Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Expose Of The Relationship Between Paradigm, Method And Design In Research, Godswill Makombe Prof

The Qualitative Report

It is crucial that any research inquiry be guided by a paradigm. However, many early career researchers do not mention the research paradigm guiding their inquiry. Furthermore, qualitative and quantitative methods are sometimes erroneously referred to as research paradigms or research designs. Experienced researchers often use the terms research paradigm, research methods and research design in a loose and confusing manner. Although it is reasonable to assume that experienced researchers do understand the distinction and relationship between the three concepts, the loose use of the concepts leads to confusion among early career researchers, especially Master’s and PhD students. By using …

Reaction To Safety Equipment Technology In The Workplace And Implications: A Study Of The Firefighter’S Hood, Brian W. Ward

The Qualitative Report

In the 1990s the firefighter’s hood became a standard article of safety equipment worn by municipal firefighters, eliciting a negative reaction among many of these firefighters. I used data from interviews with 42 firefighters to explain why this reaction occurred. Data analysis revealed that negative reactions ultimately stemmed from the hood’s disruption of autonomy, repudiation of the complex mental and physical skill needed to perform tasks required of firefighters, and hindrance in negotiating the life-threatening environment created by a fire. These findings indicate that when introducing new safety equipment technology to emergency response workers, their reaction to this equipment, and …

Predicting And Promoting Health-Related Quality Of Life For Parents Of Children With Autism: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Laura Delustro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study used a mixed methodology approach to understand factors that predict and promote health related quality of life (HRQOL) for parents of youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The first component of the study used quantitative analyses to determine the extent to which study variables predict HRQOL for parents of youth with ASD (N = 365). Findings show that HRQOL is positively impacted by increased total annual household income, increased age of the child with ASD, male gender, and tangible support. HRQOL was negatively impacted by increased age of the parent, increased parental perceptions of burden, and …

Migrating Learning Management Systems: A Case Of A Large Public University, Brenda L. R. Such, Albert D. Ritzhaupt, George S. Thompson

Administrative Issues Journal

In the past 20 years, institutions of higher education have made major investments in Learning Management Systems (LMSs). As institutions have integrated the LMS into campus culture, the potential of migrating to not only an upgraded version of the LMS, but also an entirely different LMS, has become a reality. This qualitative research study examines the perspectives of five stakeholders involved with the migration of an LMS at a major research institution in the southeastern United States. Using Lewin’s (1947) Change Management Model and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Model as analogies, this research seeks to understand the role and responsibilities …

Sex Worker And Proud: A Phenomenological Study Of Consensual Sex Workers' Lives, Michael Gerald Curtis Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Ten consensual sex workers who were currently working in Nevada were qualitatively interviewed in an effort to explore their perceptions of the adult industry. Interviews specifically focused on their experience disclosing their profession to others and the potential effects that it has on their personal relationships, and access to effective treatment. The Moustakas method of phenomenological inquiry was used to analyze data from ten participants who self-identified as direct sex workers. Seven essential themes emerged from this analysis: (1) the adult industry provides professional and personal agency, (2) the industry is often transient, (3) disclosure is an impactful and ongoing …

Sexual Desire Trajectories: Heterosexual Individuals' Perceptions Of The State And Trait Characteristics Of Desire, Caroline Maykut

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Significant theoretical and empirical attention has aimed to classify sexual desire in a way that accounts for its complexities. A recent question to arise from this discussion is whether desire is best conceptualized as a state or a trait. Limited data examine patterns of desire spanning several years, and most data emanate from cross-sectional or short-term follow-up studies. Long-term accounts of desire level variability remain a gap in the literature, as does research inquiring directly about the question of trait desire.

