Discussion Board 2.1

Identify a topic related to the field of counseling or human services that you might be interested in researching. From that general topic, define a single research question. Next, identify the independent and dependent variables in the question and give both the conceptual and operational definition of each variable. When looking at the research of others, which type of definition is more important to attend to – conceptual or operational? Explain your response.

Example: 

Topic: treatment of depression

Research question: Is exercise as effective in treating depression as cognitive behavior therapy?

Variables:

Independent variable: Type of treatment (exercise or CBT)

Dependent variable: Depression

Operational definitions:

Exercise: 20 minutes of cardiovascular activity in which 80% of target heart rate is achieved taking place at least 5 times per week

CBT: 50 minute session each week with a therapist trained in CBT ; session focused on depression

Depression: Scores on the Beck Depression Inventory