CHAPTER 3

3.0 INTRODUCTION

The researcher provided a detailed explanation of the study's methodology in this chapter. This
chapter consists of the research design, sampling, data collection, research instrument, variable
measurement, data analysis, pilot test and chapter summary. An issue can be solved
systematically using research methodology. It is the science of investigating the best ways to do
research. Research technique essentially refers to the processes that scientists use to describe,
explain, and predict phenomena.

According to DeFranzo (2011, para. 3), quantitative data is utilised in research to construct facts
and identify trends. It is also used to quantify attitudes, views, behaviours, and other stated
factors and generalise conclusions from a broader sample group. This section contains several
things that explain the research methods that have been used by researchers in conducting this
study It is also defined as the study of methods by which knowledge is gained. It aims to give the
work plan of the research.

3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN

According to Sekaran (2003), the research design contains the specifics of the data to be
provided by the researcher. The research design is also a model for the approach that researchers
expect to provide when approaching the problem of research. (Bryman et al., 2011). According
to Ghauri and Gronhaug (2005), a quantitative method is used to collect data that is countable
and quantifiable. When the researcher prefers to test the relationship between variables, they will
use the quantitative method (Bryman et al. 2011). Therefore, this research will be using a
quantitative method to investigate the impact of TikTok on youth's mindset and behaviour. This
research will use a simple random technique to distribute questionnaires to targeted respondents
using surveys that use a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 = Strongly disagree to 5 =
strongly agree. The five-point Likert-type scale is employed to indicate the extent to which each
item was agreed by the respondents. This study includes the mid-point rating because the
respondents may be unable to answer whether they agree or not.

Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

Disagree

1 2 3 4 5

Table 3.1: Five-point Likert Style Scale

3.2 SAMPLING

This research is conducted at the Faculty of Leadership and Management, Universiti Sains Islam
Malaysia. Hence, from this population and based on the sample size table of (Krejcie & Morgan,
1970) The total number of communication students in the Faculty of Leadership and
Management is 266 based on information from the USIM Communication Student Association.
Based on that, the targeted population is 106 students from the Communication course from the
Faculty of Leadership and Management in the university. This sampling method was chosen
because the 106 respondents can represent the youth generation. Due to the United Nations'
statement stating that the correct age of youth is between 15-24, the selection of USIM
communication students to be used as respondents is relevant because the majority of
communication students are between 20-24.

Year Population Sample Size

1st 64 55

2nd 71 61

3rd 61 53

4th 70 60
 Total 266 229

Table 3.2: Research population and sample size of each year

Source: Communication Student Association Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia

Quantitative is an efficient method for determining the sample size needed to be representative of
a given population and has to be developed in light of the increasing demand for research
(Krejcie & Morgan, 1970). Therefore, 106 students were selected to participate in this study
using a sample size table based on Krejcie & Morgan (1970).

Moreover, previous studies had broadly used student samples to study the impact of TikTok on
youth mindset and behaviour. Thus students are chosen because :

1. Accessibility: Students are readily available for research, making them a convenient and
accessible sample for studying the impact of TikTok on youth mindset and behavior.

2. Representativeness: Students are often considered representative of the broader youth

demographic, providing insights into how social media, particularly TikTok, influences
the attitudes and behaviours of this age group.

3. Active Users: Many students are active users of social media platforms, including
TikTok. Studying this group allows researchers to explore the impact of the platform on
those who are actively engaged with it.

4. Familiarity with Technology: Students generally have a high level of familiarity with
technology and social media, making them well-suited for investigating the nuanced
ways in which these platforms influence their mindset and behavior.

