Brett Santo
Dr. David McGough
EDU 6630/EDU 6920
December 14, 2015
Reflection
I chose to write a reflection discussing both classes in this one blog post, as my semester-long project truly became a coalescence of the two courses. I completed an extensive literature review and conducted a detailed pilot study to create a research article that not only interested me, but inspired me to conduct research moving forward.
Going into the project, I had some trepidation about how I was going to handle such an extensive amount of research. Before this literature review, I had only analyzed three to five works at a time, looking for similarities and differences and identifying overarching themes. Accordingly, the concept of comparing themes between upwards of 31 articles and several books seemed daunting. To be honest, the research aspect of this assignment provided a foundation for my literature review, and further bolstered my ability to complete the task. I learned in EDU6920 that it is important to ensure that your research, quite simply, hangs together. If ideas and concepts in the paper become tangential arguments, then you have lost your reader. Accordingly, I found myself consistently aiming to address the question when analyzing each and every article. Hence, although some of the articles might fit into very different categories, I found a way to tie them together to address the question. The specificity of this task proved beneficial both as a student and as a writer.
As an undergraduate student I had conducted and analyzed several “experiments” prior to this study, but none of them to this extent. I found this portion of the assignment to be extremely interesting. I very much enjoy taking the time to conduct research in everyday settings - and this study allowed me to do just that. In my opinion, it is often conducive to conduct research in natural settings, as it can provide you with realistic data. Although research in controlled settings may account for confounding variables and validity and reliability concerns, I find it best to conduct research in a natural setting when you are attempting to collect natural data. Initially, I was unsure of my ability to actually conduct this research in the first place, due to time constraints. However, I learned that one can obtain valuable data in a short period of time. In fact, my most effective data collection method was the Impromptu Opinion Poll, where each trial was no longer than 2 minutes.
Until now, I had not conducted research and attempted to connect it with literature. This proved to be extremely riveting. Just as if I were solving a puzzle, I was able to find the pieces that came together in my data to paint a picture similar to that depicted in the literature. As a visual learner, I found that visualizations also proved helpful when analyzing research. With the overarching question as my lens, I was able to construct several charts that helped me to relate the data and the research to my question. On another visual note, I found myself truly intrigued by the physical reactions from many of my participants. In fact, I found these to be the most telling of my entire study. For example, participants would sometimes writhe after providing their initial response, in fear that I would judge them! Thus, I consider myself to be a visual researcher now as well.
The magnitude of this assignment certainly was intimidating. To be honest, I have never written a 37-page paper before. However, upon completion, I felt both accomplished and confident in my abilities. This assignment truly aided in my development both as a scholar and as a future researcher.
Firstly, it provided me with valuable insights about the correlations between evolutionary psychology and leadership. I was fascinated to learn about the inherent biases and preferences that might be present in our perspectives today. I discovered that leadership emerged among humans to ultimately ensure survival of our species. In the past, leadership was essential for group coordination, as well as internal and external conflict resolution. Furthermore males were the preferred leaders in times of inter-group conflict, and females were preferred as leaders in times of intra-group conflict. I also enjoyed uncovering research involving the physical preferences of leaders in the past and how they compare to today's preferences. Interestingly enough, in both cases, we tend to prefer taller and more physically fit leaders. Furthermore, males who are tall and fit are more likely to feel qualified to pursue a leadership position due to their inherent confidence and the fact that they are identifiable as a leader. These and other themes present in the research has truly sparked my interest in continuing to study evolution, psychology, and leadership moving forward.
Second, this assignment provided me with invaluable experience on how best to conduct research as well as write a cogent article. As a methods study, I knew that this project was going to help me discern the most effective ways of conducting research. Upon its completion, I learned about three different methods of data collection - impromptu opinion polls, social media forums, and the use of a case study in a focus group. Each method is distinctly different, and provided me with very different data. Through detailed analysis, I learned about the strengths and weaknesses of each data method, and discovered how I could alter the methods if I chose to employ them moving forward. My favorite of all the methods was the impromptu opinion poll. Although a quick method, it provided me with the most valuable data concerning everyday perspectives. This research allowed me to apply knowledge that I have learned about leadership in a real-world setting - and this was extremely exciting. It provided an opportunity for abstract concepts to be connected to tangible evidence.
As always, I very much enjoyed the seminar aspect of the semester. ( I am extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to test one of my methods in class - and I thank you for allowing me to use that time). Although I wish that more of my classmates were present for more of the classes, I understand that schedules get busy, and thus create conflicts. However, even with a small number of students, I found the differences in topics, opinions, and experiences to be valuable for both my research and myself as a student.
As a result of this study, I will be more confident in my abilities to conduct and analyze research moving forward. Furthermore, I will be able to produce cogent literature reviews on a multitude of research articles. Finally, I will make sure that all of my papers moving forward hang together, so that my mind, and not the readers, is the one left to wander...
I love reading research, and even more conducting research, and these two classes allowed me to do just that - and on a larger scale than ever before. I have always questioned everything, and will continue to question things moving forward - after all, the point of research isn't to answer questions, it is to create new ones...
I thank the science channel for summing up my beliefs succinctly in their motto:
