Methodology Chapter on "Mass Media Affecting Acculturation Level for Taiwanese"

Methodology Chapter 5 pages (1745 words) Sources: 3

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Mass Media Affecting Acculturation Level for Taiwanese College English as Second Langugae Learners Aged 18-25

To conduct this relational study a descriptive research method adapting self-report survey instruments will be utilized. This will include an online survey as well as a snowballing questionnaire.

This particular method of data collection has been chosen for a number of reasons. In general, self -- reporting has been shown to provide the widest range of data and allows for a more comprehensive sample and respondent base; which will in turn enable the analysis of the both the central and peripheral variables to be more inclusive, providing more verifiable results. However, it is important to be more specific about the choice of this particular methodology.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Self -- Reports as a Methodology

The self-report method was used as it was considered to be the most appropriate methodology to test the central hypothesis of this study as McDonald (2008) states in a study entitled, Measuring Personality Constructs: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Self-Reports, Informant Reports and Behavioural Assessments, the validity of a measurement device"…refers to the extent to which it actually measures what it intends to measure. Construct validity, then, refers to the accuracy of a measurement of the theoretical concept & #8230;" (McDonald, 2008, p.1).

The study also asks the important question as to whether is possible to measure personality and behavior in the same way that one would measure physical attributes. The author refers to the fact that self-reporting as a measurement of perception and personality is used extensively in modern research and that, "…98% of the studies assessing personality traits published in the Journal of Research in Personality in 2003 used self-report measures (McDonald, 2008, p.2).

The advantages of self reports as well as informant reports in terms of behavioral assessment are as follows. In the first instance, the individual can provide a great deal of insight and information in a simple five-factor response model and the through the expression of certain "…relatively enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and actions" (McDonald, 2008, p.2). Furthermore, self -- reports can provide a wealth of data not easily accessed by other means. "…no one else has access to more Information… than oneself, and this information is rich with motivational and other introspective details that others might not be aware of…" (McDonald, 2008, p.2). Self reported questionnaires are also advantageous in that the respondents are likely to be "…more motivated to talk about themselves than others, and they identify with the questions in ways that others do not" (McDonald, 2008, p.3).

On the other hand one also has to take into account the fact that, "…self-reports are a fallible source of data, and minor changes in question wording, question format, or question context can result in major changes in the obtained results" (McDonald, 2008, p.3).There are many potential problems which the researcher has to be cognizant of. These include the fact that self-reports may include biases. This was an aspect that was catered for in the present study.

Advantages of Online Surveys

In this study the self-reporting method is combined with online surveys and snowballing questionnaires. The use of online surveys is a methodology that has become increasingly more accepted as a research method to collect data about individual perceptions. Whereas previously online surveys were seen as somewhat clumsy and difficult to implement and unreliable in some regards, improvements in communications technology and survey implementations online has altered this view. As one study on this topic notes; "Studies of online populations have led to an increase in the use of online surveys, presenting scholars with new challenges in terms of applying traditional survey research methods to the study of online behavior and Internet use…" ( Wright, 2005). Wright also notes that, "Today, survey authoring software packages and online survey services make online survey research much easier and faster." & #8230;" ( Wright, 2005) .

One of the most obvious advantages is that technology enables access to interview respondents who reside in distant locations and who may be difficult to reach. Furthermore, a decided advantage of this method is that it provides automated data collection, which frees the research for analysis and variable collation, rather than spending time on data collection ( Wright, 2005) .

There are however certain disadvantages that have to be considered -- one of which is the important concern about the validity of the data that is received. There are also concerns that have been noted in various studies which refer to issues "… surrounding the design, implementation, and evaluation of an online survey" ( Wright, 2005).

However, a central factor in favor of this form and method of data collection is that the radically improved access to computers and the decrease in bandwidth costs has meant that more people make use of the Internet and this in turn ensures a large and representative data base from which to draw respondents (Fox et al., 2001). This view is endorsed by many studies on the effectiveness of online survey techniques. "Communication researchers may find the Internet an especially rich domain for conducting survey research. Virtual communities have flourished online, and hundreds of thousands of people regularly participate in discussions about almost every conceivable issue and interest & #8230;" ( Wright, 2005).

In this regard, the current proliferation of networking and virtual communities works to the advantage of the online researcher. As Furlong, (1989) and Wright (2000) state, the networking and virtual communities that exist online offer various facilities and mechanisms that allow the researcher to gain access to individuals with similar interests and experiences -- which is an obvious advantage with regard to the topic and aim of this thesis. As Wright ( 2005) claims, "In contrast, with traditional survey research methods it may be more difficult to reach a large number of demographically-similar & #8230; people" ( Wright, 2005).

While this method was used for this research, cognizance was also taken of the aforementioned disadvantages; particularly the potential problem with regard to sampling. As Wright ( 2005) notes, "When conducting online research, investigators can encounter problems as regards sampling & #8230; for example, relatively little may be known about the characteristics of people in online communities, aside from some basic demographic variables, and even this information may be questionable" (Wright, 2005)

However, the choice of this methodology is fully supported by studies of online survey methods which find that "…response rates in email surveys are equal to or better than those for traditional mailed surveys "(Wright, 2005).

Snowballing as a technique was also used in the collections and collation of data. The reason for this is that this method is more effective than random sampling and provides a more even distribution of responses.

Taking the above discussion into account, the following practical methodology will be implemented.

Participants and Procedures

The framed sampling population of this study includes the following: Taiwanese undergraduate students aged 18-25 enrolling at National Accredited College-level institution in the Taipei Suburban area. This is the target group that will complete a questionnaire. A total of 200 participants will be taken into account in terms of the criterion and related variables. An announcement will be posted in each of this college's foreign department learning websites to solicit data and information and participation in the study. Remaining samples will be collected through email lists provided by the department and a survey at the participants' convenience. This methodology will follow the aspects noted above, especially with regard to possible disadvantages of this technique.

The pre-designed questionnaire is geared toward eliciting information related to hours of exposure to the three specified mass media and variables corresponding to the acculturation level. Most measure will be Likert scales and reliabilities will be reported as Cronbach's alpha. The questionnaire will be divided into three sections - questions about the media exposure per day and week, acculturation and other pertinent variables. The project will be approved by the required Human Subjects Board. I will also adapt a technique known as 'convenience sampling', which is defined as "… interviews conducted frequently by television news programs to get a quick (although nonrepresentative) reading of public opinion" (Nonprobability Sampling). This will allow for a more inclusive approach, bearing in mind the issue of non-representation.

Predicator Variables

The descriptive statistical calculation will be based on hours per viewing of each of the three mass media avenues: namely, Taipei Time Newspaper, ICRT (International Community Radio Taipei), morning news broadcasting and TV news broadcasting program at night by FTV. As categorical units break down to how many hours approximately that one voluntarily imbibes these forms of mass media per week, this will allow for as close examination of variations; for example, "How many hours; 0-1,3-4,6-7,10-11 do you view TV news broadcasting program." It should be noted that accessibility to each of these three English mass media is generally good.

Criterion Variable: Acculturation Levels

Respondents will complete a revised version of Szapocznik Bicultural involvement and Adjustment Scale for Hispanic-American Youths (Szapocznik, 1980). This… READ MORE

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