Limitations of a Study

Limitations of a Study

My study on adoption and how genetic and environmental factors impact academic achievement in adoptive children relied on the survey method of research. This being the case, researchers expect that this study is similar to all the other survey studies. Thus, it has limitations common to all the other survey studies. Hence, these limitations must be identified to understand better research approaches for later studies. The first limitation is that even though the survey went well and the respondents are believed to have given honest responses, the researchers believe that some responses could have been affected by inaccuracy resulting from the respondents’ unwillingness to offer honest answers (Pressbooks, n.d). Therefore, there is a possibility that some answers in the survey were not true. Secondly, this study also has a limit to the validity rate of the responses because the questions were closed-ended and had multiple choice (Pressbooks, n.d). This can interfere with the information offered and even limit the ability to get more information that is valid. The last limitation is that this survey was conducted among a population in one single region, and the participant population was also very small. Hence, generalizing the outcomes would be difficult.

The first solution to these limitations is using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Using mixed research methods is known to help reduce the limits of each method, thus increasing the validity of the outcomes (Plano & Ivankova, 2017). These limitations can also be solved through mixed methods because the validity of the findings becomes stronger and gives more confidence in the study.

Consistently, three areas in this study still need research because they have not been explored extensively. The first area is the impacts of adoption on the emotional and psychological development of the child. This area should examine whether adopted children have emotional or psychological challenges. The second area that needs research is the impact that the environment has on the development of special interests. The third area that needs research is examining if the connection between the adopted children and their parents is similar to the connection between children and their biological parents. This study can also explore the factors that may influence this connection. In other words, suppose a child is from a family of musicians but is adopted by a family that loves playing golf. In that case, the study should examine if the adoption environment shapes their interests.

References

Plano Clark V. L. & Ivankova N. (2017). Mixed methods research is a guide to the field. SAGE Publications Incorporated.

Pressbooks (n.d). Strengths and Weaknesses of Survey Research. Retrieved From https://pressbooks.pub/scientificinquiryinsocialwork/chapter/11-2-strengths-and-weaknesses-of-survey-research/.

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In a journal assignment, reflect on what you think is the biggest limitation to your research. How could the limitation be addressed in future research? Also, list important areas related to your topic that are still in need of further research.

Limitations of a Study

This assignment will allow your instructor to provide feedback on what will ultimately become some of the main themes of your Discussion section.

Guidelines for Submission: Submit the assignment as a Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins.

APA 7 edition
Times new Roman 12
1 page due 12/22/2022

I’m pasting my research paper below, y’all have the updated version of my results since y’all are currently working on that, please refer to that as well. Use sources from the research paper references below.

Adoption and How Genetic and Environmental Factors Impact Academic Achievement in Adoptive Children
Introduction
Today many parents in the United States of America opt for adoption, meaning that many children are brought up by parents who are not their biological parents. On the other hand, academic achievement is reflected in the child’s excellent performance in school, and the child’s cognitive capabilities determine this. Cognitive abilities, on the other hand, are genetically influenced, and at the same time, they are also shaped by the environment. Dégeilh et al. (2019) have noted that the environment affects a child even before birth. This study examined the amygdala and the hippocampus, which are brain areas. While Fishbein et al. (2019) have also added in their findings that the neighborhood where the child grows up impacts the child’s development and thus influences the child’s capabilities at school. This study by Fishbein et al. examined late adulthood. Since the child’s academic performance is essential in the child’s growth and development, further studies are needed to help guide the child’s growth.
This study will thus examine genetics’ impact on the academic achievement of the adoptive children. At the same time, it will also investigate the effect adoption has on the adopted child. The need to seek knowledge in this area is prompted by the fact that the adopted children grow in a very different environment from that in which they were born. Moreover, these children are brought up by parents who are not their biological parents. It is, therefore, essential to know the impacts that both the environment and the genes could have on the child’s performance, especially now that foster parents brought up many children. Knowledge in this area can inform parenting approaches and help experts in various fields concerned with children’s growth to make better decisions regarding adoption.
Problem Statement
The adoption of children is today a common practice among many American families. Several parents prefer adopting children instead of having their own. Society offers adoption as an option in case the parents of the child abandon the child or if they want to give the child a better life they cannot afford. Thus, biological parents will give up their child for adoption at a tender age to allow the child a chance for a better future. This trend leads to the question of whether adopted children are performing excellently in school. This study seeks to answer the research question, “What do you think of the topic of adoption and how genetic and environmental factors impact academic children in adopted children?” by examining how the environmental and biological factors impact learning. The study thus begins with a review of several pieces of literature whose central focus is on the impact the environment has on the child’s mental development, thus translating to their academic performance. These sources will help support the hypothesis that adopted children excel at school compared to biological children. The reviewed literature indicates a significant connection between socioeconomic status and the child’s academic performance because it determines their neighborhood, school, and home environment.
Literature Review
The home environment is the immediate surrounding of the child, so it is undoubtedly the first determinant of a child’s academic capabilities in school. Yang et al. (2021) researched to prove this statement when they did a literature review study of English and Chinese literature. They collected these sources of information from English and Chinese databases. The study aimed to illuminate the connection between the home environment and the child’s mental and psychomotor skills development. Yang et al. (2021) selected literature based on the frequency of themes evaluated and examined. The theme of interest was the impact of the home environment on the child’s mental development and the impacts of the home environment on the child’s psychomotor development. The age of the population also influenced the selection of the studies because the researchers were interested in children aged five years and below. Therefore, this age also formed another theme for the selection of literature (Yang et al., 2021). Further selection was narrowed down through the dates because the researcher only reviewed literature published between 1990 and 2021. After screening based on these themes, 983 articles were selected. Three hundred thirty-six were from the English Databases, while 647 were from the Chinese database. The literature review showed that the home environment impacts the child’s mental and motor skills. In other words, a positive correlation between the two was strongly identified. It is essential to identify that this study had gaps in the research method used since the literature reviews rely on other people’s findings, thus limiting the researchers’ ability to identify new outcomes. Additionally, reviews do not provide concrete details of the entire research strategy nor give the limitations of the search methods and the quality of the search process, making it not fully reliable. Even so, this study still reaffirms that adoption can play a significant role in the child’s academic performance, especially if the adoptive parents have the resources to create the right environment for the child’s mental and psychomotor skills.
Li and Qiu (2018) also indicated the benefits of adoption in their study that assessed the connection between socioeconomic status and the child’s academic performance. Their study method measured data collected from Chinese Family Panel Studies 2010 baseline survey data (CFPS2010) covering 14,960 households within 25 provinces and other sovereign regions. The research study process involved using three questionnaires for each selected household. The questionnaires were as follows: a family questionnaire, an adult questionnaire targeting children aged 16 years and above, and a children questionnaire targeting children below 16 years. The children’s questionnaire was divided into two parts: the children answered one, and the parents themselves answered another. The data collected from the children’s questionnaire matched the data collected from the parents and family questionnaire, and 2750 cases for analyses were obtained (Li & Qiu, 2018). In the end, the study confirmed a connection between the family background and the child’s performance in school. The researchers also found that educational opportunities, the level of education of the parents, and their participation in the child’s education played a crucial role in their academic performance. Thirdly, this research unveiled a difference between children’s academic performance in rural and urban regions. However, the gaps identified in this study were that the researcher’s sampled population was Chinese children, and the factor that was mainly considered was the socioeconomic factors (Li & Qiu, 2018). This makes the study difficult to generalize since the outcomes might be different based on the ethnic background, and other factors like religion, neighborhood, and even diet might still impact the outcomes. Consequently, this study will try to bridge this gap by sampling different ethnic groups and focusing on factors other than socioeconomic status alone. But from a general perspective, this study by Li and Qiu (2018) indicates that when parents adopt children with the proper socioeconomic status, they are highly likely to perform well academically. In other words, adoption may be an excellent factor in the lives of children.
The positive impact of the socioeconomic factors on the academic achievement of the adopted children is further supported by this study by Dégeilh et al. (2019). This study sought to examine how the family’s socioeconomic status affects the child’s brain development right from infancy. The researchers carried out this longitudinal study over ten years for a proper assessment and a most accurate outcome. The sample population was children observed from their childhood at seven months to age ten. This approach is applauded because a family’s economic status ofa family cannot be observed over a short period. Dégeilh et al. (2019) must have been aware of the fact that the economic status of a family might change over time, thus impacting the eventual results. In their research, Dégeilh et al. (2019) were also looking to prove if there is a connection between the environment where a child is brought up and the child’s mental development. It is important to note that mental development is believed to be what causes the child to perform or underperform in school. Thus, this study went further into assessing the biological segment of cognitive development. Also, the researchers sought the connection between the environment and the child’s development, which makes this study an excellent reference (Dégeilh et al., 2019). The research outcomes showed a connection between socioeconomic status and the development of the hippocampi and amygdalae, which are also responsible for the socioemotional adjustments of the child. The gaps in this study were the central focus on the hippocampi and amygdalae and the tiny population that was sampled, making it difficult to generalize. This research will thus focus more on academic performance and use a more extensive and diverse population to ensure a more reliable outcome. Even so, Dégeilh et al. (2019) supported the hypothesis that if children are given up for adoption in the right socioeconomic environment from infancy, they are more likely to have better brain development, which translates to better excellent academic achievement in school.
Ramphal et al. (2020) conducted an almost similar study. These scholars were also interested in proving that the parent’s socioeconomic status significantly impacts the child’s mental development, thus determining the mental status of the infant. In other words, this study’s central focus was the child’s mental illness. To achieve reliable results, Ramphal et al. (2020) conducted a state function MRI on 75 full-term newborns and the same on 37 term-equivalent preterm newborns. The socioeconomic status of the sampled population was considered by the type of insurance the parents had, the Area Deprivation Index, and a composite score. Seed-based voxelwise linear regression relating to the participants’ socioeconomic status to the entire brain function connectivity of five brain regions were examined. These brain regions represented the functional networks believed to be necessary for assessing psychiatric illnesses (Ramphal et al., 2020). The researchers believed these same brain regions were affected by socioeconomic disadvantages. In their measurements, when lower socioeconomic status was identified, it was associated with the varied connectivity between striatum and vlPFC. The stratum connectivity between the medial PFC and the frontopolar mediated the connection between socioeconomic status and behavioral inhibition in children aged two as measured by the ITSEA (Infant-Toddler Social Emotional Assessment) (Ramphal et al., 2020). The study thus proved that in cases with lower socioeconomic status, there was a high probability of mental illnesses, while the opposite socioeconomic status proved to cause healthier mental status. Like in the study above, the gap in this study was its overemphasis on mental illnesses which made it difficult to generalize because mental illnesses differ from academic performance even though they have a relationship. Besides, the sampled population was tiny. However, what is illuminated in this study is that the family’s socioeconomic status impacts the child’s mental growth, which can affect their ability to perform in school.
Past the home environment, the school environment also plays a role in the child’s performance in class. Amiri and Karfa (2022) assessed what the school environment could do to a child’s academic performance. In their study, they specifically sought to examine the impacts of the school environment on the learners’ academic performance. Their method of study was the use of a literature review. Amiri and Karfa (2022) used databases from Iran Magiran, Iran Journal, Medex, Google Scholar, SID, PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Knowledge. In the process, they collected 252 pieces of literature on this topic. The theme guided their research, ‘the impact of school environment on academic performance.’ Therefore, all literature with information within this theme’s range was selected. The factors that interested this researcher were lighting and paintings on the wall (Amiri & Karfa, 2022).
This study, like every other research that used the literature review method, identified some gaps. The primary one was the fact that the researcher failed to give a detailed account of the method they used in literature selection, the quality of the literature they chose, and even the limitations of this literature were not given. As such, the outcomes of the study could not be generalized. Even so, this research supports the prevailing idea that the environment of growth, whether at home or at school, determines the child’s performance Amiri & Karfa (2022). The researchers believed that a classroom environment that is not well-lit and unattractive to the learner could impact their learning capabilities and behavior, which then translates to their academic outcomes. The impacts can be on the child’s social development, mental growth, or even motor skills. These domains of development then determine the child’s performance in school. When connecting these findings to the question of adoption, it is clear that allowing a child to be adopted by financially stable parents will determine the school the child attends. The school environment will then translate to academic performance.
Fihbein et al. (2019) also studied a child’s environment. Unlike Amiri and Karfa, they looked at the whole environment. At this point, it is essential to note that the home environment is the main focus of this study since it is where the adoption takes place. In other words, at home is where the adopting parents live, and it is there that the child’s brain and capabilities grow to help them excel in school. Fishbein et al. (2019) used a survey method to conduct this research that focused on finding out how the home environment affects a child’s executive functions. The sampled population was a group of 66 children aged between 8 and 11 years and living in Illinois and Indiana counties of the United States of America. In their research, the home environment was the neighborhood. As such, they did not look at factors within the house but within the environment of the house. The questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data on the home environment. Then the selected population was evaluated based on their IQ. The cognitive evaluation using their IQs was believed to be similar to their ability to perform in school. The study uncovered that the neighborhood only had negative impacts on the children.
Fishbein et al. (2019) stated that the neighborhoods were responsible for conduct such as truancy, aggression, and breaking the rules. This outcome was a significant gap in this study because the study was only conducted in two counties in the U.S.; perhaps other outcomes would have been recorded in other neighborhoods. Also, the study had a gap because it only looked at the influence of the neighborhood and failed to examine the influence that parents can have on the neighborhood. This study will thus fill this gap by holistically looking at the home environment. Holistically includes inside the house, the social and economic status of the parents, the neighborhoods, and the schools where the adopted children go. Also, the study will fill this gap by looking at the academic performance of both adopted and unadopted children to make a comparison. However, Fishbein et al. (2019) uncover the significance of the home environment on a child’s behavioral development. This finding is significant because the adopted children should be given the best environment at home, in the neighborhood, and at school.
Description of the Participants

