is “Collecting the Data”

Data Collection Steps:
3. Collecting the Data
10/9/2019
After the thematic analysis of the interviews has been completed, the focus group protocol will be completed using the themes identified. The researcher email select participants from the interviews to invite them to participate in a focus group. The email will contain a focus group informed consent and details of participation.
The informed consent will be received from participants using “Docu-Sign”, that will grant the usage of the question responses and video/audio recording consent.
Participants will receive an invitation to Google Calendar where focus group scheduling for completion will be done. If participant does not sign up for an available scheduling block by 2 days after receiving scheduling invite, another reminder email invitation will be sent to initiate a reply. If, after a week from the initial email, a response is not received, an alternate will be invited to schedule instead.
Focus group data collection will be conducted in conducive area for both participant and researcher with limited distractions.
Two forms of digital recording will occur during the focus group process. One that will collect both visual and voice audio, while the other only collecting voice audio.
The ground rules for the focus group will be discussed with the group prior to the start of the discussion. The researcher will present the interview themes in order with discussion topics for each. The researcher will allow the focus group participants to speak at will and will prompt for more discussion as needed.
Transcription services “Otter.ai” will be utilized as a platform to transcribe data collected from the interviews.
Focus Group Protocols

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There are four separate slides that will comprise the data collection section in the Prospectus and the proposal. Please do not alter the names on the slides. Modify each bullet point to be specific to your study and if you do not believe the bullet is relevant for your study put in a statement justifying this. Also please do not change the order of the four data collection slides or the bullets within them. It is important to show the bullets in the order in which they would occur. This third slide only discusses the specific detailed steps to collect the data. When moving these slides into your documents keep the title shown right above the bullets which is “Collecting the Data”

Data Collection Steps:
4. Data Management and Storage
Data Management and Storage
Collected data will be primarily saved on a thumb drive.
Collected data will be securely maintained for a period of three years.
After the three-year period, the data will be destroyed from the primary thumb source and stored long-term in secured google drive folder.
Collected data will be backed up in a secured google drive folder.
Collected data will be safeguard using passwords for computer and google drive files
Confidentiality and anonymity will be maintained throughout the entirety data is kept.
A de-identified copy of all the data and the data analysis will be stored in the Learner’s Dissertation Page (LDP) in the folder that will be placed there for this data so that the AQR reviewers can review the data and data analysis.

10/9/2019

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There are four separate slides that will comprise the data collection section in the Prospectus and the proposal. Please do not alter the names on the slides. Modify each bullet point to be specific to your study and if you do not believe the bullet is relevant for your study put in a statement justifying this. Also please do not change the order of the four data collection slides or the bullets within them. It is important to show the bullets in the order in which they would occur. This fourth slide only discusses the data management and storage process. When moving these slides into your documents keep the title shown right above the bullets which is “Data Management and Storage”

Data Analysis Steps
Questionnaires
Data will be downloaded from
www.SurveyMonkey.com to an Excel file.

Descriptive statistical analysis will be conducted on demographic questions to describe the sample.
Demographic data will be reported in a table for each question identifying how each participant answered.
Likert-like questionnaires (7-scale) have ordinal data, which will be compiled into a table.
10/9/2019

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This set of step may require more than one slide. The following slides show the approach to cover for qualitative versus quantitative.
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Data Analysis Steps
Compile and clean data
Filler words such as ‘um’, ‘like, ’ and ‘so’ will be removed from data analysis
Data will be transcribed by the transcription service “Otter.ai”
Data will be analyzed according to Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six phases of thematic analysis.
Thematic analysis is identified as a foundational method of qualitative data analysis, in which an analysis method identifies, analyzes, and reports specific patterns (referred to as themes) within a data set (Braun & Clarke, 2006).

The six phases of thematic analysis are as follows:
Familiarization with the data from study
Fully immerse self with data by gaining familiarity with data by reading transcripts at least twice, in an active way (Braun & Clarke, 2006).
Generate initial list of reoccurring ideas and anything that sticks out
Generating initial codes
Identify reoccurring codes from the data set (organizing the data into meaningful segments)
Will use colored-pens, markers, or post-it notes to identify when new or consistent codes are found to identify and collate the data
Search for themes
Sort all potential codes into reoccurring themes (codes can cross over to other themes)
Reviewing themes
Take broad look at themes and see if they have enough data for support, if specific themes can be combined, or if a theme is not really a theme
Defining and naming themes
Identify each themes definitions and names
Producing the report
reporting the themes in a logical order for analysis and write up the final report

Semi-structured Interviews and Focus Groups

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This set of step may require more than one slide. The following slides show the approach to cover for qualitative versus quantitative.
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Feasibility
Resources for study:
Access to community college students that have completed Lovingkindness meditation, SurveyMonkey.com recording of answers, Emotional Intelligence Scale permission, and recording equipment for proper data collection
Participants will complete informed consent, pre-qualifying questionnaire, demographic questionnaire, and semi-structured interview (electronically or in-person) with interviewer.
Professional training in proper interview skills and Thematic Analysis training could assist with this process.
Ethical Concerns:
At a Metropolitan area Community College that researcher currently teaches (students knowing researcher)
Study Alignment with Program (PhD):
Focuses on how college level males describe different components of Emotional Intelligence through a form of meditation (Lovingkindness). The study involves a cognitive component.
Concerns:
Having enough instructors that are willing to notify students or study
Collecting 40+ participants that meet all pre-qualifying questions, and willing to complete questionnaires and interviews.

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Defend
The theoretical foundation of the study is Emotional Intelligence Theory. The study is wanting to describe how college males identify emotional intelligence through Lovingkindness.
The design for the study is qualitative descriptive analysis because the study is looking to explore how college males describe emotional intelligence through Lovingkindness.
Thematic analysis is identified as a foundational method of qualitative data analysis, in which identifies, analyzes, and reports themes from a data set (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The intended study requires a qualitative analysis for coding and identifying specific themes for final analysis.
The study is feasible due to the study incorporating a pre-qualification questionnaire, demographic questionnaire, and the semi-structured interviews that can be completed in a metropolitan area community college through in-person and online modalities.

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List of References
Ali, N., May, S., & Grafton, K. (2019) A systematic review of grounded theory studies in physiotherapy, Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 35:12, 1139-1169, DOI:
10.1080/09593985.2018.1474403

Arghode, V. (2012). Qualitative and Quantitative Research: Paradigmatic Differences. Global Education Journal, 2012(4), 155–163.
Aspy, D. J., & Proeve, M. (2017). Mindfulness and Loving-Kindness Meditation: Effects on Connectedness to Humanity and to the Natural World. Psychological Reports, 120(1), 102-117. doi:10.1177/0033294116685867
Banerjee, A., & Chaudhury, S. (2010). Statistics without tears: Populations and samples. Industrial psychiatry journal, 19(1), 60–65. https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-6748.77642
Baxter, P., & Jack, S. (2008). Qualitative case study methodology: Study design and implementation for novice researchers. The qualitative report, 13(4), 544-559.
Block-Lerner, J., Adair, C., Plumb, J. C., Rhatigan, D. L., & Orsillo, S. M. (2007). The case for mindfulness-based approaches in the cultivation of empathy: Does nonjudgmental, present-moment awareness increase capacity for perspective-taking and empathic concern? Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 33(4), 501–516. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2007.00034.x
Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77-101.
Cejudo, J., García-Castillo, F., Luna, P., Rodrigo-Ruiz, D., Feltrero, R., & Moreno-Gómez, A. (2019). Using a Mindfulness-Based Intervention to Promote Subjective Well-Being, Trait Emotional Intelligence, Mental Health, and Resilience in Women With Fibromyalgia. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2541st ser., 1-11. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02541
Chiovitti, R. F., & Piran, N. (2003). Rigour and grounded theory research. Journal of advanced nursing, 44(4), 427-435.
Choi, S., An, S. C., Lee, U. S., Yun, J., Jang, J. H., & Kang, D. (2018). In-Depth Relationships between Emotional Intelligence and Personality Traits in Meditation Practitioners. Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience, 16(4), 391-397. doi:10.9758/cpn.2018.16.4.391

