Running head: RESEARCH DESIGN 1

Research Design

Student’s Name

Institution’s Name
RESEARCH DESIGN 2

Research Design

I used meta-analysis as the research method to investigate the role of ageism in abnormal

behaviors. This method is appropriate because it is based on evidence and makes it easier to

analyze the results of several studies. Furthermore, the meta-analytic research enables to

combine data from a large population and increase sample sizes (Salters-Pedneault, 2018).

This research uses evidence-based information on the causes of abnormal behavior. They

include medication, age, depression, trauma, and drug abuse. Many other factors, including

external ones, contribute to abnormal mental conditions. Furthermore, common medical

interventions on the most widespread psychiatric conditions, including PTSD, depression, and

trauma, were also included in the research.

The research gap that I have identified in this study is ageism in the investigation of

abnormal behavior. Most of the researches that have been done did not include ageism as one of

the factors that could lead to psychological abnormalities. This will include new elements that

will consist of assessment of how age factors affect people's attitudes towards physical and

sexual attractiveness. Generally, ageist factors affect the all people. In other words, every single

individual belongs to a certain age bracket, which could contribute to the development of

psychological abnormal behavior. People associate aging with a lack of physical attraction, less

intelligence, and inhibited productivity (Voss, Bodner, & Rothermund, 2018). As a result, aging

is generally a cause of several psychological abnormal behavioral conditions. For example,

bearing children in old age increases the likelihood of reduced intelligence and low productivity

in offspring. Previous researches have only considered other factors besides ageism, which

reveals a bias. No study has highlighted the effect of age on the prevalence of abnormal

behavioral conditions. Thus, ageist factors constitute a significant research gap.

RESEARCH DESIGN 3

This research design will be implemented based on the following considerations:

i. Development of hypotheses to help point out the research expectations

ii. Sample preparation

iii. Data analysis and comparison of the results based on the assumptions of the

study.

This study will answer the following research question: "What is the role of ageist factors

on the prevalence of abnormal behavior?" Age affects behavior of elderly people because of the

fewer metabolic activities in the cells. Thus, weak chromosomes are transferred to their

offspring, rendering them more vulnerable to psychological abnormalities such as low IQ,

autism, or anxiety. Furthermore, some psychological abnormal behavior is more associated with

a certain bracket than another. For example, low intelligence is more associated with elderly

people compared to the younger generation. A single case of a mental anomaly in a family could

spread the disorder in the subsequent family line. To establish if age determines the frequency of

behavioral abnormalities, researchers use people with mental disorders to study the distribution

according to their age brackets.

This study did not evoke any significant ethical issues because most of the researchers

that were included in the literature review were not primary studies. However, one ethical

consideration to note is the invasion of the participants’ privacy. The labels placed on the

individual with mental abnormalities expose them to stigmatization and shame (Pattanayak et al.,

2017). The identification and differentiation of the participants by labeling is somewhat an

infringement into their privacy. In dealing with this ethical issue, I will give the psychological

states of the participants top priority. More interest will be given to the participants as opposed to

the research.
RESEARCH DESIGN 4

References

Pattanayak, R., Jain, S., Kuppili, P., & Sagar, R. (2017). Ethics in psychiatric research: Issues

and recommendations. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 39(5), 558. doi:

10.4103/ijpsym.ijpsym_131_17

Salters-Pedneault, K. (2018). The role of meta-analysis in scientific studies. Verywellmind.

Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/definition-of-meta-analysis-425254

Voss, P., Bodner, E., & Rothermund, K. (2018). Ageism: The relationship between age

stereotypes and age discrimination. In L. Ayalon & C. Tesch-Römer (Eds.),

Contemporary Perspectives on Ageism (pp. 11-31). Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-

73820-8_2