qualitative research design instructor: julian hasford teaching assistant: keith adamson ps398...

Qualitative Research Design

Qualitative Research Design

Instructor: Julian Hasford

Teaching Assistant: Keith Adamson

PS398 Qualitative Methods in Psychology

January 24, 2009

AgendaAgenda

• Review Review – Group Exercise: Variations in Qual Inquiry

• Lecture: Research DesignLecture: Research Design– Glossary: Extreme Case Sampling

• Course Check-inCourse Check-in

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

• By the end of this session, students should By the end of this session, students should be able tobe able to

ReviewReview

• Theoretical traditions covered last Theoretical traditions covered last sessionsession– Symbolic Interaction– Narratology– Hermenuetics– Feminist Inquiry – Participatory

Group ExerciseGroup Exercise

• 4 groups4 groups• Each group assigned one theoretical traditionEach group assigned one theoretical tradition• Discuss the followingDiscuss the following

– Develop a qualitative research study of money based on a theoretical tradition

• Research question(s)? • Methodology? • Underlying philosophical assumptions (Ontological,

Epistemological, Axiological)?

• Report backReport back

Memo #2Memo #2

– What qualitative research tradition would I use to study money? Why?

– What possible research problem and question(s) could I study using this theoretical tradition?

– Based on this tradition, what methodology could I use to explore this problem?

– What would be my underlying ontological, epistemological, and axiological assumptions?

Symbolic InteractionSymbolic Interaction

• Philosophical AssumptionsPhilosophical Assumptions– People create shared meanings through their

interactions, and those meanings become reality– 3 theoretical premises

• Humans act toward things based on the meanings the things have for them

• The meaning of things arises out of social interaction• The meanings of things can change through an interpretive

process of the person dealing with them

– Meaning and interpretation viewed as essential human processes


• Foundational QuestionFoundational Question– What common set of symbols and understandings

gives meaning to people’s interactions?• Focuses on symbols and social interactions to understand

individual and group behaviour

– Possible research questions• What is the meaning of particular symbols to individuals or

groups?• How is are symbols and meanings produced through social

interaction?• How do symbols, meaning, or social interaction influence

human behaviour and experience?


• Methodological approachesMethodological approaches– Close interaction (e.g., participant

observation, interviews)– Inductive analysis– “Panel of experts”

NarratologyNarratology

• Philosophical assumptionsPhilosophical assumptions– Reality is constructed through personal and

collective stories– People understand (know) their lives and the

world through stories– Stories reveal psychological, cultural, and

social patterns through the lens of individual experiences


• Foundational questionFoundational question– What does this story reveal about this person

or community?• Stories at the center of narrative analysis

– Possible research questions• What is the lived experience of a particular person

or community? • How do stories reflect psychological and social

processes?• How do different types of stories shape human

behaviour and experience?


• Methodological approachesMethodological approaches– Narrative or life story interviews– Document analysis– Fieldwork– Narrative Analysis

• Depends on purpose of the research and research questions

– (Re-)Construction of stories (Description)– Deconstruction of stories (Interpretation)– Mixed methods

Feminist InquiryFeminist Inquiry

• Philosophical assumptionsPhilosophical assumptions– Reality and knowledge are mediated through

power relations - particularly through gender– Historically, the construction of knowledge

and reality has been dominated by privileged men who marginalized other ways of knowing

– Research must challenge taken-for-granted and oppressive forms of knowledge


• Foundational questionsFoundational questions– How is gender reflected in this phenomenon?

• Gender (and power) are at at the center of analysis

– Possible research questions• How do gender relations influence subjective

experience and social processes?• How does gender intersect with other social

structures (e.g., class, race) to oppress/empower people?


• Methodological ApproachesMethodological Approaches– Participatory Action– Close research relationships – Reflexivity– Recognize multiple ways of knowing (e.g.,

emotions, intuition, embodied)

Heuristic InquiryHeuristic Inquiry

• Philosophical AssumptionsPhilosophical Assumptions– Subjectivity is central to knowledge and reality– There are essential meanings of various lived

experiences– Researcher’s personal knowledge and

experience at the core

Heuristic InquiryHeuristic Inquiry

• Foundational QuestionsFoundational Questions– What is my experience of this phenomenon

and the essential experience of others who also experience this phenomenon?

• Focuses on intense human experiences

• Methodological ApproachesMethodological Approaches– Systematic dialogue with self and others– Depth interviewing– Immersion, incubation, illumination,

explication, creative synthesis

Grounded TheoryGrounded Theory

• Foundational Question:Foundational Question: – What theory emerges from systematic and

grounded comparative analysis so as to explain what is observed?

