Psychology research

Question: Why is it that children of older parents (more than 40 years old) are better adjusted, have closer ties with
their parents, and are more socially skilled when they enter school than children of younger parents (less than 40
years old)?

Formulation of a hypothesis: Older parents tend to possess more patience, financial stability, and maturity due to
their life experience. Conversely, younger parents may have more energy but lack sufficient life experience, financial
stability, and more likely can struggle with psychological issues stemming from their childhood. These issues may
lead to unfulfilled expectations and unconventional parenting methods.

The research method and design: The survey, that will consist of indirect questions that allow for appropriate
conclusions to be drawn about aspects such as childhood traumas, financial stability and etc., without directly asking
about these sensitive topics.

The data:

Questions:

1) What is your age range?

A) 18-24 B) 25-34 C) 35-39 D) 40-54 E) 55 or older
2) How many children do you have?
3) How do you typically handle stressful situations in your life?
A) I talk to someone about it B) I distract myself with activities or hobbies C) I try to solve the problem
directly D) Other (please specify)
4) Have you ever experienced a major life change or hardship that impacted your financial stability?
A) Yes B) No
5) On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate your overall level of emotional resilience?
1 (Not emotionally resilient at all) 2 3 4 5 (Very emotionally resilient)
6) How would you describe your childhood neighborhood?
A) Safe and welcoming B) Somewhat unsafe or unwelcoming, but generally positive C) Unsafe or
unwelcoming D) I'd rather not say
7) On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate your overall level of adaptability as a parent?
1 (Not adaptable at all) 2 3 4 5 (Very adaptable)
8) How do you typically communicate with your children when they are upset or emotional?
A) I listen and provide emotional support B) I try to distract them with activities or toys C) I encourage
them to toughen up and deal with it D) Other (please specify)
9) On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate your overall level of physical energy?
1 (Not physically energetic at all) 2 3 4 5 (Very physically energetic)
10) Have you ever sought out self-help resources or professional support for personal growth or development?
A) Yes B) No

Answers:

Number of questions
Participants 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 E 2 A B 4 A 5 A 2 B
2 E 4 C B 5 B 4 C 1 B
3 C 1 A B 3 C 3 B 5 A
4 B 3 B A 2 C 5 C 4 B
5 D 1 A A 4 B 5 A 2 B
6 A 1 B A 3 C 2 B 5 B
7 C 1 B A 3 A 3 B 5 B
8 E 2 A B 5 B 5 A 3 A
 9 D 2 A B 4 B 5 A 2 A
10 C 1 C A 1 C 3 C 4 B

Analyzes and interpretation:

Number MODE
of OLDER PARENTS (40<) YONGER PARENTS (<40)
questions
1 55 or older 35-39
2 2 1
3 talk to someone about it distract myself with activities or hobbies
4 no yes
5 4 3
6 somewhat safe or welcoming, but generally unsafe or unwelcoming
positive
7 5 3
8 listen and provide emotional support try to distract them with activities or toys
9 2 5
10 no no

Findings: Overall, the findings support the hypothesis that older parents possess certain qualities that may be
advantageous in parenting, such as emotional resilience and financial stability, while younger parents may have
certain advantages such as higher physical energy, but may also face more challenges related to their upbringing.

What worked? What didn't work? What were the limitations, if any, of the study?: The survey questions were
designed in a way that allowed for indirect questions about sensitive topics such as childhood traumas and financial
stability, which helped gather valuable data without directly asking about these sensitive topics. However, the survey
was limited by its small sample size, which may have affected the representativeness of the results. Additionally, the
survey relied on self-reported data, which may be subject to biases and inaccuracies.

Conclusion: The findings of this research are descriptive, as they describe the characteristics and behaviors of older
and younger parents based on the survey results. As the research did not use statistical tests to analyze the data, the
findings are not statistically significant. Descriptive statistics provide information about the sample but do not allow
for inferences to be made about the larger population beyond the sample. Therefore, the findings cannot be
considered statistically significant.