3.2.1 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

According to Creswell (2014), the proper sample collection method for this research is simple
random sampling with the researcher selecting participants for the sample so that any individual
has an equal probability of being selected from the population. This study uses simple random
sampling because according to Sharma (2017), researchers will use sampling as a technique
(procedure or device) to systematically choose a smaller group of representative objects or
people (a subset) from a pre-defined population to act as subjects (data sources) for observation
or experimentation following the goals of their study. From that, the researcher can take the
results of the survey to be used as evidence to strengthen this study. The individuals chosen by
the researcher as the sample will be representative of the population. The respondents will be
randomly chosen to participate in the survey by using Statistical Package for Social Science
(SPSS). The students from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years of communication students will be
arbitrarily chosen. This is to make sure it can be assumed as a representation of youth of
TikTok users.

3.2.2 UNIT OF ANALYSIS

An individual basis is applied as a unit of analysis in this research. The unit of analysis involves
the Communication students in Faculty of Leadership and Management which the target
respondents are 1 st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year students. The Communication students are selected
because they belong to the youth group in order to to study the impact of TikTok use on their
mindset and behavior and collect strong data to help strengthen the research evidence.

3.4 DATA COLLECTION

The process of gathering information from all accessible sources to test the hypothesis, assess the
results, and identify solutions to the research problem is known as data collecting (Dudovskiy,
2018). The quantitative data-collecting approach depends on multiple-format calculations.
Questionnaires are one method of collecting and analysing quantitative data. The questionnaire
was distributed to the students via the Telegram and WhatsApp applications, which are online
platforms. The distribution of the survey was selected as a data collection procedure because the
study used a survey questionnaire as the medium for reaching the targeted respondents. Besides,
the aims of the study were explained well before the distribution of the questionnaires to avoid
any difficulty in collecting the data needed. The pilot test was conducted to gain a meaningful set
of survey questions and 106 respondents answered the questionnaire given.

3.5 RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

A set of questionnaires that contains 20 variables, is developed in this study to measure the
variables; the impact of TikTok on youth mindset and the impact of TikTok on youth behaviour.
The items used in this study are adopted and adapted from the previous study. The items taken
are not completely the same and are changed according to the appropriate variables and context
to further strengthen the study variables. There are 3 sections regarding the impact of TikTok on
youth mindset and behaviour. The section consists of Sections A, B and C. Section A is
regarding the demographic of users (USIM Students) and their knowledge about TikTok. Section
B contains items regarding the impact of TikTok on youth mindset. Lastly, Section C contains
items regarding the Impact of TikTok on youth behaviour. As described in the research design,
this research uses a survey as an instrument to distribute questionnaires using a 5-point Likert
scale ranging from 1 = Strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree.

Table 3-3: Research Instrument

Sectio Variables Sources NNo. of RReliabil
n items ity
A DDemographic Profile Gender, age and year 6 -
of study and having an
experience with TikTok
apps
B TThe negative Impact of TikTokt on Leeuwen, R. (2023) 7 0.750
Youth Mindset

C The Negative Impact of TikTok on 7 0.816

Youth Behaviour

Total 20
3.6 VARIABLE MEASUREMENT

The objective of this research is to determine the negative impact of TikTok on Youth Mindset
and Behaviour. The Independent variable is TikTok App usage and the Dependent variable is as
follows: Youth Mindset and Youth Behaviour. These variables are measured with the support of
the Likert scale in the online questionnaire. The empirical analysis was made after the
acquisition of the results from Google Forms and exportation to SPSS 24.0. For testing the
research model, the regression analysis is used. This statistical technique is a valuable statistical
tool whose first purpose is to determine the impact of TikTok on youth mindset and behaviour.
The second purpose is to predict the value of one variable based on the value of the other
variable (Renderet al., 2012). The values of a dependent variable from the values of an
independent variable can then be estimated (Greasley, 2008).

The measurement of each variable in this study is adopted and adapted from the previous studies
and all items are measured by using established measurements from previous researchers.
Besides, the items used in this study are modified to be suited to the context of the study. In
addition, the five-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree
is employed to indicate the extent to which each item is agreed by the respondents. All items for
each construct are evaluated using a five-point Likert-type scale. Hence, the next section will
discuss the measurement of the negative impact of TikTok on youth mindset and the negative
impact of TikTok on youth behaviour.