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List of References
Eisenbeck, N., Luciano, C., & Valdivia-Salas, S. (2018). Effects of a focused breathing mindfulness exercise on attention, memory, and mood: the importance of task characteristics. Behaviour Change, 35(1)54-77. doi: 10.1017/bec.2018.9
Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American journal of theoretical and applied statistics, 5(1), 1-4.
Felice, D. D., & Janesick, V. J. (2015). Understanding the Marriage of Technology and Phenomenological Research: From Design to Analysis. Ethical Considerations in Phenomenological Research, 20(10), 1576-1593.
Fredrickson, B. L., Cohn, M. A., Coffey, K. A., Pek, J., & Finkel, S. M. (2008). Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(5), 1045-1062. doi:10.1037/a0013262
Goleman, D. (1998). Working with Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam.
Josselson, R. (2006). Narrative research and the challenge of accumulating knowledge. Narrative inquiry, 16(1), 3–10.
Magilvy, J. K., & Thomas, E. (2009). A First Qualitative Project: Qualitative Descriptive Design for Novice Researchers. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 14(4), 298-300. doi:10.1111/j.1744-6155.2009.00212.x
McAlpine, L. (2016). Why might you use narrative methodology? A story about narrative. Eesti Haridusteaduste Ajakiri. Estonian Journal of Education, 4(1), 32–57.
Morgan, S. J., Pullon, S. R. H., Macdonald, L. M., McKinlay, E. M., & Gray, B. V. (2017). Case study observational research: A framework for conducting case study research where observation data are the focus. Qualitative Health Research, 27(7), 1060–1068.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732316649160

Pérez-Fuentes, M. D. C., Linares, J. J. G., Jurado, M. D. M. M., Márquez, M. D. M. S., & Martínez, Á. M. (2020). The mediating role of cognitive and affective empathy in the relationship of mindfulness with engagement in nursing. BMC Public Health, 20(1). doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-8129-7

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List of References
Petrovici, A., & Dobrescu, T. (2014). The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Building Interpersonal Communication Skills. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116, 1405–1410. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.406
Şahin, M. D. & Öztürk, G. (2019). Mixed method research: Theoretical foundations, designs and its use in educational research. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 6(2), 301-310. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33200/ijcer.574002

Salcido-Cibrián, L. J., Ramos, N. S., Jiménez, Ó., & Blanca, M. J. (2019). Mindfulness to regulate emotions: The Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence Program (PINEP) and its adaptation to a virtual learning platform. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 36, 176–180. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2019.07.003
Sandelowski, M. (2000). Focus on research methods. Whatever happened to qualitative description? Research in Nursing & Health, 23(4), 334–340.
Shorten, A., & Smith, J. (2017). Mixed methods research: Expanding the evidence base. Evidence Based Nursing, 20(3), 74-75. doi:10.1136/eb-2017-102699
Silver, J., Caleshu, C., Casson-Parkin, S., & Ormond, K. (2018). Mindfulness Among Genetic Counselors Is Associated with Increased Empathy and Work Engagement and Decreased Burnout and Compassion Fatigue
Sorensen, S., Steindl, S. R., Dingle, G. A., & Garcia, A. (2019). Comparing the Effects of Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM), Music and LKM Plus Music on Psychological Well-Being. The Journal of Psychology, 153(3), 267-287. doi:10.1080/00223980.2018.1516610
Vezne, R., Günbayi, I., & Hromatko, I. (2018). The Effect of Nonformal Learning on the Disabled People and Educators: A Case Study. Online Submission, 4(7), 316–333.
Vich, M., Lukeš, M., & Burian, J. (2020). Out of sight, out of mind? Exploring the long-term effects of Relational Mindfulness Training (RMT). Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 16, 162–171. doi: 10.1016/j.jcbs.2020.04.001
Winning, A. P., & Boag, S. (2015). Does brief mindfulness training increase empathy? The role of personality. Personality and Individual Differences, 86, 492–498. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2015.07.011
Worthington, M. (2013). Differences between phenomenological research and a basic qualitative research design.
Yilmaz, K. (2013). Comparison of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Traditions: Epistemological, theoretical, and methodological differences. European Journal of Education, 48(2), 311-325. doi:10.1111/ejed.12014

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Next steps
Next steps include:
Contact potential Content Expert and providing them information on their role and expectations for dissertation process.
Contacting local community college and start their IRB process (if necessary)
Gathering more (2018 and newer) empirical articles on related topic
Starting Chapter 2 (Literature Review), Chapter 1 & 3 as well

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image1

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Facebook Usage and Correlation to Subjective-Happiness Among Adults

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Literature Review: Background to the Problem
Earliest Research (2000 – 2010)
Internet activity is used as a communication tool but can decrease social well-being as high levels of internet use are associated with high levels of emotional loneliness (Moody, 2001).
Burke et al. (2010) identified that Facebook consumption is correlated with increased loneliness, whereas engagement behaviors with Facebook are correlated with greater overall well-being.
In 2006, Facebook expanded to allow any user access so long as they were 13 years or older and had a valid email address, which created a significant increase in overall network usage (Brown, 2008), yet information regarding the outcomes of using social networking websites is lacking (Acar, 2008).
Social media existed to assist users connect online with friends, colleagues, family members, and like-minded individuals they might never have met in person, but a lack of conclusive research existed pertaining to social media use and well-being (Huang, 2010).
Progressive Research (2011 – 2017)
Song et al. (2014) identified a positive correlation between Facebook use and loneliness.
Life satisfaction, subjective vitality, flourishing, and subjective happiness were identified as significant negative predictors of problematic Facebook use (Satici & Uysal, 2015).
More than 500 million people use Facebook on a daily basis, yet the influence on subjective well-being over time remains unclear (Kross et al., 2013).
Progressive research pertaining to well-being focused on adolescents and provided mixed opinions related to the use of social media platforms (Turel & Surenko, 2012; Wakefield & Wakefield, 2016).

10/9/2019

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Objective:
The outline on this slide is used in the Prospectus to develop the Background of the Study in Chapter 1 and the Background of the Problem Space in Chapter 2.

Slide Requirements:
In 3-5 bullets, describe what still needs to be understood related to the topic from empirical literature or research.
Use empirical literature dated primarily within the past 5 years.
Identify and support what still needs to be understood regarding the problem space through a combination of arguments:
Professional and/or broader societal need identified in the literature
Directions for future research based on limitations, recommendations, and/or conflicting findings
Synthesis of broader topics to study in combination

Literature Review: Background to the Problem
Contemporary Research (2018 – Present)
Marengo et al. (2021) identified a positive correlation between the amount and strength of positive feedback received by Facebook users and perceived happiness.
Longitudinal and cross-sectional studies reveal that problematic internet use and loneliness are positively associated (Moretta & Buodo, 2020).
Information focused on older age groups and well-being is needed (Bergagna & Tartaglia, 2018), as Facebook users’ age has changed throughout the social network’s growth (Hunsaker & Hargittai, 2018).

Research Gap: Research conducted from the outset of social media to present-day use regarding Facebook use and a correlation to well-being has provided mixed results, with the majority of research focused on an adolescent or young adult population.
Proposed Study: The present study seeks to determine if the amount of time spent on Facebook predicts subjective happiness among middle-aged adult Facebook users.

10/9/2019

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Objective:
The outline on this slide is used in the Prospectus to develop the Background of the Study in Chapter 1 and the Background of the Problem Space in Chapter 2.