Thirteen heterosexual women and ten heterosexual men, ages 40-63, participated in a semi-structured interview focusing on desire level and …

Relational Struggles And Experiential Immediacy In Religious American Families, David C. Dollahite, Loren D. Marks, Kaity Pearl Young

Faculty Publications

Qualitative family scholar Kerry Daly has called for more theory addressing understudied dimensions including religion, everyday experiences, and time. Herein we address all three of these dimensions as we empirically examine and theorize Ono relational struggles among religious families. We also explore what we term experiential immediacy–defined as the personal and temporal proximity to participant-reported lived experience. Based on qualitative analyses of in-depth interviews with 198 highly religious families (N = 476 individuals), we identified four types of relational struggles created by religious involvement: burdens, disunities, abuses, and offenses. We also offer a conceptual framework of experiential immediacy grounded …

Attitudes Of Canadian Beef Producers Toward Animal Welfare, J. M. Spooner, C. A. Schuppli, D. Fraser

David Fraser, PhD

Commercial beef production in western Canada involves raising cows and calves on large tracts of grassland, plus grain-based ‘finishing’ of animals in outdoor feedlots. This study used open-ended, semi-structured interviews to explore views on animal welfare of 23 commercial beef producers in this system. Although wary of the term ‘animal welfare’, participants understood the concept to encompass three well-known elements: (i) basic animal health and body condition; (ii) affective states (comfort, contentment, freedom from hunger or thirst); and (iii) the ability to live a ‘natural’ life. Participants attached importance to protecting animals from natural hardships (extreme weather, predators), yet many …

I Wish: Multigenerational Regrets And Reflections On Teaching Children About Money, Ashley B. Lebaron, E. Jeffrey Hill, Christina M. Rosa, Travis J. Spencer, Loren D. Marks, Joshua T. Powell

Faculty Publications

Millennials are struggling to meet current financial challenges. As we strive to improve financial capability in future generations, it is important that we look to the primary source of financial education: parents. This qualitative, multigenerational study explored what Millennials and their parents and grandparents (N = 153) wish they had been taught about finances by their parents, as well as what parents and grandparents wish they had taught their children. Thematic content coding of the interviews revealed three core “I Wish” themes: “Practical Knowledge,” “Financial Stewardship,” and “Open Communication.” These findings can assist researchers, family life educators, financial educators, …

Qualitative Delphi Method: A Four Round Process With A Worked Example, Dia Sekayi, Arleen Kennedy

The Qualitative Report

The Delphi Method was originally designed to collect data from a panel of experts to aid in decision making in government settings. Delphi has been described as a qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approach. The anonymous collection of narrative group opinion coupled with the tightly structured nature of the process and quantitatively described results renders the approach difficult to situate in a methodological category. The purpose of this article is not to settle the debate. Rather, the aim is twofold: to present a modification of Delphi that is definitively qualitative, and to provide a worked example to demonstrate the proposed method.

“I Feel Like I’M Drawing Strength From It”: Lived Experiences Of Filipino Elderly Participating In Craft-Making, Sharon B. Cajayon, Romeo Luis A. Macabasag, Norilyn Limchanco, Vanessa O. Umali, Ellayza N. Blas, Michelle S. Angulo, Cristine Joy A. Breguera, Nikka Angela A. De Guzman, Sheila N. Malapi, Emmalyn E. Quibote

The Qualitative Report

In this phenomenological study, we offer an insightful understanding of the lived experiences of seven (7) Filipino elderly participating in craft-making. We purposively selected the key informants from a municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. The transcribed data gathered through a semi-structured in-depth interview was analyzed using Colaizzi’s approach. Six themes describing the lived experiences emerged: “Fostering friendship,” “Flourishing health,” “Furthering service,” “Facing aging with acceptance,” “Finding felicity and self-fulfillment,” “Feelings of belongingness and security.” Just like the sun, the elderly’s participation in craft-making serves as a nourishment for them. This exploration speaks to understanding the potential of craft-making …

Once Bitten, Thrice Wise: The Varying Effects Of Victimization On Routine Activities And Risk Management, J. Michael Vecchio

J. Michael Vecchio

While the relationship between offending and victimization is well established, less is understood about what contributes to the varied effects of victimization on future behavior. Drawing on qualitative interviews from a sample of at-risk men, the study explores recognized and unrecognized effects of victimization on subsequent behavior and management of lifestyle risks both within and across narratives. Findings demonstrate a range of perceived effects on behavior and risk management, with the presence or absence of substantive effects related to whether the event was both severe and directly attributable to involvement in at-risk behavior. Consequences for the victimization–termination hypothesis are discussed.