3.6.1 The Negative Impact of TikTok on Youth Mindset

This item measurement is adapted from Leeuwen, R. (2023) and Wuttaphan, N. (2022). Some
items are made new to ensure that the questions given are related and similar to the variables of
this study.
 Table 3-4: Items represent Negative Impact of TikTok on Youth Mindset

No. of Items
item
1. I am aware of the potential negative impact of TikTok on the mindset of youth
2. TikTok has negatively impacted the self-esteem of the youth.
3. Youth on TikTok often engage in social comparison, affecting their self-esteem
4. Content on TikTok contributes to unrealistic beauty standards, negatively impacting youth
body images
5. The young generation feels pressure to conform to certain standard portrayed on TikTok
6. TikTok usage has affected the involvement of youth in offline activities due to self-esteem
or body images concerns
7. Youth often compare themselves to their peers on TikTok, leading to self-esteem issues

3.6.2 The Impact of TikTok on Youth Behaviour

This item measurement is adapted from Leeuwen, R. (2023 )and Wuttaphan, N. (2022). Some
items are made new to ensure that the questions given are related and similar to the variables of
this study.

Table 3-5: Items represent Negative Impact of TikTok on Youth Behaviour

No. of Items
item
1. I am aware of the potential negative impact of TikTok on the behaviour of youth
2. Youth often find themselves addicted to using TikTok
3. TikTok usage has led to youth spending excessive amounts of time on the platform
4. Youth tend to procrastinate on their responsibilities or task due to TikTok usage
5. TikTok usage negatively impacts the productivity of youth in their daily lives
6. Youth are aware of their TikTok usage becoming addictive but find it challenging to
7. reduce it
TikTok usage affects the sleep patterns of youth due to late-night engagement with the
platform
3.7 DATA ANALYSIS

Statistical Packages for the Social Science (SPSS) 19 are used to gather and analyse all the
questionnaires. The reliability analysis and validity analysis are conducted in this study to answer
the research questions and research objectives. This study uses Regression Analysis to test and
find. This analysis provides a practical approach to assessing reliability by examining the impact
of random measurement error on standardized regression coefficients and the specification of
regression models (Wayne L. Francis et al., 1993)

3.8 PILOT TEST

The aim of conducting a pilot study is to evaluate the questionnaire and prevent the difficulties
that may occur during the actual data collection (Doody & Doody, 2015). The pilot study is also
crucial to differentiate whether the respondents can clearly understand the questionnaire as well
as the instructions included in the questionnaire. Therefore, for this study, a pilot test was
conducted in early January of 2024 by distributing questionnaires to students of years 1, 2, 3 and
4 in Communication who were voluntarily taking part in this pilot test study. Overall, based on
the result of the pilot test, no modifications were needed and the questionnaires were applicable
to be distributed to the targeted respondents. The survey provides four sections: demographic
background, the negative impact of TikTok on youth mindset and the negative impact of TikTok
on youth behaviour. Questionnaires were distributed to 42 respondents via Google Forms. A
scale of 14 items asked respondents to rate the 5-point Likert scale statements between 1 =
Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree. Results for Cronbach’s Alpha ranged from 0.943
during the pilot test. So, the whole question shows a good level of reliability.

3.9 VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE INSTRUMENT IN PILOT TEST

 Cronbach’s Alpha No. of Items

0.943 14

Validity and reliability are crucial considerations when choosing a survey instrument. The rate to
which an instrument produces consistent findings after several trials is referred to as reliability.
The degree to which an instrument measures what is was intended to measure is referred to as
validity. The researcher has obtained instrument confirmation through Dr. Sofia Hayati Yusof.
CHAPTER SUMMARY

This chapter has described the methodology used in this study. It highlights research design,
sampling, unit of analysis, data collection method, research instrument, data analysis, and pilot
test.