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Case Study

Based on the provided text regarding the purpose of a literature review, explain why this student's approach of skipping the literature review is problematic. What specific benefits of the literature review are they missing by jumping straight into their study?

Case context: A psychology student decides to study the impact of background noise on reading comprehension. Excited to begin, the student immediately starts recruiting participants and creating a reading test without looking up any previous studies on the topic. The student claims, "I want my study to be completely original, so I don't want to be influenced by what other people have done."

Question: Based on the provided text regarding the purpose of a literature review, explain why this student's approach of skipping the literature review is problematic. What specific benefits of the literature review are they missing by jumping straight into their study?

Sample answer: By skipping the literature review, the student misses several crucial benefits. First, they lose the opportunity to identify the most appropriate methodologies; without reading past studies, they might use a flawed reading test or a poor method for introducing background noise. Second, they fail to refine their specific research question, risking doing a study that is too broad. Finally, without reviewing past literature, they will not be able to place their new investigation within the broader context of previous findings or have the necessary background to write a compelling research report.

Key points:

  • The student will miss out on identifying the most appropriate methodologies for testing reading comprehension and background noise.
  • The student loses the opportunity to refine their specific research question before starting.
  • The student will be unable to place their new investigation within the broader context of previous findings.
  • The student will lack the necessary background to write a compelling research report at the end.

Rubric: The student must demonstrate comprehension by applying the text's stated purposes of a literature review to the student's flawed plan. Full credit requires identifying at least three of the missed purposes as they relate to the case.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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KPU

Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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