Literature Review: Problem Space
10/9/2019
Perspective #1: Emotional well-being:
What is known: Adolescents experience positive and negative emotional outcomes associated with Facebook usage depending on the nature of engagement (Phu & Gow, 2019).
What needs to be better known: Correlation between emotional well-being and Facebook usage among older adults (Phu & Gow, 2019; Bergagna & Tartaglia, 2018).
Summary Need Statement: Most current research on well-being and social media use focuses on an adolescent or young adult population and excludes middle-aged adults (Bekalu et al., 2019).

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Objective:
The outline on this slide is used in the Prospectus to develop the Background of the Study in Chapter 1 and the Background of the Problem Space in Chapter 2.

Literature Review: Problem Space
10/9/2019
Perspective #2: Population
What is known: The impact of social media use on well-being is not universal and may depend upon culture, belief system, may be mediated by a set of personal characteristics that are individual-specific (Blachnio et al., 2018; Castellacci & Tveito, 2018).
What needs to be better known: The correlation between media usage, well-being, and life satisfaction in a variety of cultures- including the United States (Blachnio et al., 2018).
Summary Need Statement: There is a need for further information regarding a possible correlation between Facebook use and well-being of middle-aged adults in the United States, as impact is specific not only to individual differences but cultural systems as well.

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Objective:
The outline on this slide is used in the Prospectus to develop the Background of the Study in Chapter 1 and the Background of the Problem Space in Chapter 2.

Literature Review: Problem Space
10/9/2019
Perspective #3: Roles
What is known: Bergagna and Tartaglia (2018) identified the importance of the role of orientation to social comparison in mediating the relations between low self-esteem and some indicators of Facebook use such as daily time spent on Facebook and the use of Facebook for simulation.
What needs to be better known: Older adults comprise a significant portion of regular Facebook users, but information focused on older age groups and well-being is quite limited (Bergagna & Tartaglia, 2018; Hunsaker & Hargittai, 2018).
Summary Need Statement: Research has focused on a younger audience, but an increased understanding of how social media use impacts older Facebook users can provide much needed information pertaining to overall social media use and well-being (Clark et al., 2018).
Synthesized Problem Space Statement (synthesis of category need statements):
There is a need for further information regarding a possible correlation between Facebook use and well-being of middle-aged adults in the United States.
Problem Statement:
It is not known to what extent the amount of time spent on Facebook predicts subjective happiness (positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning, accomplishment) in middle-aged adults.

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Objective:
The outline on this slide is used in the Prospectus to develop the Background of the Study in Chapter 1 and the Background of the Problem Space in Chapter 2.

Literature Review: Theoretical Foundations
well-being theory/PERMA theory of well-being
Dr. Martin Seligman created a model which shifted focus from mental illness and pathological behavior to a focus on positivity and goodness in life (Seligman, 2011).
PERMA defines, quantifies, and constitutes the elements of subjective happiness using five intrinsically motivating components which contribute to well-being including, positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments. (Rusk & Waters, 2015).
Kern et al. (2014) identified a positive association between each of the five PERMA components and life satisfaction/subjective happiness.
PERMA is unique in relation to other well-being theories because it combines intrinsically motivated indicators of eudaimonic and hedonic well-being, and supports the inclusion of well-being that individuals can actively move towards (Seligman, 2018).

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Literature Review: Theoretical Foundations
Well-Being Theory/PERMA Theory of Well-Being
Provides the theoretical framework for defining subjective happiness in this proposed study.
Subject happiness= positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning, accomplishment (Seligman, 2011).
The PERMA theory of well-being aligns with the PERMA-Profiler instrument which will be used to measure identified variables (Butler & Kern, 2016).

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Literature Review: Review of Literature
Loneliness
Research indicates loneliness is identified as a condition associated with multiple risks to overall well-being where individuals perceive social isolation regardless of the absence or presence of social interaction (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Baretto et al., 2021). Social media use does appear to have the potential for reducing loneliness and increasing happiness, but only to the degree that use is perceived as intimate, and is limited in duration (Pittman, 2018).
Social Media Use
The research states receiving likes on Facebook is related to an increase in subjective happiness, decrease in loneliness, with self-esteem as a moderative factor when users are active participants on the platform, with moderate use of approximately 30 minutes per day (Hunt et al., 2018; Aalbers et al., 2019; Marengo et al., 2021).

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Literature Review: Review of Literature
Well-Being
The research indicated that the impact of social media on well-being can be positive or negative based on experience with social networking sites, while Facebook and Instagram use predicted lower reports of well-being, with self-esteem and repetitive negative thoughts as important intermediate constructs within the relationships (Clark et al., 2018; Faelens et al., 2020). As social media activity increases, research shows subjective happiness may decrease as displacement of activities beneficial to well-being (sleep, face-to-face social interaction), upward social comparison, and cyberbullying occur (Twenge, 2019).
A new multidimensional and wider operationalization of well-being is needed to understand the actual significance of social media effect on well-being among middle-aged adults, as it remains unknown (Duradoni et al., 2020; Phu & Gow, 2019).

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Objective:
This slide is used to provide an outline of the topics that will be included in the Review of Literature section, which is 30+ pages in Chapter 2.

Slide Requirements:
Identify 3-5 major topics in the literature related to the proposed problem space
Each bullet should include:
1-2 sentences defining/describing each topic
At least 3 empirical sources supporting each topic

Hints:
For quantitative studies, themes could include:
Studies describing and/or relating the variables
Studies on related research such as factors associated with the themes
Studies on the instruments used to collect data
Studies on the broad population for the study
Studies defining the need from a community, professional, or organizational perspective
Studies similar to the topic
For qualitative studies, topics could include:
Studies describing and/or relating the phenomenon
Studies on related research such as factors associated with the themes
Studies on the instruments used to collect data
Studies on the broad population for the study
Studies defining the need from a community, professional, or organizational perspective
Studies similar to the topic
10

Problem Statement
It is not known to what extent the amount of time spent on Facebook predicts subjective happiness (positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning, accomplishment) in middle-aged adults.

10/9/2019

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Objective:
This slide is used to provide the problem statement, which will be expanded upon in the Chapter 2: Problem Statement section.

Slide Requirements:
State the specific problem for research with a clear declarative statement.
Alignment: The problem statement must align with the established problem space as described on previous slides.

Hints:
Some examples of how to phrase a problem statement include:
It is not known how or why…
Based on what is known in the empirical research literature, _____ is still unknown/what still needs to be understood is…
While the literature indicates ____________, it is not known in (school/district/organization/community) how/why __________.

10/9/2019

Variable
Conceptual Definition
Operational Definition
Measurement Level
Instrument/Data Source

Predictor Variable: Time spent on Facebook
The approximate time spent per day actively using Facebook (Ellison et al., 2007).

Question regarding time spent per day actively using Facebook

ratio
Brief list of socio-demographic information: age, gender, current country of residence and time spent per day actively using Facebook- as evidenced by uploaded screenshot of 10 day usage log from iPhone settings.

Criterion Variable: Subjective happiness: (Positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishments) (Seligman, 2011)

A state of well-being and contentment; a pleasurable or satisfying experience (Merriam-Webster, 2020)

Composite score, 23 self-report questions for subjective happiness

Ordinal approximated to interval

Survey: PERMA-Profiler (Butler & Kern, 2016).

Criterion Variable: Positive emotion
Significant indicator of overall well-being and can be developed to improve well-being and build resilience (Fredrickson, 2001).
1st subscale: 3 self-report questions focused on positive emotion
Ordinal approximated to interval
Survey: PERMA-Profiler (Butler & Kern, 2016).

Criterion Variable: Engagement
Experience where individuals employ resources, strengths, and attention towards a task (Seligman, 2011).
2nd subscale: 3 self-report questions focused on engagement
Ordinal approximated to interval
Survey: PERMA-Profiler (Butler & Kern, 2016).

