Chapter 4 Issues in Problem Formulation Flashcards
What are the 5 ways to select an appropriate topic for scientific investigation?
personal interest
current social problems
Utility in testing a particular theory
Addressing prior research limitations
Determine program effectiveness
What generates research questions in Human service practices?
behavior or characteristics of the recipients
the mechanisms of the service delivery
problem selection is very much a _____ issue
political
problem selection process is shaped by what 6 things? (IGNORE)
Powerful and articulate interest groups
Support by influentials at national level
Definition of condition as a social problem
Public awareness and concern
Severity, extent and costs
Publicity
Support by major funding agencies
what was the Issue/example with AIDS?
When viewed as the problem of homosexuals and drug users, AIDS research was a low priority.
Support for AIDS research was given when it became a problem for things such as transfusions.
how to shape research problem
Narrow the scope
Specify concepts
Operationalization
Literature review
Unit of analysis
conceptual development
means identifying and properly defining the concepts on which the study will focus
what are the 2 parts of conceptual development
clearly define the meaning of concepts
narrow the focus of the concept so it encompasses a topic that feasible to research in a single study
(are they measurable?)
what are the 7 elements to a literature review?
theoretical and conceptual issues
research hypothesis, independent and dependent variables
measurement and operational definitions
most appropriate research technique
sampling strategy
statistical technique
notes findings and conclusions of the studies
units of analysis
the specific objects or elements whose characteristics we wish to describe or explain and about which we will collect data
5 common units of analysis
individuals (ex- unwed mothers)
groups (ex- families)
organizations (ex- schools)
programs (ex- may provide service for individuals or may exist as part of an organization)
social artifacts (ex- any material products that people produce, newspapers)
with units of analysis, jumping from one level to another can result in _____ ______ being drawn
erroneous conclusions
ecological fallacy
inferring something about individuals based on data collected at higher units of analysis, such as groups
reductionist fallacy
inferring something about groups or other higher levels of analysis based on data collected from individuals
reactivity
refers to the fact that people can react to being studied and may behave differently than when they don’t think they are being studied