Imagine you are going to conduct research investigating a human behavior that you would be interested in learning more about. Be sure to describe that topic so that your classmates know what your research questions are and so that they can better understand your study. What are your specific predictions/hypotheses (e.g., what do you expect the findings of your study to be)?
Select a scientific method for this psychological research. Although in the “real world,” researchers may combine methods or use one or more methods, choose only ONE research method for the purpose of this academic exercise. Working with humans can create potential issues. List some of the strengths and weaknesses of this specific type of research. Identify potential ethical concerns in this research process.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Understanding the Impact of Social Media on Body Image Perception: A Survey Study
In recent years, the rise of social media has had a profound impact on how individuals perceive their bodies. With the constant exposure to carefully curated images of idealized bodies, people are increasingly comparing themselves to these standards and experiencing body dissatisfaction. To delve deeper into this phenomenon, my research aims to investigate the relationship between social media use and body image perception among young adults.
Research Questions:
Does the amount of time spent on social media platforms correlate with body dissatisfaction?
Are individuals who follow a higher number of fitness or beauty influencers on social media more likely to experience body dissatisfaction?
How does the comparison of one’s body to others on social media influence body image perception?
Hypotheses:
It is predicted that there will be a positive correlation between the amount of time spent on social media and levels of body dissatisfaction. The more time individuals spend on social media platforms, the higher their levels of body dissatisfaction will be.
It is hypothesized that individuals who follow a higher number of fitness or beauty influencers on social media will have higher levels of body dissatisfaction compared to those who follow fewer or none.
It is expected that the frequency of comparing one’s body to others on social media will positively correlate with body dissatisfaction. The more individuals engage in body comparisons, the higher their levels of body dissatisfaction will be.
Research Method: Survey Study
Strengths:
Allows for the collection of a large amount of data from a diverse sample, providing a broader understanding of the research topic.
Surveys are relatively easy to administer and cost-effective compared to other research methods.
Can capture participants’ subjective experiences and perceptions through self-report measures.
Weaknesses:
Relies heavily on participants’ self-reporting, which can be influenced by biases or memory recall errors.
Limited control over the research environment, making it difficult to establish causality between variables.
Survey responses may lack depth and nuance, limiting the understanding of complex psychological processes.
Ethical Concerns:
Privacy and Confidentiality: Participants’ personal information and survey responses must be kept confidential and anonymized to protect their privacy.
Informed Consent: Participants should provide informed consent before participating in the study, ensuring they understand the purpose, procedures, and potential risks involved.
Deception: Researchers should avoid using deceptive practices that could potentially harm participants or compromise their autonomy.
Voluntary Participation: Participation in the study should be voluntary, and participants should have the right to withdraw at any time without consequences.
Potential Harm: Researchers should be mindful of the potential psychological distress that discussing body image-related topics may cause for participants and provide appropriate support or resources if needed.
By conducting a survey study, we can gain valuable insights into the impact of social media on body image perception among young adults, contributing to our understanding of this important societal issue. However, it is crucial to address ethical concerns and ensure participant well-being throughout the research process.
