Campus survey. A researcher conducts a survey to learn about the sexual behavior of college students on
a particular campus. A list of the undergraduates at the university is used to select participants. The
investigator sends out 500 surveys but only 136 are returned.
a. Consider how the low response rate could bias the results of this study.
Due to only 136 surveys being returned out of 500, it makes it difficult to come to
simplifications of the population that received the survey.
b. Speculate on potential limitations in the quality of information the researcher will receive
on questionnaires that are returned.
The potential limitations regarding the information received from the questionnaires
is potentially unreliable due to the small number of surveys returned to the
researchers, and the generality that how individuals describes their behavior does not
necessarily match how they actually behave
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
The Impact of Low Response Rates on Campus Sexual Behavior Survey
Introduction
Conducting research on sensitive topics like the sexual behavior of college students requires careful consideration of various factors that may influence the validity and reliability of the results. In this scenario, a researcher distributed 500 surveys to understand the sexual behavior of undergraduates on a particular campus but received only 136 responses. This essay will explore how the low response rate could bias the study results and discuss potential limitations in the quality of information gathered from the returned questionnaires.
Low Response Rate and Bias
The low response rate of 27.2% in this survey raises concerns about the representativeness of the data collected. When a significant portion of the sample does not respond, there is a risk of non-response bias. In this case, the views and behaviors of those who chose not to participate may differ from those who did respond. This discrepancy can skew the results and lead to inaccurate conclusions about the sexual behavior of college students on the campus.
Furthermore, the low response rate makes it challenging to generalize the findings to the entire population that received the survey. The small sample size may not accurately reflect the diversity of perspectives and experiences among undergraduates. As a result, any conclusions drawn from the limited responses may not be applicable to the broader student body.
Limitations in Information Quality
The quality of information gathered from the returned questionnaires is another area of concern due to the low response rate. Participants who choose to complete the survey may not be representative of the entire student population, leading to a biased dataset. Moreover, individuals may provide inaccurate or incomplete information about their sexual behavior due to social desirability bias or concerns about privacy.
The discrepancy between self-reported behavior on surveys and actual behavior is a common limitation in research on sensitive topics like sexual behavior. Participants may provide responses that align with societal norms or expectations rather than reflecting their true experiences. This discrepancy introduces uncertainty into the data collected and undermines the reliability of the findings.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the low response rate in the campus sexual behavior survey poses significant challenges to the validity and reliability of the study results. Researchers must acknowledge the potential biases introduced by non-response and consider the limitations in the quality of information gathered from a small sample size. Moving forward, efforts to improve response rates and ensure data accuracy are essential for conducting meaningful research on sensitive topics within college communities.
