Topic: PSY 635 Reply to Timothy’s s post Week 5 Discussion-When should Mixed Methods Be Used?
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Details: Comment on the suitability of your peer’s explanation(s) of his or her topic with regard to research design.
Regardless of your peer’s choice of design, explain whether or not you believe a mixed-methods design is called for to research this topic. If your peer has chosen a mixed-methods design, explain whether or not you believe it is the most appropriate mixed methods design to address the research question. Identify other design option(s), besides the one you selected for your own post, you would recommend studying the proposed research question. Review the ethical issues your colleague raised in his or her post and suggest other issues which he or she should consider when conducting this research. ( SEE RODERICK POST BELOW)
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Timothy Morin POST
When Should Mixed Methods be Used?
Choosing the best research design is a critical process when conducting a study. A mixed-methods study applies a combination of research designs from qualitative and quantitative data to answer the same specific question or group of questions (Fetters et al., 2013). Some studies may require a mixed-methods approach, while others may be more beneficial to applying only qualitative or quantitative methods. The basis of this discussion is to apply the scientific method to a chosen topic by determining the design or designs necessary to answer the particular question, compare the characteristics and appropriate uses of the different methods, and explain which research approach could best answer the specific problem. It will also identify the dominant method for the proposed study, explain why the chosen approach is the best way to study the topic question, and describe how ethical principles will be applied to address concerns that may impact the study.
Chosen Topic and Specific Research Question
Depression is a psychological condition that can produce adverse effects on the body, leading to more severe conditions if not properly treated. This condition can become chronic and disabling and has been identified as having an early onset, often developing in childhood or adolescent stages. Depression is a common mood disorder that can create symptoms that influence an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and habits, such as eating, sleeping, or working. Although there have been advances in treating mental disorders, studies indicate that one out of five Americans will be clinically depressed in their lifetime (Johnson et al., 2018). So, why do individuals who have depressive symptoms not seek professional help at their onset? This question is essential to gaining more knowledge regarding an individual’s symptoms and their reasoning to seek or not seek professional assistance.
Comparison of Research Designs and Appropriate Uses
Case study research is an extensive method that includes various data sources to produce detailed descriptions of complicated research phenomena in real-world contexts. Researchers can utilize various research categories when they are developing or observing a case study. Non-experimental research is a study that lacks the manipulation of an independent variable and does not place participants in a random assignment to conditions. Quantitative research is the process of accumulating and examining statistical data to make predictions, test causal associations, discover patterns and averages, and generalize results to broader populations. Qualitative research incorporates an interpretive, naturalistic approach to comprehending the world. Specifically, researchers examine things in their natural settings in an effort to apprehend or interpret phenomena with regard to the meanings that individuals provide, such as opinions, concepts, or experiences (Davidsen, 2013). Mixed methods research designs allow a researcher to use various elements of qualitative and quantitative methods within a single study.
Regarding why individuals who have depressive symptoms do not seek professional help at their onset, I would choose a mixed-methods approach using phenomenology and survey research processes. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is concerned with the comprehensive analysis of individual circumstances and how they construe their experiences. Survey research is a process of using survey instruments such as question items or assessment and evaluation tools. A survey can be a medium to triangulation by understanding cultural factors that may be identified in a study or have the potential to disclose additional cultural aspects that a qualitative analysis might have overlooked (Hesse-Biber, 2010).
Dominant Research Method and Reasoning for Chosen Designs
The dominant research method utilized in this case study is the IPA design. IPA is beneficial because the method allows a detailed examination of specific occurrences, specifically in single or group case studies. In this study, I could work with each person solely or in groups to understand their symptoms of depression and occurrences. This process permits each case to be analyzed thoroughly, providing similarities and differences between participants and producing detailed reports of meaningful patterns and reflections on shared experience (Frost, 2011). The second method that will be utilized is survey research. In this case, using survey samples can provide quantitative data that can demonstrate the qualitative results’ generalizability. Also, data collected can be statistically analyzed to produce meaningful research conclusions (Hesse-Biber, 2010).
Applied Ethical Principles
Several ethical principles will be applied to this study. Each participant will need to provide informed consent. During this process, the following aspects will be covered so that the participants are competent and determined competent by the researcher in the participants’ decision: the participants will be provided with a purpose for the study, expected length, course of action, right to decline or withdraw, limits to confidentiality, incentives, and potential risks (American Psychological Association, 2017, 8.02). This process will provide an opportunity for any questions or clarification of any procedures to be directly addressed. I would delve further into potential risks conveying that some information may produce adverse or other psychological issues that may need to be confronted. I would offer counseling services immediately or at the participants’ discretion to counter the onset of any problems and promote therapeutic outcomes. Any recordings will also receive informed consent prior to the collection of any data (American Psychological Association, 2017, 8.03). Information will be maintained and protected according to regulated laws and institutional guidelines. The participant will receive the opportunity to be debriefed with information regarding the nature of the study, results, and any conclusions that were established (American Psychological Association, 2017, 8.08).
References
American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct: Including 2010 and 2016 amendments (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx
Davidsen, A. (2013). Phenomenological approaches in psychology and health sciences. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 10(3), 318-339. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1080/14780887.2011.608466
Fetters, M. D., Curry, L. A., & Creswell, J. W. (2013). Achieving integration in mixed methods designs – principles and practices. Health Services Research, 48(6), 2134-2156. doi:10.1111/1475-6773.12117
Frost, N. (2011). Qualitative research methods in psychology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Hesse-Biber, S. N. (2010). Mixed methods research: Merging theory with practice. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Johnson, D., Dupuis, G., Piche, J., Clayborne, Z., & Colman, I. (2018). Adult mental health outcomes of adolescent depression: A systematic review. Depression & Anxiety (1091-4269), 35(8), 700-716. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1002/da.2277
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