Variables and Hypotheses

Read the following research experiment conducted by the Police Foundation in 1974:

Kelling, G. L., Pate, T., Dieckman, D., & Brown, C. E. (1974). The Kansas City preventive patrol experiment: A summary report. Police Foundation.

Brief summary:

The Kansas City preventive patrol experiment: Police Foundation.

The experiment focused on the following research questions:

· Would citizens notice changes in the level of police patrol?

· Would different levels of visible police patrol affect recorded crime or the outcome of victim surveys?

· Would citizen fear of crime and attendant behavior change as a result of differing patrol levels?

· Would their degree of satisfaction with police change?

Pick ONE of the research questions above and complete the following five exercises.

1. Identify one independent variable from the selected research question.

2. Indicate how the independent variable identified in #1 could be measured (conceptualize, operationalize, and describe the level of measurement for this variable).

3. Identify one dependent variable from the selected research question.

4. Indicate how the dependent variable identified in #3 could be measured (conceptualize, operationalize, and describe the level of measurement for this variable).

5. Express the research question in a measureable hypothesis statement (ensure that the hypothesis statement includes the independent variable and the dependent variable you identified in items 1 and 2 above). Use the following structure to help formulate your answer:

____ with ____ are more/less likely to ____ than ___ without ______

(subjects) with (independent variable) are more/less likely to (dependent variable) than (subjects) without (independent variable)