Clinical Practical Investigation

Question 1

Abstract

Answer 1

> previous research by Stuart (2006) suggests the media overdramatises & provides distorted images of mental illness

Question 2

Introduction

Answer 2

> previous research by Oosdyck (2008)

Question 3

Research question

Answer 3

Does culture influence how mental illnesses are portrayed by the media in the cases of mass shootings?

Question 4

Alternative hypothesis

Answer 4

There will be a significant difference between the cultures regarding how mental illnesses are portrayed in the cases of mass shootings.

Question 5

Null hypothesis

Answer 5

There will be no significant difference between the cultures regarding how mental illnesses are portrayed in the cases of mass shootings.

Question 6

Sample

Answer 6

2 newspaper articles reporting the Orlando mass shooting of June 2016

UK: ‘Omar Mateen: Everything we know so far about Orlando gunman’ - telegraph.co.uk

US: ‘Ex-wife of Orlando shooter claims He was Bi-Polar and He Had Previously Been Abusive to her During 4-month marriage’ - people.com

Question 7

Defining key words

Answer 7

MENTAL ILLNESS: mental illness, disorder, bipolar, depression, anxiety

DESCRIPTION: unstable, anger, aggression, paranoid, disturbed, violent, obsession, distress

TREATMENT: medication, therapy, psychiatric help, confiding

CRIME: terrorism, homophobia, religion, killer, gunman

Question 8

Conclusion

Answer 8

> no significant difference between the influence of culture between the two articles on the same mass shooting

UK focuses on crime
US focuses on crime more than mental illness
US focuses on mental illness more than UK

> no reference to treatment
little positive description

Question 9

EVALUATION: Generalisability of sources

Answer 9

• articles focused more on crime than mental illness (latent content: why did the shooter set out to kill so many people?)

Question 10

EVALUATION: Validity

Answer 10

+ ecological validity - current articles expressing current views on mental illness - reflection on real life

Question 11

EVALUATION: Reliability

Answer 11

+ high inter-rater reliability - two researchers agreed on the words to search for - reduced subjectivity

• triangulation methods not used

Question 12

EVALUATION: Objectivity

Answer 12

HIGH: quantitative data - interpreted by everyone in the same way

Question 13

EVALUATION: Subjectivity

Answer 13

HIGH: deciding on key words may include bias, some words might be ambiguous

Question 14

EVALUATION: Ethics

Answer 14

+ no Ps - no consent necessary

Question 15

EVALUATION: Reductionism

Answer 15

Reductionist: qualitative data is reduced to quantitative - loss of richness of sources

Question 16

Improvements for future research

Answer 16

> more articles would strengthen conclusion

> remove researcher bias by receiving sources from an outside perspective