Posted: January 18th, 2024

Theoretical Foundations in Scientific Research

Theoretical Foundations in Scientific Research:

For research to have scientific merit, it must contribute to the theories in the field of interest. For you, this means the research must contribute to psychological theories. Remember that a theory is a way to organize related observations into a potential descriptive, explanatory, or predictive statement. Contributions to theory can take different forms. Most commonly, research advances theory by confirming or disconfirming it. Research can also advance theory by generating new theory and by expanding or modifying theory.

For this assignment, consider the theoretical framework for the research topic you are developing for your dissertation:

Describe a theory that provides the theoretical framework for the research study. Make sure to describe the tenets of the theory, and clearly explain the phenomenon it describes and what predictions it makes.
Describe how the theory has been used in previous research on your topic and within your specialization.
Select an article from your literature review on your topic that has used the theory and explain how the researchers used it to guide the development of the research and interpret the data. How did the research contribute to the theory? For example, did it confirm or refute the theory or how the research extended the application of the theory.
Explain how the research idea you are developing for your dissertation would contribute to the theory or theories. What limitations will your research have in terms of advancing the theory or theories?
Consider that for a research study to have scientific merit, it must contribute to theory. Ace my homework – Write my paper – Online assignment help tutors – Discuss why.
Ensure that your assignment includes proper Ace homework tutors – APA citations. Provide an Ace homework tutors – APA references list at the end of the assignment.

Describe a theory that provides the theoretical framework for the research study.
One theory that is commonly used as a framework in psychological research is Albert Bandura’s social learning theory. According to social learning theory, people learn new behaviors both through direct experience as well as by observing and modeling the actions of others (Bandura, 1977). Some key tenets of social learning theory include the concepts of observational learning, imitation, and self-efficacy. The theory posits that when people observe a model performing a behavior and the consequences of that behavior, they remember the sequence of events and use this information to guide subsequent behaviors. Social learning theory has been widely applied to understand phenomena like aggression, prosocial behaviors, academic achievement, and health behaviors (Miller & Dollard, 1941; Bandura, 1986).
Describe how the theory has been used in previous research on your topic and within your specialization.
Social learning theory has been applied in prior research examining topics like bullying behaviors in schools (Salmivalli et al., 1996), risk-taking behaviors in adolescents (Albert & Steinberg, 2011), and health behaviors like physical activity (Anderson et al., 2001). Within the field of educational psychology, social learning theory has also guided studies on topics such as classroom management (Evertson & Emmer, 2013), motivation and self-regulation (Schunk & Zimmerman, 1997), and development of self-efficacy and achievement beliefs (Pajares, 1996).
Select an article from your literature review on your topic that has used the theory and explain how the researchers used it to guide the development of the research and interpret the data. How did the research contribute to the theory?
For example, a study by Allen et al. (2016: 2024 – Do my homework – Help write my assignment online) examined how college students’ alcohol use is influenced by perceived social norms and observational learning. The researchers developed their hypotheses based on key constructs from social learning theory, predicting that students who overestimate peer drinking and affiliate with heavier drinking peers would report higher personal alcohol consumption. Their findings provided support for social learning theory and added to our understanding of how observational learning processes influence health risk behaviors during emerging adulthood.
Explain how the research idea you are developing for your dissertation would contribute to the theory or theories. What limitations will your research have in terms of advancing the theory or theories?
For example, if your dissertation research examines how peer modeling on social media platforms influences adolescents’ body image and dieting behaviors, it could expand social learning theory by demonstrating how observational learning occurs through online social networks today. However, limitations may include an inability to directly observe or measure cognitive processes like attention and memory involved in observational learning. The study would provide a correlational test of theory rather than an experimental manipulation.
Consider that for a research study to have scientific merit, it must contribute to theory. Ace my homework – Write my paper – Online assignment help tutors – Discuss why.
You make an excellent point. For research to be considered rigorous and advance scientific knowledge, it should contribute meaningfully to existing theories or frameworks. By grounding hypotheses and research questions in well-established theory, researchers demonstrate how their work builds upon a foundation of prior work and advances theoretical understanding of a phenomenon. Even null or unexpected findings can contribute by prompting refinements to theory. Situating a study within the relevant theoretical literature also helps ensure the work adds value rather than duplicating past efforts. Overall, connecting research aims explicitly to theory is important for establishing scientific merit and positioning the work as a logical next step in a line of scholarly inquiry.

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