Youth Risky Behaviors

 

 

 

In the end, this paper has to be a total of 16 pages of text but will include tables and graphs. The total paper will be 16 pages of written text but it has to be written in two parts, paper 1 (8 pages) and then after feedback on paper 1 is given, paper 2 (8 pages) will be written. The paper will be based on data from the 2011 National School-based Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). You will need to perform statistical analysis using SPSS Grad Pack 22 and the YRBS dataset. I will upload other documents for paper 1 such as the YRBS Codebook. I had a live chat the other night and was told your company is doing papers for many others with the SPSS. Please confirm there are no issues with the required program to be used.

 

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Instructions/Grading Criteria:

 

This paper (Paper 1) should be 8 pages of written text (not including tables/charts or graphs). There will be a paper 2 that will need to be written but it cannot be started until Paper 1 has been graded and feedback provided. I will provide aIDitional instructions for paper 2 later. I have paid for a total of 16 pages, 8 pages each for paper 1 and paper 2. Please do not make the literature review section wordy and title each section.

 

Paper Part 1 €“ Hypothesis Generation, Literature Review, Methods, and Descriptive Statistics

 

In the first paper, we are asking you to (1) identify a research focus on a particular risky and/or positive health behavior, which is explored in the YRBS, (2) explore the existing empirical literature in this area, (3) generate 5 testable hypotheses, (4) briefly describe the methodology, and (5) generate descriptive statistics on demographic and key variables in your hypotheses.

 

The research focus is:

 

Female high school students’, age 12 to 18, use of alcohol, marijuana, and having sexual intercourse

 

Below are the core components of paper 1:

 

A working title –

 

Understanding Female Youth’s Risky Behavior: Alcohol, Marijuana, and Sex

 

1. An Introduction Section

 

Describe the central focus of your study€”both your risky (use of alcohol, marijuana, and sexual intercourse) and your population of interest (all U.S. female high school students age 12 to 18).

 

Note: Your area of interest may be on the intersection or connection of 2 risky health behavior areas, such as (1) first time use of alcohol and/or marijuana and first time having sexual intercourse. You will focus on a subsample within the YRBS€”for example, female students, male students, seniors, freshman, Asian students.

 

The subset for this paper is: all U.S. female high school students age 12 to 18

 

Provide background information on the topic, including a rationale for why this is an important area of investigation. ****Cite evidence from the literature to support your statements.

 

2. A Literature Review Section

 

Using a minimum of 5 relevant empirical articles, critically analyze the existing literature in your field of interest by summarizing the research focus, research methods (i.e., sample, measures, design) and key findings. Remember that we are always striving to find the most recent relevant research to inform our thinking.

 

DO NOT USE ANYTHING EXCEPT PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 2007 AND 2015.

 

You may review each article individually (approximately 1 or 2 paragraphs per article). However, be sure to include a summative discussion (or a synthesis) of the overall nature and quality of research in this field as reflected in your 5 articles.

 

**These studies may offer insights into your choice or refinement of your 5 hypotheses.

 

3. A Research Hypotheses Section

 

SEE THE RESEARCH FOCUS DOC I UPLOADED AS IT AS MUCH OF THE INFO FOR THE FIVE TABLES ALREADY.

 

Generate 5 related hypotheses that are testable using the items (data) from YRBS.

For each of the 5 hypotheses: Complete the following table:

 

Hypothesis 1

Null (Ho) (insert)

Alternative (Ha) (insert)

Directional or

Non-directional Ha? (insert)

Independent Variable (IV) (inset)

IV Item Number * (insert)

IV Item Level of Measurement (N, O, I, R) (insert)

Recoding IV Item?

Yes or No€”If Yes, provide new value categories AND its Level of Measurement (insert)

Dependent Variable (DV) (inset)

DV Item Number * (insert)

DV Item Level of Measurement (N, O, I,R) (insert)

Recoding DV Item?

Yes or No€”If Yes, provide new value categories and its Level of Measurement (insert)

 

*If you are computing a scale for either your independent or dependent variable, you may have multiple instrument items.