• Disciplinary originsDisciplinary origins– Sociology (Glaser and Strauss, 1967)

• Symbolic Interactionism

– The most influential tradition in qualitative research


• Philosophical AssumptionsPhilosophical Assumptions – Draw on multiple paradigms

• Constructivist and objectivist approaches

– Knowledge emerges through study that is grounded in the empirical world

– Emphasizes rigorous, systematic, inductive/abductive methodology


• Methodological approachesMethodological approaches– Coding procedures to build theory, rather than test

theory– Inductive analysis (Glaser)– Abduction (Strauss)

• Analysis through inductive and deductive procedures for connecting through

– Constant comparative method

– Theoretical sampling

– Testing emergent concepts with additional fieldwork

– Memoing

Research DesignResearch Design

• Research design is a plan for collecting Research design is a plan for collecting and analyzing evidence that will make it and analyzing evidence that will make it possible for the investigator to answer possible for the investigator to answer whatever questions he or she has posed whatever questions he or she has posed (Ragin,1994,p191 as cited in Flick p135)(Ragin,1994,p191 as cited in Flick p135)

Types of DesignsTypes of Designs

• Case studiesCase studies

• Comparative StudiesComparative Studies

• Retrospective StudiesRetrospective Studies

• Snap ShotsSnap Shots

• Longitudinal StudiesLongitudinal Studies

• Formative/Summative EvaluationFormative/Summative Evaluation

• Action ResearchAction Research

Key Design QuestionsKey Design Questions• What are the goals of the study? What are the goals of the study?

– Description—Theory—Action

• What are the main research questions?What are the main research questions?

• What methodological approach will be used?What methodological approach will be used?

• What are the units of analysisWhat are the units of analysis– individual, family, group, communities

• What will be the sampling strategy?What will be the sampling strategy?

• Types of data to be collected?Types of data to be collected?

• What analytic approach will be used?What analytic approach will be used?

Key Design QuestionsKey Design Questions

• Standardization vs emergenceStandardization vs emergence

• How will rigor and quality be addressed?How will rigor and quality be addressed?

• How will logistics be handled? Time, resources?How will logistics be handled? Time, resources?

• How will ethical issues be handled?How will ethical issues be handled?

• Generalization – transferability?Generalization – transferability?

SamplingSampling

• Random Probability Random Probability • PurposefulPurposeful

– Convenience• Snow ball/chain

– Criterion– Theoretical sampling– Maximum variation (on dimensions of interest)– Critical case– Deviant case/Intensity

Extreme Case Sampling

Nicole Dimech and Jenny White

Definition

Extreme case sampling is: A type of purposeful sampling generally used in qualitative

research Singles out cases that are unusual or outstanding as

opposed to simply focusing on the central tendencies of quantitative data Such as distinctive successes or notable failures (Patton,

2002) Allows for information rich data as the chosen subjects are

assumed to provide a depth of information to the topic at hand (Haynes-Lawrence, 2008)

Theoretical and Methodological Significance

Value oriented Can provide powerful lessons

For example, Jim Paul’s book (1994) on What I Learned Loosing A Million Dollars (Patton, 2002)

Can help enhance typical programs For example if an early childhood program is implemented

nationwide, and all but one are effective, we can strategize to enhance the program for all (Patton, 2002)

Actively seeks out to project the voices of marginalized or under-researched groups in society

Generalizability is often limited (Robles-Pina, Defrance & Cox, 2008)

Examples from Patton (2002) Text

Covey’s (1990) Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Brown’s (1987) When Battered Women Kill

Peter & Waterman’s (1982) Eight Attributes of Excellent Companies

Purpose

To examine the ways in which parents have successfully facilitated friendships for their sons and daughters with a disability with friends who do not have a disability

Design and Methodology Participatory Action Research (PAR) was used to define

the research focus as well as throughout the entire research process

Eleven children were identified as having successful relationships Children/youth varied in terms of disability

classification and disabilities Ages ranged between five years old and 19

These children were identified as a result of extensive examination on literature concerning social networks and friendships among children without disabilities

Successful relationships were recognized by: Minimum 6 month on-going relationship Both children initiate activities They share experiences in at least two settings No more than 18 months separate them

Individual and group interviews of the children’s parents were done to collect data

Interviews were transcribed, coded and comprehensively analyzed for themes and patterns

Design and Methodology Continued

Findings

Turnbull, Pereira and Blue-Banning (1999) classified four parent facilitating themes: Foundational Theme –based on accepting the

child unconditionally Creating Opportunities – advocating for inclusion

in neighbourhood schools, supporting participation in community activities, initiation and facilitating a circle of friends, and setting sibling-consistent expectations

Findings Continued

Making Interpretations – encouraging others to accept the child by addressing strength and ensuring that the child has an attractive appearance in terms of grooming and clothing

Making accommodations – advocating for partial participation in community activities

References

Haynes-Lawrence, D. (2008). Home visitors' perceptions of teen mothers: Using qualitative research to explore labeling theory. Children and Youth Services Review, 30(12), 1386-1394.

Patton, M.Q. (2002). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods (3rd Ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Robles-Pina, R. A., Defrance, E., & Cox, D. L. (2008). Self-concept, early childhood depression and school retention as predictors of adolescent depression in urban hispanic adolescents. School Psychology International, 29(4), 426-441.

References

Turnbull, Ann, Lourdes Pereira, and Martha Blue-Banning. "Parents' Facilitation of Friendships Between Their Children With a Disability and Friends Without a Disability." Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities 24.2 (1999): 85-99.

Class DiscussionClass Discussion

• Choosing a research questionChoosing a research question

Course Check-inCourse Check-inCourse Check-inCourse Check-in

qualitative research design instructor: julian hasford teaching assistant: keith adamson ps398...

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