Variables

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Objective:
State and define each variable in table format. The table is used in Chapter 3: Research Questions and Hypotheses in the dissertation template.

Slide Requirements:
Complete the table for each variable.
Included citations as appropriate.

Hints:
The conceptual definition is ‘what does it mean’. For example, a conceptual level of a variable in a school setting may be student achievement.
An operational level is how the researcher will measure the variable to reflect the conceptual definition. The operational level of the variable for student achievement may be the test score on a final exam, which ranges from 0 to 100.
The measurement level is whether the variable is nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio.

Variables
10/9/2019

Variable
Conceptual Definition
Operational Definition
Measurement Level
Instrument/Data Source

Criterion Variable: Relationships

Criterion Variable: Meaning

Criterion Variable: Accomplishments

Support, love, and value experienced as a result of interaction with others (Seligman, 2011).
Desire for sense of belonging, worth and value (Seligman, 2011).
Perseverance and passion for goal-attainment with internal motivation for the sake of pursuit and personal improvement (Seligman, 2011).

3rd subscale: 3 self-report questions focused on relationships

4th subscale: 3 self-report questions focused on meaning
5th subscale: 3 self-report questions focused on accomplishments

Ordinal approximated to interval

Survey: PERMA-Profiler (Butler & Kern, 2016).

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Objective:
State and define each variable in table format. The table is used in Chapter 3: Research Questions and Hypotheses in the dissertation template.

Slide Requirements:
Complete the table for each variable.
Included citations as appropriate.

Research Questions and Hypotheses
RQ1: To what extent does the amount of time spent on Facebook predict subjective happiness (positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning, accomplishment) in middle-aged adults?
H1a0: Amount of time spent on Facebook does not significantly predict positive emotions in middle-aged adults.
H1aA: Amount of time spent on Facebook does significantly predict positive emotions in middle-aged adults.
H1b0: Amount of time spent on Facebook does not significantly predict engagement in middle-aged adults.
H1bA: Amount of time spent on Facebook does significantly predict engagement in middle-aged adults.
H1c0: Amount of time spent on Facebook does not significantly predict positive relationships in middle-aged adults.
H1cA: Amount of time spent on Facebook does significantly predict positive relationships in middle-aged adults.
H1d0: Amount of time spent on Facebook does not significantly predict meaning in middle-aged adults.
H1dA: Amount of time spent on Facebook does significantly predict meaning in middle-aged adults.
H1e0: Amount of time spent on Facebook does not significantly predict accomplishment in middle-aged adults.
H1eA: Amount of time spent on Facebook does significantly predict accomplishment in middle-aged adults.

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Methodology Justification

Quantitative
Qualitative

Quantitative research is an analytical approach using empirical observations and measures to collect data (Asenahabi, 2019). Quantitative research relies on factual data versus idealistic information, identifies relationships between variables, by drawing representative samples of participants, uses statistical analyses, and provides explanations for behavior (Yue & Xu, 2019). A quantitative approach is theoretically-based, objective, and allows for feasibility of a large sample size (Bloomfield & Fisher, 2019).
Qualitative research focuses on assigning meaning to lived or observed phenomenon in a specific context instead of providing generalizations from sample to population (Johnson et al., 2020). Qualitative research is a process which provides enhanced understanding to the scientific community is achieved by identifying novel and significant differentiations resulting from getting closer to the phenomenon studied (Aspers & Corte, 2019).

Quantitative methodology is appropriate for the proposed study as it is the best approach to answer the intended research questions and determine a correlation between the identified variables with numerical representation (Hagan, 2014). Quantitative methodology is the best approach to infer a possible prediction of subjective happiness related to Facebook usage.
While qualitative research is effective for providing useful information, it is not appropriate for the proposed study. Qualitative research gathers non-numerical data and answers how and why, rather than if and to what extent which is what the proposed study seeks to identify (Aspers & Corte, 2019).

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Objectives:
The approach on this slide is used to justify the methodology using methodology articles and resources
The information presented on this slide is used to develop one of the three paragraphs comprising the methodology section in Chapter 3. In addition, a second paragraph is added justifying why the opposite methodology is not as appropriate. A third paragraph is developed that uses similar and related empirical articles to justify the proposed methodology for the study

Slide Requirements:
Present 2-3 seminal sources describing quantitative methodology
Justify why quantitative methodology is appropriate based on those sources
Present 2-seminal sources describing qualitative methodology
Justify why qualitative methodology is not as appropriate based on those sources

Hint:
Do not summarize prior research in this slide
15

Design
10/9/2019

Design
Definition
Justification
(use /not use)

Pre-Experimental
Pre-experimental research is a simplified design used to determine whether a potential explanation meets criteria for further investigation (Frey, 2018). The one-shot case study, one-group pretest-posttest, and static-group comparisons are commonly used pre-experimental designs (Dawson, 1997).

NOT USE
The proposed study seeks to determine to what extent a predictive correlation exists, and is not interested in manipulating variables, or conducting exploratory experimental research.

Quasi-Experimental
Quasi-Experimental research resembles experimental research, but it is not considered to be a true experiment because participants are not randomly assigned to treatment condition, even though an independent variable is manipulated (Salkind, 2010). Quasi-experimental studies include a wide range of nonrandomized intervention studies and are often utilized when it is not logistically feasible or ethical to conduct a randomized controlled trial (Harris et al., 2006).

NOT USE
The purpose of the intended study is to determine to what extent a predictive correlation exists. A quasi-experimental design would not be the correct design to use, as the present study does not seek to manipulate a variable.

Correlational or Associative
Correlational research measures two or more variables to explain the statistical relationship among variables (Omair, 2015). Correlational research allows the researcher to describe and predict strength of the relationship between variables (Curtis et al., 2015). Correlational research is effective for determining predictive validity, test reliability, and illustrating relationships (Salkind, 2010).

NOT USE
The proposed study seeks to determine to what extent a predictive correlation exists. Correlational research would not be the correct design to use, as the present study seeks extend past identifying a correlation to also predicting relationships between variables.

Correlational-predictive
Comparable to correlational or associative research, correlational predictive designs explain statistical relationships among variables (Omair, 2015) but also seek to identify predictive relationships between the predictor and the outcome/criterion variable (Salkind, 2010).

USE
The proposed study is designed to determine the extent a predictive correlation exists. A correlational predictive design is the appropriate choice for the proposed study.

Comparative
Comparative research compares two groups in order to make conclusions about them pertaining to similarities and differences between groups (Schenker & Rumrill, 2005). Comparative research seeks to identify a cause-effect relationship between two or more groups (Salkind, 2010). Causal-comparative studies attempt to compare in contrast to correlation research which looks at relationship.

NOT USE
The purpose of the intended study is to determine to what extent a predictive correlation exists. Causal-comparative would not be the correct design to use.

Ex Post Facto
An ex post facto design refers to after-the-fact research, with the examination beginning only after the fact has occurred with no prior interference from the researcher (Salkind, 2010). Ex post facto research is commonly used to compare pre-existing groups as an alternative for true experimental research to test hypotheses regarding cause-and-effect relationships, or when practicality or ethics prohibits true experimental design (Giuffre, 1997).
NOT USE
The purpose of the present study is to determine to what extent a predictive correlation exists and does not seek to identify a cause-and-effect relationship. Ex post facto is not the correct design to use.

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Objectives:
When completing the proposal, the approach shown on this slide is used to develop the first paragraph/section in Chapter 3. Then there are a series of short paragraphs (3-4 sentences) that argue as to why the alternative designs are not as appropriate for the study

Slide Requirements:
Complete table for all six designs listed.
For each design cite two definitions supported with empirical or authoritative sources.
Using the wording of the definitions, justify why you are using the design or why you are NOT using the design.