Materials
When conducting a survey, one may need a team of personnel to help with the research. Thus, the researcher will need a coordinator and a secretary. The researcher will be the senior researcher responsible for the study. The essential office material will be the telephone or mobile phone, computer, Qualtrics software, and stationery. The study will be purely a survey, so the materials used will be typed questions sent through the mail (Rosnow & Rosenthal, 2013). However, the survey will be created and given to the participants through Qualtrics. Qualtrics is an online survey platform selected and authorized by the campus for this research study. This survey technology will allow the chosen participants to participate in the research efficiently. All the interview answers will be safely kept on the computer after they are received from the participants. The survey will be made informal, and the questions will be open-ended. The researcher anticipates that the data analysis process will continue throughout the study. All the surveys sent back will be stored in computer files, and then the raw data will be fed into the SSPS.
Procedures
The following steps will characterize the procedure that will be taken in this research study. The first step will be to conduct the survey, which will get answers and opinions from the participants. The survey will be done online. After the survey, the researcher will create a unique link connected to the survey and then posted in the researcher’s survey portal at the campus. This link will provide access for the selected participants to help them complete the survey questions. The participants will be required to respond to questions surrounding their school environment, such as their facilities and how they are treated at school. The participants will also be asked questions regarding their home environment, like how they are treated and their neighborhood (Rosnow & Rosenthal, 2013). On the other hand, participants will be asked for information regarding the child’s academic performance, social and motor milestones, and any other unique developments associated with cognitive and social development. The documented variables will be examined to see if the research hypothesis is acceptable.
When creating the informed consent, the researcher will create a form that provides information on the health issues that might be related to the study, the nature and purpose of the study, the expected duration, any involved experiments, and the risks involved. The firm will also contain the statement that gives them the liberty to leave or discontinue their participation in the study. As already mentioned, the survey will be online, and participants will be required to answer questions. They will submit their responses, which will be recorded.
Ethical Considerations
For starters, this study will get approval from the University authority. Secondly, since this survey will involve campus learners, the first ethical consideration is the confidentiality of data. Confidentiality will be adhered to as per section 4 principle 1 of APA (American Psychology Association, 2017). The other ethical consideration will be the survey, especially the questions the child participant will be asked. The purpose of the study can also be a moral issue, which means that the researcher should consider seeking authorization from the parents (Rosnow & Rosenthal, 2013). The other consideration is the right of the participant not to answer a question they do not want to. The most important thing the researcher will do is to protect the participant and respect the rights of the participants in the study. This will be done per sections 6, parts 1 and 2 of the APA (American Psychology Association, 2017). The researcher will ask questions that may seem personal to the participants since the study involves adoption and the child’s lifestyle (Dégeilh et al., 2019). Therefore, this ethical issue must be considered, and the researcher should allow the participant to choose not to answer some questions. The researcher will also seek consent to survey the participants. All participants will have the right not to continue the research if they feel uncomfortable or do not want to.
Data Analysis Plan
Preparing New Data
Raw data collected during the online survey will be fed into the SSPS. Every variable will be analyzed to identify descriptive data like the average and standard deviation. After collecting this descriptive data, it will be used to create a scatterplot. This step will help identify the presence of any outliers. Outliers in survey research should be addressed because they may create biased statistical results. It is important to note that in a research survey, bias should be avoided. If any outliers are identified, they will be addressed based on the quantity and severity. This information will then be presented in a scatter plot and a table for clarity.
The determination of whether there are outliers in the data will be done. The researcher will then determine if the results are normal or non-normal. This process will be significant in measuring the central tendency. The appropriate statistical procedures will be determined, thus increasing reliability and validity.
Analytic Procedures
Variables should be analyzed based on context and with the other variables as opposed to analyzing them out of isolation. For this reason, the relationship between genetics and the environment to the academic performance of adaptive children will be analyzed using the Product-Moment Correlation (r), which is the most applicable when examining the relationship between two sets of ratio data. The findings will be considered necessary if the p is less than .05 (if p<.05).