A Metaphorical Analysis Of Employment Barriers And Support Needs In Psychosis, Margaret E. Hampson Dr., Richard E. Hicks Dr, Bruce D. Watt Dr

The Qualitative Report

This study uses metaphor analysis to explore the employment-related experiences of people living with psychosis and those around them such as family, community members, professionals and employers. Data was derived from transcripts of 14 focus groups and 31 interviews conducted during a qualitative study of the employment barriers and support needs of people living with psychosis. The sample comprised participants drawn from six key stakeholder groups, namely people diagnosed with a persisting psychotic disorder, care-givers, health professionals, employers, employment providers and local community members. Transcripts from focus groups and interviews were imported into NVivo 10 and explored through the lens …

Prescription Opioid Misuse: Initiation, Sources Of Supply, And The Role Of Medical Providers, Alexandra Harocopos

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Over the past 25 years, opioid analgesic misuse has increased dramatically in the U.S., with concomitant deleterious effects on health. Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported that an estimated 4.3 million people aged 12 or older were current non-medical users of opioid analgesics, representing 1.6 percent of the population (SAMHSA, 2015), and unintentional drug poisoning deaths now surpass motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of injury death (CDC 2014). Opioid analgesics are produced in the U.S. within a system of tight control and any entity or person manufacturing, distributing, prescribing, or dispensing …

Between Paradigms: Becoming A Pathological Optimist, Carol Isaac

The Qualitative Report

Using an autoethnographic poststructural lens, I examined my academic journey in becoming a qualitative methodologist. I integrated my mentor’s maxims such as, “the institution will not love you back,” “prisoner of your words,” “make plans; if they don’t work, make new plans,” “one has mentors and tormentors and both help shape us,” “ever the opportunist,” “strategic groveling,” “a mosaic approach to mentoring” and “just get naked.” Despite paradigmatic contradictions between my doctoral and postdoctoral experiences, I gained much from working between the polarities of the social science and biomedical discourse. In time, I became a “pathological optimist,” one of the …

Coming Out And Losing Out: Gay Men In Emerging Adulthood And Family Support, Joshua Cafferty

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis utilizes interviews completed on twenty homosexual, cisgender men who are in emerging adulthood to gain a better understanding of the ways in which family support functions, and can change at this lifestage. Unlike much of the previous research, this qualitative study argues that family support is not a question of simple acceptance or rejection, but is instead a complex combination of multiple forms of support, that can be lost or sustained for a multitude of reasons. Emerging adulthood is applied to show the benefits of family support during this life-stage, as well as to show the complexity of …

Exploring Men's Motivations And Restraints In Repeated Extramarital Sex, Casey Marie Stinley

MSU Graduate Theses

The influence of extramarital sex (EMS) on marriage has been a topic of discussion in the research community for over 30 years. This thesis explored the influences that drive the EMS participants’ decisions, whether to abstain, continue while in the marriage, or to leave the marriage, and, those influences that affect whether they later participate in EMS or not. This study also used individual semi-structured interviews of ex-husbands who have participated in EMS in the past, as well as husbands who are participating in EMS currently. The four men interviewed were from southwest Missouri. The interviews were reviewed to identify …

Positionality: Reflecting On The Research Process, Brian Bourke

Brian Bourke

Through this article, the author provides a reflection on the role of positionality in research, following the completion of a qualitative research project. Through the research project, the White researcher sought to explore the ways in which students of color experience a predominantly White university. Drawing on literature and findings from the research project, the author highlights potential challenges and opportunities of being cognizant of one’s positionality. These reflections illustrate the significance of positionality and serve as a reminder of its potential effects on the research process, as well as on participants and the researcher. The manuscript concludes with recommendations …