Hints:
Quantitative resource: LAERD.com
Web of Science for definitions resources
Research may refer to the comparative research design as causal-comparative.
At GCU, archival data used to look at group differences is considered an Ex Post Facto design.

Purpose Statement
The purpose of this quantitative predictive correlational study is to determine to what extent the amount of time spent on Facebook predicts subjective happiness (positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning, accomplishment) among middle-aged adults living in the United States.

10/9/2019

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Objective:
This slide is used to provide the purpose statement, which will be expanded upon in the Chapter 3: Purpose of the Study section.

Slide Requirements:
State the purpose of the study in one sentence that identifies the research methodology, design, problem statement, target population, and geographic location.
Alignment: The purpose statement must align with the problem statement, research questions, methodology, and design.

Hint:
This is presented as a declarative statement: “The purpose of this quantitative [design] study is to … [include the unknown from the Problem Statement] among [target population] at a [setting/geographic location].”

Population, Target Population, and Sample
10/9/2019

Population
Target
Sample

A population is comprised of all the objects or events of a certain kind that researchers want to obtain further knowledge about (Allen, 2017).
The purpose of a target population is to define the units that survey findings are meant to generalize, and occurs after the study objectives are established (Lavrakas, 2008).
A sample is a group of people, objects, or items, taken from a larger population for measurement, and should be representative of the population to ensure the findings can be generalized to the population as a whole (Elfil & Negida, 2017).

All adult Facebook users in the United States

Adult Facebook users between the ages of 35-55 living in the United States

64 Adult Facebook users between the ages of 35-55 living in the United States
G* Power tool used to justify sample size. (15% added to account for attrition)

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Objectives:
This outline is used to ensure there is an appropriate and reachable target population.
In the Proposal this outline becomes a section in Chapter 3.

Slide Requirements:
Define the terms population, target population, and sample using authoritative sources.
Describe the population, target population, and sample as related to the proposed study.
Details to include:
Target Population: Estimate the size of the target population and identify the specific way to access the target population (see hints below).
Sample: Estimate the projected sample size (see hints).

Hints:
Way to access the target population which might include:
Using your organization (with appropriate approvals);
Asking an association to support/communicate the study;
Using a social group such as a church to support/communicate your research;
Using social media to find the sample;
Using archival data from an organization or association;
Using publicly available archival data.
Assume 5-20 percent of the target population recruited would participate; therefore, ensure the target population is sufficiently large to obtain the final proposed sample size.
For quantitative studies, to determine the minimum sample size of clean data, learners may use G*power analysis by changing power (1-β) to .80 and changing alpha (α) to align with the corresponding alpha of the hypothesis.
Students can download G*power by following this link and the instructions: https://www.psychologie.hhu.de/arbeitsgruppen/allgemeine-psychologie-und-arbeitspsychologie/gpower.html (or search G*power in Google)

Population, Target Population, and Sample
10/9/2019
G*Power Results

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Objectives:
This outline is used to ensure there is an appropriate and reachable target population.
In the Proposal this outline becomes a section in Chapter 3.

Instrumentation
10/9/2019

Instrument #1:
PERMA-Profiler (Butler & Kern, 2016)

PERMA Profiler is a 23-item scale designed to measure five pillars of well-being (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment) along with negative emotion and health.
Questions are on an 11-point scale ranging from 0 – 10.
There are 15 PERMA questions (3 per domain) with health, negative emotion, loneliness, and overall happiness questions as fillers, which provide additional information.
The PERMA profiler provides ordinal data.
Validity/Reliability: Butler and Kern (2016) identified that the PERMA Profiler demonstrated acceptable model fit, internal and cross-time consistency, and evidence for content, convergent, and divergent validity. The measure also reflects the multi-dimensional nature of well-being/subjective happiness by monitoring multiple psychosocial domains.

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Objectives:
This outline is used to identify the types and structure of each data source.
This outline is then used to develop the section on Sources of Data in Chapter 3 in the Proposal.

Slide Requirements:
Identify each instrument.
For each instrument: describe the instrument in detail, including:
The variable(s) for which it will provide data.
Validity of the instrument to provide data for the variable(s).
Reliability of the instrument to provide data for the variable(s).
The level of measurement provided by the instrument.
If needed, add columns for additional instruments (or delete extra columns)

Hints:
Instruments must have established validity and reliability for measuring the variables
If you are using a previously published measurement instrument, you should discuss the characteristics of the instrument in detail.
I.e., for a validated survey, describe:
The structure of the instrument, including subscales, etc..
The type and number of items or questions per scale and/or subscale.
The statistical scale of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio) of data obtained from the instrument.
There are differences between Likert items and Likert scales. While Likert items are ordinal, one can argue that a Likert scale is interval. It is recommended, if possible, learner use parametric statistics, which require interval or ratio data.
If your research data will come from an electronic database (archival, or secondary data), identify the database and indicate exactly how the data will be obtained or accessed.
Reliability is typically established with Cronbach’s alpha.
A factor analysis is typically used to help establish validity of an instrument.

Data Collection Steps: Slide 1
Required permissions
Site approval
Not applicable to present study. Information gathered online only.
Permission to use each instrument
PERMA-Profiler Scale granted for all non-commercial use
If using archival data, permission to use the data
Not applicable to present study. Archival data is not being used.
Obtaining administrative guide and validation information on each instrument from owner/literature
Complete the Well-Being Questionnaire Registration for the PERMA-Profiler.
Download administrative guides and pertinent information from respective web sites.
GCU Chair and Committee Approvals
Provide Dissertation Proposal Template and other requested deliverables (Chapters 1-3) to Chair/Committee within the agreed upon timeframe.
AQR Approval
Attend Dissertation Research Ready and Research Ready trainings, and obtain certificates.
Provide all required documents for Proposal Defense process- Obtain D-35 form.
IRB Approval
Complete IRB Draft Documents/Obtain D-50 form.
Consent form from individual participants
Obtain appropriate consent prior to allowing participants to complete survey instruments.

Required permissions/approvals (prior to data collection)

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Objectives:
There are four separate slides that will comprise the data collection section in the Prospectus and the proposal.
These set of four slides are used in bullet format in the Prospectus. They then provide the outline for the Data Collection section in Chapter 3 in the Proposal.
This Slide: This first slide only discusses all of the permissions required.
**Note: Do not alter the names on the slides, and do not change the order of the four data collection slides or the bullets within them. It is important to show the bullets in the order in which they would occur. **

Slide Requirements:
Modify each bullet point to be specific to your study, and if you do not believe the bullet is relevant for your study put in a statement justifying why not.
Required Bullets:
Site approval
Permission to use each instrument or data source
Obtaining administrative guide and validation information on each data sources from owner/literature
GCU Chair and Committee Approvals
AQR Approval
IRB Approval
Consent form from individual participants
Results of the field tests for qualitative studies
Results of the expert panel review for qualitative instruments such as interviews or observations

Hint:
If site authorization is not required, state the reason.
Unless otherwise specified, site authorization(s) are valid one year from the date of signature.

Data Collection Steps: Slide 2
Sampling Strategy and Sample Selection
10/9/2019

Strategy #1
Purposive Sampling
Strategy #2
Snowball Sampling
Strategy #3
Quota Sampling

Sampling Strategy Description
Purposive sampling involves participants that are selected from a pre-specified group and on pre-defined criteria related to the topic of study (Nechval & Nechval, 2016).

Snowball sampling refers to a form of sampling where study participants are recruited by other participants, creating a snowball effect (Allen, 2017).
Quota sampling requires a researcher to curate a tailored sample that is proportionate to specific traits of a population (Yang & Banamah, 2014).

Sampling Steps
Participants approached via Qualtrics and provided with link to informed consent and survey. Complete the process again until desired number of respondents submit survey.

