SOCF2614 UNIT 3

Question 1

Blinders of Personal Experiences

Answer 1

Personal experiences may act as
blinders.
* People tend to think that their
families are normal and typical.
* Personal experiences tend to
make us believe that other people
have similar lifestyles to ours.

Question 2

Removing blinders

Answer 2

• See beyond our personal
  experiences.
• We can only be able to do this
  thru science.
• Find the truth “as it is” rather than
  as “it should be”

Question 3

The standards of the IRB/ethics includes

Answer 3

Informed consent;
 Confidentiality of data and identities;
 Protection from harm;
 Compensation of participants for their time
and risks;
 Sharing research results with participants and
other appropriate audiences.– Protection from harm;– Compensation of participants for their time
and risks;– Sharing research results with participants
and other appropriate audiences.

Question 4

Steps of the
research process

Answer 4

Step 1: Defining the
research topic
Step 2: Reviewing
the literature
Step 3: Identifying
and Defining key
concepts
Step 4: Research
design and Data
gathering strategy
Step 5 & 6:
Analysing data &
Drawing conclusions

Question 5

Studying Families

Answer 5

Step 1 Defining the topic for investigation
*Choosing a topic or deciding on a research question.
*Explain why research topic/question has significance.

Step 2 Reviewing the literature
*Take existing research into account.
*Avoids repetition and gives new insights.
*Helps researcher “place” research.

Step 3 Identifying and defining core concepts
*State the core concepts.
*Avoid ambiguity.
*Focus

Step 4 Choosing a research design and data-gathering
strategies
* Population to be studied
* People, traces, documents etc
* Sampling - random, representative

Step 5&6 Analyzing the data and drawing conclusions
 Themes, relationships, links.
 Graphs, tables.
 Generalizability.
 Relationship between independent and dependent
variables.
 And NB placing it within a theoretical framework!!!– , tables.– Generalizability.– Relationship between independent and
dependent variables.– And NB placing it within a theoretical
framework!!!

Question 6

Method of data collection

Answer 6

Self-administered questionnaires
* Interviews
* Observation
* Secondary data

Question 7

Surveys

Answer 7

They may use open-ended (long answer) or close-ended (multiple choice) questions.

Question 8

Surveys Advantages

Answer 8

Efficient way to gather a lot of data.
Can be useful for other researchers studying similar topics (like family life)

Question 9

Surveys Disadvantages

Answer 9

Might miss important points that respondents care about.
People may not answer truthfully and instead say what they think they should.
Questions can be misunderstood.

Question 10

Naturalistic Observation

Answer 10

In this method, the researcher spends a lot of time with a family or group, observing their daily life. They watch and record behaviors, conversations, and interactions to understand family dynamics and communication.

Question 11

Naturalistic Observation: Advantages

Answer 11

Lets researchers see real behavior in a natural setting.

Question 12

Naturalistic Observation: Disadvantages

Answer 12

Results may be subjective, depending on the researcher’s interpretation.

Question 13

Focus Groups

Answer 13

This is a type of qualitative research involving 10–20 participants. The sessions are recorded and transcribed. Participants discuss topics freely, which can reveal personal insights and experiences.

Question 14

Focus Groups: Advantages

Answer 14

Encourages open discussion.
Helps researchers understand daily experiences and situations better.

Question 15

Focus Groups: Disadvantages

Answer 15

Harder to control group conversations.
Analysis is more difficult due to informal talk.
The researcher may unintentionally influence responses.

Question 15

Clinical Case Studies

Answer 15

These are detailed records of individuals or families, usually compiled by professionals like psychologists or counselors. They give insight into real-life family behavior and attitudes through personal stories.

Question 16

Clinical Case Studies: Advantages

Answer 16

Offers a realistic look at family life, often from personal experiences.

Question 17

Clinical Case Studies: Disadvantages

Answer 17

May reflect the clinician’s personal bias.
Some aspects of family life could be over- or under-emphasized.