Leveraging Positive Psychological Capital (Psycap) In Crisis: A Multiphase Framework, Ivana Milosevic, A. Erin Bass, Djordje Milosevic

Organization Management Journal

Despite recent advancements in understanding of leadership in context, there is surprisingly little insight into leadership in crisis. To provide insight into how leaders navigate crisis, we utilize historical sources of Sir Winston Churchill’s leadership during World War II to analyze which resources are used by leaders during a crisis and how they leverage these resources to lead through and out of the crisis. We discover that psychological capital (PsyCap) is a core individual resource that leaders leverage in crisis. Our findings suggest that leaders leverage PsyCap in varying ways based on the phase of the crisis. That is, different …

To Think Or Not To Think With Theory In Qualitative Research, Mohamed Yacoub

The Qualitative Report

Thinking with Theory in Qualitative Research: Viewing Data across Multiple Perspectives is a book that challenges the traditional way of analyzing qualitative data. The book invites researchers who use qualitative methods to think with theory when it comes to analyzing their data since analyzing the data with no theory in mind can make injustice to the data. Thinking with theory, however, can enrich one’s study and direct the process of the data analysis. The authors offer us six theories, as examples, to think with when analyzing qualitative data. These theories are: Derrida’s Deconstruction, Spivak’s Marginality, Foucault’s Power/Knowledge, Butler’s Performativity, Deleuze’s …

Evaluation Of Psychology Clinicians’ Attitudes Towards Computerized Cognitive Behavior Therapy, For Use In Their Future Clinical Practice, With Regard To Treating Those Suffering From Anxiety And Depression, Nivek Dunne

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Computerized Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CCBT) is an empirically supported therapeutic modality used in the treatment of anxiety and depression. It is an important area of research considering there is much research lacking in this area, especially regarding trainee and qualified psychology clinicians' attitudes which are informative in terms of uptake and adherence. This study examined trainee and qualified psychology clinicians' attitudes towards CCBT for use in their future clinical practice, with regard treating those suffering from anxiety and depression. Overall, 31 participants took part in the research, which resulted in 31 completed informed consent forms and questionnaires being returned to …

A Qualitative Study Of African American/Black Msm's Experiences Of Participating In A Substance Use And Sexual Risk Reduction Intervention, Mance E. Buttram, Steven P. Kurtz

CAHSS Faculty Articles

The majority of new HIV infections in the United States are among men who have sex with men (MSM), and African American/Black MSM are especially affected. Employing a grounded theory approach, this study presents qualitative data from 21 African American/Black MSM who participated in a substance use and sexual risk reduction intervention trial (Project ROOM [men Reaching Out to Other Men]) in South Florida. African American/Black MSM from Project ROOM reduced their substance use and sexual risk behaviors at a faster rate than other men in the study. The present study examines how the experiences of participation in Project ROOM …

From Food To Food Justice: Pathways And Narratives Of Young Food Activists In New York City, Amy Kwan

Dissertations and Theses

With a rise in obesity and other non-communicable, diet-related health problems and the persistence of food insecurity among many vulnerable populations, the involvement of young people in the current, burgeoning food-justice movement has the potential to bring forth transformative changes to our food system and thus improve population health. While much is known about the outcomes of providing opportunities for young people to be actively and civically engaged in their communities, there is a lack of research on the pathways, narratives, and experiences that bring young people into food justice activism.

Through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 25 young food activists …

Decoding Coding Via The Coding Manual For Qualitative Researchers By Johnny Saldaña, Robin Cooper

Robin Cooper

The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers by Johnny Saldaña is a valuable resource for novice and experienced qualitative researchers alike, offering a clear, comprehensive explanation of codes and coding methods and the role they play in qualitative research. This explanation includes a discussion of writing analytic memos and a detailed list of First Cycle and Second Cycle coding methods. The book also includes useful appendices with samples of data and exercises for readers to practice coding.