Participants approached via social media and provided with a link to Survey Monkey. Participants are asked to share invitation to their social network. Process repeated until desired number of respondents submit survey.
Participants approached via social media and provided with a link to Survey Monkey. Participants are chosen for respective categories based on the brief demographic data that is provided.

Sampling Selection Criteria
Adult Facebook users (35-55) living in the United States

Adult Facebook users (35-55) living in the United States
Adult Facebook users (35-55) living in the United States

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Objectives:
There are four separate slides that will comprise the data collection section in the Prospectus and the proposal.
These set of four slides are used in bullet format in the Prospectus. They then provide the outline for the Data Collection section in Chapter 3 in the Proposal.
This Slide: This second slide only discusses the sampling strategy and then the steps for the sampling process.
**Note: Do not alter the names on the slides, and do not change the order of the four data collection slides or the bullets within them. It is important to show the bullets in the order in which they would occur. **

Slide Requirements:
Sampling Strategy Description: Citing an authoritative source define and describe each sampling strategy.
Sampling Steps: State the steps taken for the sampling process for each strategy.
Sampling Criteria: Identify the criteria for selecting your sample.

Hints:
Some sampling strategies could be convenience, purposive, random, and snowball.
Even if only one sampling strategy will be used, identify “Plan B” and “Plan C” if the first plan falls through or does not provide the minimum sample size or enough data for quantitative analysis.

Data Collection Steps: Slide 3
Collecting the Data
Step 1: Invitation for participation
Invitation shared via Qualtrics for participants meeting study criteria.
Study participants must be 35-55 years of age, have an open Facebook account accessed by an iPhone device, and living in the United States at the time of participation.
Step 2: Obtain informed consent
Consent to be obtained through Qualtrics prior to participation in study. No parties will be allowed to participate without appropriate consent indicating that they are aware of the purpose, nominal risks, and potential benefits of their participation (Nijhawan et al., 2013).
Step 3: Obtain brief demographic data
Study participants will be asked to provide age, gender, country of residence, and upload screenshot of 10-day usage log from iPhone settings provided via Qualtrics. Participation to occur through phone, tablet, or computer.

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Objectives:
There are four separate slides that will comprise the data collection section in the Prospectus and the proposal.
These set of four slides are used in bullet format in the Prospectus. They then provide the outline for the Data Collection section in Chapter 3 in the Proposal.
This Slide: This third slide only discusses the specific detailed steps to collect the data.
**Note: Do not alter the names on the slides, and do not change the order of the four data collection slides or the bullets within them. It is important to show the bullets in the order in which they would occur. **

Slide Requirements:
Provide step-by-step detailed instructions regarding how you plan to collect your data.
Steps should detail how each instrument will be completed by the participants, including:
How you plan to obtain informed consent(s).
How each instrument will be completed (who, what, when, how, where)
Discuss any demographic information you plan to obtain and when.
Present the steps in chronological order for each instrument.

Hints:
This slide should be sufficiently thorough such that another researcher could use the instructions to collect your data for you.
23

Data Collection Steps: Slide 3
Collecting the Data
Step 4: Administer testing instruments
Distribute PERMA-Profiler Scale via Qualtrics (Butler & Kern, 2016). Participants asked to provide self-report on 23-item scale. Participation to occur through phone, tablet, or computer.
Step 5: Debrief
Provide information regarding whether/how the participants can receive information about the results of the study, contact information for questions, research references, and provide instructions should participants experience emotional discomfort (Cantrell, 2008).

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Objectives:
There are four separate slides that will comprise the data collection section in the Prospectus and the proposal.
These set of four slides are used in bullet format in the Prospectus. They then provide the outline for the Data Collection section in Chapter 3 in the Proposal.
This Slide: This third slide only discusses the specific detailed steps to collect the data.
**Note: Do not alter the names on the slides, and do not change the order of the four data collection slides or the bullets within them. It is important to show the bullets in the order in which they would occur. **

Hints:
This slide should be sufficiently thorough such that another researcher could use the instructions to collect your data for you.
24

Data Collection Steps: Slide 4
Data Management and Storage
Data Management and Storage
Electronic data to be held on password protected computer (Hart et al., 2016).
Data will be stored for 3 years and then destroyed (Administrators and the Responsible Conduct of Research, 2021).
Additional back-up copy stored in a password protected cloud-based storage device on a computer at researcher’s home (Hart et al., 2016).
Data will be protected by password (Hart et al., 2016).
Confidentiality and/or anonymity will be maintained indefinitely (Kaiser, 2009).
A “de-identified” copy of all data and the data analysis will be stored in the LDP, in the folder that will be placed there for this data for AQR reviewers to review the data and data analysis.

10/9/2019

CONFIDENTIAL
GCU – For Internal Use Only

Objectives:
There are four separate slides that will comprise the data collection section in the Prospectus and the proposal.
These set of four slides are used in bullet format in the Prospectus. They then provide the outline for the Data Collection section in Chapter 3 in the Proposal.
This Slide: This fourth slide only discusses the data management and storage process.
**Note: Do not alter the names on the slides, and do not change the order of the four data collection slides or the bullets within them. It is important to show the bullets in the order in which they would occur. **

Slide Requirements:
Answer the four questions on the slide:
Where will you store the data?
How long will you store the data?
How will you protect the data?
How will you destroy the data?

Hints:
Be sure to address all data if management will be different for different data.
Protecting data includes participant personal identifiable information.
Visit https://dc.gcu.edu/irb for resources and additional information.

Data Analysis Steps: Slide 1
RQ#1– Simple Linear Regression
Step 1: Clean and compile the data
Data will be collected electronically using Qualtrics.
Incomplete surveys will be eliminated (Van den Broeck et al., 2005).
c. Participant responses who do not meet established criteria for sample will be eliminated (Van den Broeck et al., 2005).
Step 2: Calculate descriptive statistics
a. Gather brief demographic information including age, gender, country of residence
b. Administer self-report measures regarding Facebook usage and subjective-happiness.
c. Measure internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha (Cho & Kim, 2015).
Step 3: Use simple linear regression to determine if time spent on Facebook predicts subjective happiness.
a. Simple linear regression will be used to determine whether differences in the predictor variable can assist to explain differences in the criterion variable (Laerd Statistics, 2020).

10/9/2019

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Objectives:
The following slides show the approach to cover for quantitative analysis.
The information on this slide will be used to inform the Data Analysis section of Ch. 3
This set of step may require more than one slide.

Slide Requirements:
Replace the subtitle with the analytic test used (i.e., Pearson correlation, Multiple Linear Regression, independent samples t-test, ANOVA, etc.).
Identify each step you will take to analyze the data.
Create a slide for each hypothesis or set of hypotheses if an analysis addresses multiple hypotheses. Two are included in this template. If a third or more are needed, duplicate this slide.

Hints:
Many learners use Laerd.com for determining the proper statistical analysis and learning the chronological steps needed to complete that analysis. Visit https://dc.gcu.edu/documents/tools/researchtools/statistical-research-folder/laerd_statistics for a discount code.
If applicable, don’t forget to include cleaning the data, program(s) used if any, descriptive statistics for the variables and demographic data, etc.

Data Analysis Steps: Slide 2
RQ #1 – Simple Linear Regression
Step 4: Assumptions Testing
a. A continuous dependent variable is present (Laerd Statistics, 2020).
b. A continuous independent variable is present(Laerd Statistics, 2020).
c. Linear relationship between the two variables tested through plotting a scatterplot and visually inspect the graph (Schoeber et al., 2018).
d. Independence of observations is present (Laerd Statistics, 2020).
e. Homoscedasticity is present (Yang et al., 2019).
f. No significant outliers tested through inspecting the scatterplot of your two variables (Laerd Statistics, 2020).
g. Residuals of the regression line are somewhat normally distributed (Laerd Statistics, 2020).
h. if assumption is not met, the researcher may make corrections to the data to meet the assumptions, use an alternative statistical test, or proceed with the analysis despite assumption violations (Laerd Statistics, 2020).

