psyc300-week-3-discussion

• Briefly describe how quantitative and qualitative research are each valuable in the field of psychology.
• In the APUS Online Library, locate a journal article that used a qualitative research approach.
• Next, summarize the article you have chosen for this Forum discussion.
• Then, evaluate whether the research method was the best way to study the given topic. Explain why or why not.
• Finally, describe how you would study your chosen topic in a qualitative way and how you would study it in a quantitative way.

Minimum 300 words answer

Classmate #1:

Part 1: The difference between quantitative and qualitative research can be described as quantitative data is information about quantities, and therefore numbers, and qualitative data is descriptive, and regards phenomenon which can be observed but not measured, such as language. Quantitative research typically answers questions such as “how many?”, where qualitative research asks “how?”

Part 2/3: I chose an article by Michelle Nicole White called “Same Sex Child Abuse: Impact on Depression and PTSD among Adult Survivors”. In the article, she discussing her study that examines the effects of childhood sexual abuse from the perspective of adult survivors. The objective of the study was to focus on the effects of depressive symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder related to the consequences of same gender childhood sexual abuse. The significance of researching this population was the lack of empirical research, which examines same gender childhood sexual abuse victimization. The objective of this was to assess if depression and/or PTSD were risk factors associated with same gender childhood sexual abuse among adult survivors. (White, 2016)

Part 4: I do believe qualitative was the best way to conduct this research, because it allows the researchers to go deeper into the intricacies of PTSD from childhood sexual abuse, which is known to most people in society, even outside of the psychology field, to have a serious impact. If it was used as a quantitative study, it would likely have asked “how many victims of same gender childhood sexual abuse are impacted by PTSD compared to victims of opposite gender childhood sexual abuse?”

Part 5: For the chosen topic of my research proposal, I have chosen to discuss the impact that parental substance abuse has on children. In a qualitative way, I could focus on how children are impacted, such as the different ways. In a quantitative way, I could focus on the likelihood that a child will grow up to abuse illegal substances, if their parents were also substance abusers.

Reference:

White, M. N. (2016). Same sex child abuse: Impact on depression and PTSD among adult survivors (Order No. 10182922). Available from Psychology Database. (1835142417). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/docview/1835142417?accountid=8289

Classmate #2:

Hello Class,

Quantitative and qualitative research are both extremely valuable in the field of psychology. These research methods offer different methods for obtaining data. Qualitative research usually has nonnumerical data and are analyzed using non-statistical techniques (Cuttler, 2018). This method can be used to record the behavior of an individual target or a small group. Some things in research can’t really be accurately represented by numbers. Scales are produced to try and turn some data into quantitative but it’s better to leave it how it is and go from there. Quantitative data is important for research because it can cover a lot of different variables and easily be compared to other trials. This method can be used to collect a lot of data over a large group of patients. Surveys are good examples of quantitative data because people can select a numerical value and be done with it. Quantitative data might not cover or offer as much detail as qualitative data could.

Locate a journal article that used a qualitative research approach, summarize the article:

The article that I picked from the APUs library uses the qualitative research approach on drug addicts. The research goes into great detail on how drug users come from all different backgrounds and use drugs as a social acceptance. “A fundamental challenge to the idea of addiction as the product of individual ‘psychopathic’ character traits” (Maher, 2018). Linking drug addiction do psychopathic traits could potentially lower the number of drug users in the world. Most of the people they studied used drugs to just get away from reality.

The study offered great insight on a current world problem, the only complaint was that qualitative data took a long time to conduct. I think that it really depends on the factors that are involved in the actual study. What I mean by this is that this problem could kill people and put other people into danger. This study should be conducted as fast as possible to help combat this problem. The researchers even said that the studies took a long time to conduct and could only do so many at a time. If quantitative research offered similar results with less time taken, that would be a better option.

Describe how you would study your chosen topic in a qualitative and quantitative way.

In this specific study I would try to divide into two teams who could conduct both quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative would be used to immediately stop the problem to get drug users off the street and into rehab. Once they are out of danger qualitative research could be used to further break down why people actually use drugs and how to prevent future drug users from entering society.

Source:

Carrie Cuttler, (14 March, 2018). Research Methods in Psychology. 4th Edition. Saylor Academy, retrieved from: https://apus.intelluslearning.com/lti/#/document/se_id=417191&external_course_name=PSYC300%20I001%20Fall%2019

Maher, Lisa; Dertadian, George, (January 2018). Qualitative Research. Addiction, (p167-172). Retrieved from: http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=8080be1a-9a82-418e-afeb-6bedd2548cbc%40sdc-v-sessmgr02&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwJnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=126684701&db=ccm

Classmate #3:

1. Briefly describe how quantitative and qualitative research are each valuable in the field of psychology.

Quantitative and qualitative research both play a valuable role in psychological research. Qualitative research uses verbal responses in the majority of the studies. This research is conducted through interviews and focus groups. (Quantitative and Qualitative Research, n.d.) Quantitative research uses statistics and number values to study a given topic. This is important because it limits observer bias by the use of surveys or questionnaires. Both of these research designs are useful because both have opposite limitations. For example, some behaviors are not observable and require assigned numbers and data, while other behaviors cannot be quantified and require observation.

2. In the APUS Online Library, locate a journal article that used a qualitative research approach. Next, summarize the article you have chosen for this Forum discussion.

In the study I found, researchers were attempting to discover if there was a link between high technology use and depression, sleep disorders, and stress. This study recruited and interviewed 16 females and 16 males. They used a semi-structured interview with open ended questions to assess the relationship between technology and mental illness. (Thomee, Dellue, Harenstam, Hagberg, & Health, 2010) When the research was concluded, researchers discovered that there is a possible link between high technology use and mental illness. They also stated that because their subjects were students, they were required to use technology for classes and future success. Although, subjects reported that they had mental overload, social isolation and neglect from other activities. (Thomee, Dellue, Harenstam, Hagberg, & Health, 2010)

3. Then, evaluate whether the research method was the best way to study the given topic. Explain why or why not.

I believe that the research was conducted in a constructive and well-designed way. I think the use of quantitative research would be a better way to analyze technologies effect on mental illness. While conducting a face to face interview, the subject may withhold information for fear of embarrassment or other personal feelings. They may also attempt to give the researcher the answer they believe they are looking for. They may do this by starting to answer the interviewer’s question and modify the answer based off the interviewer’s body language or deminer.

4. Finally, describe how you would study your chosen topic in a qualitative way and how you would study it in a quantitative way.

If this was my study, I would use quantitative research. I would have assigned each subject a technology logbook and have them track how many hours they spend on the computer, cellphone, or TV. Once this data was collected and inputted, I would then send out a questionnaire that would address demographics, stress levels, sleep patterns, and depression. Once that data was collected and inputted, I would begin analyzing the data and eventually publish my findings.

Quantitative and Qualitative Research. (n.d.). Retrieved from explorable.com: https://explorable.com/quantitative-and-qualitativ…

Thomee, S., Dellue, L., Harenstam, A., Hagberg, M., & Health, B. M. C. P. (2010). Perceived connections between information and communication technology use and mental symptoms among young adults – a qualitative study. Retrieved November 19, 2019, from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/docview/1221467564/fulltextPDF/7A5444F424DC4CA0PQ/1?accountid=8289.

Minimum 150 words answer to each