"I Know It (Racism) Still Exists Here:" African American Males At A Predominantly White Institution (Pwi), Ray Von Robertson, Cassandra Chaney

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

This qualitative study examined the experiences of African American males at a PWI (Predominantly White Institution). The focus on African American males is deliberate because, as a group, they have the highest attrition rate of any college demographic. Utilizing in-depth interview data from 12 African American males at a PWI, this project delineated the nefarious station of black males who experienced racism and racial microaggressions in a purportedly post-racial, colorblind society. Qualitative analysis of the data revealed the following two themes: (1) Racism and Racial Microaggressions and (2) The African American experience is not important to faculty and the university. …

Faculty Perceptions Of Communication At An Academic Medical Center: A Faculty Forward Qualitative Analysis, Brian L. Rutledge, Jessica H. Bailey

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of the study is to examine the faculty’s suggestions on how to improve communication at five schools in an academic medical center. The University of Mississippi Medical Center facilitated the administration of the Faculty Forward Engagement Survey by the Association of American Medical Colleges to faculty in the schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, and health related professions. This survey included open-ended questions with narrative responses. On these responses to one question about communication, the authors performed the constant comparative method of grounded theory design, a foundational form of qualitative inquiry. In reviewing and coding the 201 responses, …

Information Use In Design: What Should We Be Teaching?, Amy S. Van Epps

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Librarians are regularly working to understand how students make decisions around information use to inform the development of more relevant learning activities. The more relevant the activities when students are learning any new skill, the more likely they are to understand the task and incorporate the learning into future design decisions and writing. The need to build connections and understanding is critical in adoption of information literacy. In this study, the researcher analyzed the transcript from an end of semester focus group with students in a design class about their information use during the semester project. The transcript was analyzed …

The Lived Experiences Of Position Specialists In A Team Sport Environment, Allison Brooke Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to discover the lived-experiences of position specialists in a team sport environment. Participants were intercollegiate male and female specialists (pitchers, kickers, punters, and goalies; N = 21) who were enrolled and participating in Division I, II, and III college sport (softball, baseball, football, women’s soccer, men’s soccer, women’s lacrosse, men’s hockey, and women’s hockey) at institutions throughout the South, Midwest, and Northeast. Interviews were conducted in person and via the phone with participants.

Interview transcripts were transcribed and then analyzed using grounded theory approach of collapsing codes down into categories or themes (Glaser & …

Making & Sustaining Change From Psychotherapy: A Mixed Method Study, Kelsi Dankey, Heather Karson, Arielle R. Yahnke, Sara Lemon, Tricia Downing, Danae Hoffman, Natia Wilcek

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This mixed method study explored both (1) how changes are made and (2) what encourages the maintenance of change after psychotherapy. Literature has called for further exploration into what helps clients to make and sustain change from their perspectives. While the effectiveness of approaches such as: psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, and other disorder-specific treatments has been demonstrated broadly, less is known about individual variables, and specifically about how individuals participate in and support their recovery. This study used a mixed method sequential design. Wampold & Imel’s (2015) contextual model was used as a conceptual framework throughout the study. Using secondary data …

Immersive Cultural Plunge: How Mental Health Trainees Can Exercise Cultural Competence With African American Descendants Of Chattel Slaves A Qualitative Study, Clandis V. Payne

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative study utilized ethnographic techniques to explore the potential for change in mental health trainees resulting from the participation in an in vivo Immersive Cultural Plunge (ICP) within the African American Descendant of Chattel Slave community. The ICP combined Multicultural Immersions Experiences (MIE) of Cultural Immersion (CI) and Cultural Plunge (CP) to contribute to the developing body of research utilizing MIEs that incorporate contextual, experiential, and historical knowledge to teach the skill of cultural sensitivity. During the 12- hour ICP the participants experienced an orientation, a lecture, a tour/community interaction, a multimedia presentation within an African American community. In …