10/9/2019

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Feasibility – Slide 1
Resources for study:
GCU Chair and committee approval needed- submit for approval per GCU policy
AQR approval needed-submit for approval per GCU policy
IRB approval needed-submit for approval per GCU policy
Participant informed consent needed-Obtain informed consent via Qualtrics prior to participation in surveys
Site approval not applicable: Information gathered online only
Written permission for planned testing instruments granted for all non-commercial purposes
Obtain administrative guide and validation information on each data source from owner/literature
Accessibility to target sample through internet/social networking sites.
Collection of responses via online survey distributed through Qualtrics.
CITI training is completed

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Objectives:
Identify and discuss the feasibility of your proposed study based on the Feasibility & Benefits Checklist located in the Dissertation Template appendices.
The information on this slide will be used to inform the Ethical Considerations section in Ch. 3.
As part of preparation for this slide, you will complete the Feasibility & Benefits Checklist located in the dissertation template appendices, a required appendix in your dissertation.

Slide Requirements:
Complete the following bullets in order of presentation:
Resources for Study:
What, if any, authorization(s) are required as well as how you will obtain authorization? If no authorization is needed, why not?
What, if any, access to site resources will you need? (i.e., building access, computer programs, etc.)
Additional trainings necessary (i.e., instrument certifications, etc.)
Any other resources you will need to complete this study.
Ethical Concerns/Considerations:
What risks, if any, are present? How will you mitigate these risks?
What benefits are there to participants?
Study Alignment with Program:
Identify your degree program
Describe how your study aligns with your overall degree program (i.e. Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, General Psychology, etc.).
Feasibility Concerns:
What obstacles might you face, and what are your backup plans?
Based on the information you have learned, is your study feasible? Why or why not? How can you make your study more manageable?

Hints:
Visit https://dc.gcu.edu/irb for additional resources and information

Feasibility – Slide 1cont.
Ethical Concerns:
Participants must complete informed consent before participation in survey responses. Study participants will be provided information regarding nature and purpose of research.
Benefit to participants: Increased understanding of social media habits and increased awareness regarding a potential correlation between Facebook usage and subjective happiness.
Participation is completely voluntary, and participants can decline to answer any questions and can withdraw from the study at any time with no penalty.
The researcher will have the interests of the participants in mind and strive to do no harm, minimizing risk of harm, and maximizing the benefits of research to protect human welfare (Belmont Report, 1979).
Selection of participants is fair and equally distributed as much as possible (Belmont Report, 1979).
Great care will be taken to avoid exploitation to vulnerable populations (Belmont Report, 1979).

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Hints:
Visit https://dc.gcu.edu/irb for additional resources and information

Feasibility – Slide 2
Study Alignment with Program (Identify Program of Study):
The proposed study examines subjective happiness which impacts overall well-being. Increased well-being is associated with higher cognitive functioning, which aligns with a degree program in psychology with an emphasis on cognition and instruction (Llewellyn, Lang, Langa & Huppert, 2008).
Feasibility Concerns:
In order to minimize concerns regarding the acquisition of the appropriate number of complete responses, Qualtrics will be utilized as the method for data collection.
The proposed study is designed to remain feasible. A predictive correlational design is manageable, data analysis is possible using SPSS, and the sample size is practical. In order to maintain feasibility, the doctoral learner will establish and maintain proper alignment with the study and will focus on research that is relevant to the problem space.

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Hints:
Visit https://dc.gcu.edu/irb for additional resources and information

Defend
Questions
Feedback

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Objectives:
This slide is a placeholder for your defense of your topic to your residency instructor, peers, and/or dissertation committee.
Learners should be prepared to answer questions about their study, including the key points, alignment, and feasibility.

Next steps
Continue to locate empirical journal articles
Add to literature review
Identify and secure content expert-pending
Update 10 Strategic Point/Prospectus PowerPoint point as needed
Obtain administrative guide and validation information on each data source from owner/literature
Work on chapters 1-3

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Objective:
Encourage project management by the learner to prepare for and work on the dissertation.

Slide Requirements:
Discuss next steps you plan to take to prepare for and work on your dissertation.

Hints:
List of Next Steps (might) include (customize to your study):
Create/update your detailed dissertation project plan using the Dissertation Milestone Guide
DC Network
Review resources on Identifying a Content Expert. Begin the process to identify a potential Content Expert that may be interested in serving on your committee
Review the IRB Research Center resources for the Institutional Review Board process and CIT requirements
Complete CITI Training
Continue to gather and organize (5 years and newer) empirical articles on related topic
Review the Dissertation Template, Develop an outline/draft of Chapter 2 (Literature Review) and Chapters 1 & 3 as well.

List of References
Administrators and the Responsible Conduct of Research. (2021, March 23). Retention of data. https://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/rcradmin/topics/data/tutorial_11.shtml
Allen, M. (2017). The Sage encyclopedia of communication research methods (Vols. 1-4). SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483381411
Asenahabi, B. (2019). Basics of research design: A guide to selecting appropriate research design. International Journal of Contemporary Applied Researches, 6(5), 76-89. http://www.ijcar.net/assets/pdf/Vol6-No5-May2019/07.-Basics-of- Research-Design-A-Guide-to-selecting-appropriate-research-design
Aspers, P., & Corte, U. (2019). What is qualitative in qualitative research. Qualitative Sociology 42(1), 139–160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11133-019-9413-7
Barreto, M., Victor, C., Hammond, C., Eccles, A., Richins, M., & Qualter, P. (2021). Loneliness around the world: Age, gender, and cultural differences in loneliness. Personality and Individual Differences, 169(1), 110066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110066
Bekalu, M., McCloud, R., & Viswanath, K. (2019). Association of social media use with social well-being, positive mental health, and self-rated health: Disentangling routine use from emotional connection to use. Health Education & Behavior, 46(2), 69-80. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198119863768
Bergagna, E., & Tartaglia, S. (2018). Self-esteem, social comparison, and Facebook use. European Journal of Psychology, 14(4), 831-845. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v14i4.1592
Berryman, C., Ferguson, C., & Negy, C. (2018). Social media use and mental health among young adults. The Psychiatric Quarterly, 89(2), 307–314. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-017-9535-6
Bloomfield, J., & Fisher, M. (2019). Quantitative research design. JARNA : The Official Journal of the Australasian Rehabilitation Nurses’ Association, 22(2), 27–30. https://doi.org/10.33235/jarna.22.2.27-30

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Slide Requirements:
Include a fully APA-formatted reference for each citation used in the slides.

List of References
Butler, J., & Kern, M. (2016). The PERMA-Profiler: A brief multidimensional measure of flourishing. International Journal of Wellbeing, 6(3), 1-48. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v6i3.526
Cacioppo, J., & Cacioppo, S. (2018). Loneliness in the modern age: An evolutionary theory of loneliness (ETL). In J. M. Olson (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology: Vol. 58. Advances in experimental social psychology (p. 127– 197). Elsevier Academic Press.
Cacioppo, J., & Cacioppo, S. (2018). The growing problem of loneliness. Correspondence, 391(10119), 426. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30142-9
Cantrell, M. (2008). The importance of debriefing in clinical simulations. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 4(2), 19-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2008.06.006
Castellacci, F., & Tveito, V. (2018). Internet use and well-being: A survey and a theoretical framework. Research Policy, 47(1), 308- 325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2017.11.007
Cho, E., & Kim, S. (2015). Cronbach’s coefficient alpha: Well known but poorly understood. Organizational Research Methods, 18(2), 207–230. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428114555994
Clark, J., Algoe, S., & Green, M. (2018). Social network sites and well-being: The role of social connection. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(1), 32–37. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721417730833
Curtis, E., Comiskey, C., & Dempsey, O. (2015). Importance and use of correlational research. Nurse Reacher, 23(6), 20-25. https://doi.org/10.7748/nr.2016.e1382
Dawson, T. (1997, January 23-25). A primer on experimental and quasi experimental design. Southwest Educational Research Association. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED406440

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Slide Requirements:
Include a fully APA-formatted reference for each citation used in the slides.