 

4. A Methods Section

 

Provide a brief background paragraph on the YRBS’s methodology to inform the reader about this dataset. SEE THE EXAMPLE PAPER UPLOADED AS THE TEXT FOR THIS SECTION

 

5. A Sample Characteristics Section

 

Describe in narrative text, the respondents’ characteristics on the demographic variables of age (Q1), gender (Q2), school grade and (Q3) Race/Ethnicity (Q101) and all the independent and dependent variables in your 5 hypotheses.

 

For each variable (based on its level of measurement) provide appropriate measures to describe frequencies as well as measures of central tendency and variability.

 

Construct 1-2 frequency distribution tables with the 4 demographic variables and your 5 hypotheses’ IV and DV variables.

 

Note: The tables you construct should be similar in format to those in published articles or reports. You CANNOT simply cut and paste your SPSS printout into the paper. Strive to create helpful headings and subheadings for your table and use labels a reader can understand

.

**Choose two of your variables to display as figures using two different types of figures (i.e., bar chart, pie chart, histogram, frequency polygon).

 

Note: Make sure that these figures/charts are labeled sufficiently for the reader.

Refer to your descriptive statistics as presented in your tables and figures within the narrative description of the characteristics of your sample.

 

6. Appendix A

 

Place your SPSS output in the appendix. The SPSS printout must be either exported or cut and pasted into a WORD file.

 

If you have recoded any variable, provide the frequencies for both the original variable and your recoded version€”for example, Q48 and Q48R.

 

Include a summary of your literature search using Social Science Citation Index. List search terms and number of hits for each search. EXAMPLE BELOW:

 

Summary of Literature Search

 

Search: Social Science Citation Index

 

Search term: Sexual risk taking and drug use

Number of hits: 2.458

 

Search term: Adolescent risky behavior

Number of hits: 11,772

 

Search term: Adolescent use of alcohol

Number of hits: 10,903

 

Search term: Adolescent use of marijuana

Number of hits: 5

 

Search term: Adolescent sexual risk taking and drug use

Number of hits: 644

 

Include a Reference Page in which you list all cited literature in APA format.

 

Grading Criteria for Paper Part 1

 

Paper Part 1 42 possible points

 

Working Title that clearly reflects focus of your study to the reader.

Possible points: 1 Your points: _______

 

Introduction Section: Offers a strong coherent statement on the central focus of the study- both the targeted risky or positive health behavior area and the population of interest (e.g., all U.S. high school students, U.S. female high school students, U.S. high school seniors). Provides a thoughtful rationale for why this is an important area of investigation, including the use of citations/evidence from the literature to support statements.

Possible points: 3 Your points: _______

 

Literature Review Section: Presents a critical analysis of the existing literature in this field, including a thoughtful synthesis of the overall nature and quality of research in this field as reflected in your 5 articles.

Possible points: 7 Your points: _______

 

Research Hypotheses Section: Strong articulation of five related testable hypotheses from the YRBS dataset, with the correct identification of independent and dependent variables and their level of measurement.

Possible points: 10 Your points: _______

 

Methods Section: Offers a clear basic description of the YRBS methodology to allow reader to better understand the data source.

Possible points: 2 Your points: _______

 

Sample Characteristics Section €“ Narrative text: Offers a detailed, coherent narrative description of the characteristics of the sample on the demographic and health behavior variables, including the appropriate use of descriptive statistics based on the variables’ level of measurement. Appropriately refers reader to tables and figures to illustrate points.

Possible points: 8 Your points: _______

 

Sample Characteristics Section €“ Table(s): Constructs publication-quality tables that are user friendly by providing headings and labels that are easily understood, including the appropriate use of descriptive statistics based on the variables’ level of measurement.

Possible points: 5 Your points: _______

 

Sample Characteristics €“ Figures: Creates two user friendly, well-labeled figures, using appropriate graphs based on variables’ level of measurement.

Possible points: 4 Your points: _______

 

Important elements that are factored into the paper as a whole:

a. Clarity of writing

b. Critical Thinking

c. Organization/logic/flow of paper

d. Effort reflected in the paper

e. APA style of citations

f. Appendix includes all required materials, SPSS output, literature search key terms, & references in APA format