Descriptive Statistics
The descriptive statistics in this study will at least include the averages, ranges, and standard deviations for every single variable. This data will then be presented in a table form to ensure the statistics presented are clear. In addition, the statistic will be presented in a boxplot and a scatterplot. These two will be developed based on the data presented. The aim of using the scatterplot and boxplot is to ensure clarity in data presentation.

Principles and Standards
The researchers will follow the APA Code of Ethics throughout the entire research. Respect for this code of ethics will mean that the researchers will ensure they present accurate data and follow this with an accurate reporting of statistical results (American Psychological Association, 2017). Significantly, all resources will be appropriately cited. The participant’s data will be kept confidential. Only the researcher will know who participated or did not participate in the research to ensure total confidentiality. The researcher will be the only individual in the study who will keep the raw data, and they should be destroyed immediately after the PSY-520 ends. All these will be done following the APA Ethics Code to meet the ethical attributes of excellent research standards.
Results
Before the results are recorded, the viability of these results will be made possible by determining the correlation between variables. This process will be needful because it will help make predictions on future behaviors. And knowing what the future holds is important for a survey.
The researcher expects the hypothesis to be right at the end of the study. The researchers expect that there will be a significant connection between genetics as well as the environment and the academic performance of adaptive children. In other words, the researcher hopes that genetics and the environment will directly impact the performance of adopted children. If the results support the hypothesis, this study will add to the knowledge on this topic. Since this study will focus on adopted children, it will help add information on whether adoption can impact academic performance. It is expected that there will be a connection between excellent school performance and adoptive children. This will align with the other researchers’ findings that an excellent socioeconomic environment translates to better cognitive growth.

References
Amiri, E., & Karfa, A. E. (2022). The impact of learning environment on EFL students’ academic achievement: A study of socio-cultural factors affecting academic achievement. International Journal of Medical Research & Health Sciences 5(7S):360-369 https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/crnkq
Dégeilh, F., Beauchamp, M. H., Leblanc, É., Daneault, V., & Bernier, A. (2019). Socioeconomic Status in Infancy and the Developing Brain: Functional Connectivity of the Hippocampus and Amygdala. Developmental neuroscience, 41(5-6), 327–340. https://doi.org/10.1159/000507616
Fishbein DH, Michael L, Guthrie C, Carr C &t Raymer J (2019) Associations Between Environmental Conditions and Executive Cognitive Functioning and Behavior During Late Childhood: A Pilot Study. Front. Psychol. 10(1263) pp. 1 – 12. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01263
Li, Z., & Qiu, Z. (2018). How does family background affect children’s educational achievement? Evidence from Contemporary China. J. Chin. Social. 5(13), pp. 1 – 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40711-018-0083-8
Ramphal, B., Whalen, D. J., Kenley, J. K., Yu, Q., Smyser, C. D., Rogers, C. E., & Sylvester, C. M. (2020). Brain connectivity and socioeconomic status at birth and externalizing symptoms at age 2 years. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 45, 100811. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100811
American Psychology Association (2017). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Retrieved from: https://www.apa.org/ethics/code

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