List of References
Duradoni, M., Innocenti, F., & Guazzini, A. (2020). Well-being and social media: A systematic review of Bergen Addiction Scales. Future Internet, 12(2), 24. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi12020024
Elfil, M., & Negida, A. (2017). Sampling methods in clinical research: An educational review. Emergency, 5(1), e52. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5325924/
Ellison, N., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook “friends”: Social capital and college students’ use of online social network sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(1), 1143-1168. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00367.x
Faelens, L., Hoorelbeke, K., Soenens, B., Van Gaeveren, K., De Marez, R., De Raedt, R. & Koster, E. (2021). Social media use and well-being: A prospective experience-sampling study. Computers in Human Behavior, 114(1), 106510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106510
Farrelly, P. (2013). Choosing the right method for a quantitative study. British Journal of School Nursing, 8(1), 42-44. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjsn.2013.8.1.42
Fredrickson, B. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3122271/
Freire, T., & Ferreira, G. (2019). Do I need to be positive to be happy? Considering the role of self-esteem, life satisfaction, and psychological distress in Portuguese adolescents’ subjective happiness. Psychological Reports, 0(0), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294119846064
Frey, B. (2018). The SAGE encyclopedia of educational research, measurement, and evaluation (Vols. 1-4). SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781506326139
Frey, B., & Stutzer, A. (2002). Happiness and economics. Princeton University Press.

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Slide Requirements:
Include a fully APA-formatted reference for each citation used in the slides.

List of References
Giuffre, M. (1997). Designing research: Ex post facto designs. Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing, 12(3), 191–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1089-9472(97)80038-X
Gravetter, F., Wallnau, L., Forzano, L., & Witnauer, J. (2019). Essentials of statistics for the behavioral sciences (10th ed.). Cengage.
Hagan, T. (2014). Measurements in quantitative research: How to select and report on research instruments. Oncology Nursing Forum, 41(4), 431–433. https://doi.org/10.1188/14.ONF.431-433
Harris, A., McGregor, J., Perencevich, E., Furuno, J., Zhu, J., Peterson, D., & Finkelstein, J. (2006). The use and interpretation of quasi-experimental studies in medical informatics. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA, 13(1), 16–23. https://doi.org/10.1197/jamia.M1749
Hart, E., Barmby, P., LeBauer, D., Michonneau, F., Mount, S., Mulrooney, P., Poisot, T., Woo, K., Zimmerman, N., & Hollister, J. (2016). Ten simple rules for digital data storage. PLoS Computational Biology, 12(10), e1005097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005097
Huang, C. (2010). Internet use and psychological well-being: A meta-analysis. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 13(3), 241-249. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2009.0217
Hunsaker, A., & Hargittai, E. (2018). A review of internet use among older adults. New Media & Society, 20(10), 3937– 3954. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444818787348
Hunt, M., Marx, R., Lipson, C., & Young, J. (2018). No more FOMO: Limiting social media decreases loneliness and depression. Journal of Clinical and Social Psychology, 37(10). https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2018.37.10.751
Johnson, J., Adkins, D., & Chauvin, S. (2020). A review of the quality indicators of rigor in qualitative research. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 84(1), 138-146. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe7120

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Slide Requirements:
Include a fully APA-formatted reference for each citation used in the slides.

List of References
Johnson, R. B., & Turner, L. A. (2003). Data collection strategies in mixed methods research. A. Tashakkori, and C. Teddlie (Ed.), Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral research (pp. 297–319). Sage.
Kaiser K. (2009). Protecting respondent confidentiality in qualitative research. Qualitative Health Research, 19(11), 1632–1641. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732309350879
Karim, F., Oyewande, A., Abdalla, L., Chaudhry Ehsanullah, R., & Khan, S. (2020). Social media use and its connection to mental health: A systematic review. Cureus, 12(6), e8627. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.8627
Kern, M., Waters, L., Alder, A., & White, M. (2014). Assessing employee wellbeing in schools using a multifaceted approach: Associations with physical health, life satisfaction and professional thriving. Psychology, 5(1), 500–513. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2014.56060
Kross, E., Verduyn, P., Sheppes, G., Costello, C., Jonides, J., & Ybarra, O. (2021). Social media and well-being: Pitfalls, progress, and next steps. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 25(1), 55-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2020.10.005
Laerd Statistics. (2020). SPSS statistics tutorials and statistical guides. https:// statistics.laerd.com/features-writing-up.php
Lavrakas, P. (2008). Encyclopedia of survey research methods (Vols. 1-0). Sage Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412963947
Llewellyn, D., Lang, I., Langa, K., & Huppert, F. (2008). Cognitive function and psychological well-being: Findings from a population-based cohort. Age and Ageing, 37(6), 685–689. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afn194
Marengo, D., Montag, C., Sindermann, C., Elhai, J., & Settanni, M. (2021). Examining the links between active Facebook use, received likes, self-esteem and happiness: A study using objective social media data. Telematics and Informatics, 58(1), 101523. https://doi.org/10/1016/j.tele.2020.101523

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Slide Requirements:
Include a fully APA-formatted reference for each citation used in the slides.

List of References
McCusker, K., & Gunaydin, S. (2015). Research using qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods and choice based on the research. Perfusion, 30(7), 537–542. https://doi.org/10.1177/0267659114559116
Middleton, L., Hall, H., & Raeside, R. (2019). Applications and applicability of Social Cognitive Theory in information science research. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 51(4), 927–937. https://doi.org/10.1177/0961000618769985
Mirriam-Webster. (2020). Happiness. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. https://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/happiness
Moody, E. (2001). Internet use and its relationship to loneliness. Cyberpsychology & Behavior 4(3), 393-401. https://doi.org/10.1089/109493101300210303.
Nijhawan, L., Janodia, M., Muddukrishna, B., Bhat, K., Bairy, K., Udupa, N., & Musmade, P. (2013). Informed consent: Issues and challenges. Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology & Research, 4(3), 134–140. https://doi.org/10.4103/2231-4040.116779
Nimon, K. (2012). Statistical assumptions of substantive analyses across the general linear model: A mini-review. Frontiers in Psychology, 3(1), 322. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00322
Omair, A. (2015). Selecting the appropriate study design for your research: Descriptive study designs. Journal of Health Specialties, 3(1), 153-156. https://doi.org/10.4103/1658-600X.159892

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Slide Requirements:
Include a fully APA-formatted reference for each citation used in the slides.

List of References

Phu, B., & Gow, A. (2019). Facebook use and its association with subjective happiness and loneliness. Computers in Human Behavior, 92(1), 151-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.11.020
Pittman, M. (2018). Happiness, loneliness, and social media: Perceived intimacy mediates the emotional benefits of platform use. The Journal of Social Media in Society, 7(2), 164-176. https://www.thejsms.org/tsmri/index.php/TSMRI/article/view/384
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton University Press.
Rusk, R. & Waters, D. (2015). A psycho-social system approach to well-being: Empirically deriving the five domains of positive functioning. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10(2), 141–152. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2014.920409
Sahin, M., & Ozturk, G. (2019). Mixed method research: Theoretical foundations, designs and its use in educational research. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 6(2), 301-310. https://eds-a-ebscohost
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