October 24, 2014
The Start of My Research
Since settling on the topic of behavioral differences between social
introverts and extroverts and their roles in society, I have started
considering the methods through which I plan to conduct my research.
Although nothing is finalized yet, I believe that the research for this
project will be carried out in a three-step process. The first step of
this process is research through literature. By looking through
behavioral genetics textbooks and studies investigating the factors
behind the behavioral differences of the two groups, I hope to
eventually be able to ascertain as to whether social introverts and
extroverts are created by their environments or by their genetic makeup,
or by a combination of the two (nature vs. nurture). In this respect, I
hope that by contacting experts in the field of behavioral genetics I
will be able to consult with others who have an adequate understanding
of the subject matter. The second step of this research process is
research through survey. I plan to distribute surveys out to mass
groups of people (students as well as adults), questioning what their
definition of an introvert or an extrovert is, asking how they would
identify if tasked with choosing one group to relate to, inquiring what
thoughts go through their heads when they are forced into a group
setting, examining how they would respond to different situations, and
looking into their perceptions of both introverts and extroverts and of
their usefulness to society. By conducting this step in the research, I
hope to better recognize the differences between social introverts and
extroverts, to better understand and sympathize with the two groups, and
to better evaluate their use in society, as viewed from society's
perspective. The third step of this research process is research
through observation. While this step in the research process is
tentative and may or may not be carried out because confounding factors
may be involved and because I may fail to record the data accurately, I
hope to gain permission from some teachers to observe their students
during class and to record their responses to different societal
situations (identifying them as introverts and extroverts) and any
apparent treatment of introverts and extroverts in the class setting.
If this step in the research process is conducted successfully, I may be
able to learn how and why the two groups act under different situations
and what their treatment is by their peers, who merely serve as
miniature pre-adults. In order to receive effective results and conduct
my research in an efficient process, I still must brainstorm and plan
for an extensive period of time before any of these steps in the
research process can be considered finalized. However, I hope that I
will have my research through literature underway and my first survey
designed before the end of next week. I will continue to update this
blog with posts as I reach nearer to the different steps in the research
process and begin to realize/understand new things and produce results.
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