My PhD Journey

Do girls experience a greater increase in confidence than boys after an intensive math intervention? Tips: Get literature that spell out inconsistencies between boys and girls. Some scholars told boys are better but let say in the Malaysian context, people are not sure about which gender become greater increase in confidence after intensive Math intervention. This can be studied using gender as moderating variable whereas greater confidence as DV while Intensive Math Intervention as Independent variable       Does the program work better or worse in Urban areas as compared to rural ones? Tips: Here program effectiveness as DV while program implementation as IV, with population differences as moderating variable. Researcher wants to see the specificity of effect. Researcher segregates the group to urban and rural by looking at how urban and rural people react towards the program implementation. By doing this, researcher can identify group that has greater effe...

Introduction on Moderating Variable Moderating variable is the variable that ‘moderates the effects’ of an independent variable to its independent variable The social science researchers, in particular, define moderator as the variable that ‘interfere’ in the relationship between an independent variable and dependent variable. For illustration, let M be the moderator variable in the X-Y relationship. Then the moderation role of M is ‘to alter’ the effect of X on Y. A MO variable is a qualitative (sex, religion) or quantitative (such as firm’s size, financial leverage and price) that affect the strength AND/OR direction of the relationship between the dependent or criterion variable(Y) and the independent or predictor (X) variable (Baron and Kenny, 1986) It may be naturally occurring, measured or determined variable (e.g. age, gender, industry type) or can artificially be created by manipulation of the condition (e.g. negative/positive service quality (RO, 2012). A MO varia...

Definition of Variable: Variable are properties or characteristics of people or things that vary in quality or magnitude from person to person or object to object (Miller & Nicholson, 1976). Variables could comprise of the following:                 Demographic characteristics Personality traits Communication styles or competencies Constructs    Operationalisation of variable: Operationalisation: Translating an abstract concept into a tangible, observable form in an experiment Operationalisation’s can include Variation in stimulus conditions (public school vs home schooling) Variations in levels or degrees (mild vs. moderate vs. strong test approach) Variations based on standardised scales or diagnostic instruments (low vs. high self-esteem scores) Variation in “intact” or self- selected groups (smokers vs non-smokers Varieties and Types o...

      1)     Acknowledgement of the Complexity of the Behaviour The investigation of moderating variables acknowledges the complexity of behaviour, experience & relationship as each individual is not the same. This focus on Individual vs. group effects is more commonly known as tendency for researcher to be either lumpers or splitters (Simpson, 1945)   Lumpers seek to group individuals and focus on how persons are the same. Splitters, in contrast look for differences among groups Situation:   When researcher performs coding process (qualitative studies), lumper and split coding are there. When researcher performs an interview process, he or she gets overall interview manuscripts and read line by line as a whole. This is called lumper coding.  Split coding means each line in the paragraph, researcher differentiates and extracts meaning out of it. Take an example when researcher makes a s...

Stage 1: Get literature connecting direct relationship of Independent Variable to Dependent Variable Note: Direct relationship is when the moderating variable acts as Independent Variable. Stage 2: Get Theory to support the direct relationship . It is important for researcher to establish direct relationship between IV and DV before proceed for moderation because the theory provide justification for that choices of the variable Stage 3: Get literature connecting indirect relationship : Explaining Moderating Variable moderates the relationship of Independent Variable and Dependent Variable Note 1: Indirect relationship is when the moderating variable plays role as Moderating variable to IV & DV. To Include the following table in the Literature Review: Note 2: Researcher can obtain the findings of strong or moderates or weak relationship through the result section in the thesis / journal. Researcher need to write it in his or her own sent...

Scenario No 1: Moderator as an Antecedent or Independent variable Tested in Past Studies   Best of Service quality extended to a customer resulted to better visitor intention to visit to the same shop, nevertheless there is unexpected weak correlation and recorded an inconsistent finding for antecedent and the outcome of study. The situation can be altered If researcher first get direct relationship. By looking on direct relationship of Service quality and Intention to revisit, a predictability of 60% is recorded. After getting the predictability, researcher need to look in-depth to the next line of inconclusive relationship, take an example of service quality is extended by market quality and intention to revisit, when considering gender (male or female) what kind of change can be expected? What kind of findings will be? Here researcher need to get literature of gender differences which is happening in Malaysia and other different countries in which th...