Intro to Research Flashcards
Why is research evaluation important to the practice of financial therapy?
Research evaluation is important because it helps to foster the financial therapy profession, disseminate cutting-edge research, shape public policy, and enables professionals to understand and contribute to the body of knowledge.
What are the different sources of research data?
The sources of research data are:
* Primary data: Data gathered by the same researcher
* Secondary data: Existing data gathered by others
Define quantitative research.
Quantitative research is highly structured and focuses on organizing research data into facts and numbers that can be analyzed with traditional statistical analyses.
Define qualitative research.
Qualitative research focuses on describing phenomena without transforming those descriptions into facts and numbers, often using interviews with open-ended questions.
Identify the key areas within an academic research paper.
The key areas are:
* Purpose
* Review of Literature
* Framework/Theory
* Participants
* Method
* Outcome/Results
* Implications
What does the ‘Purpose’ section of a research paper contain?
The purpose statement describes the reason for the research and identifies the gap in the literature.
What is the role of the ‘Review of Literature’ in a research paper?
The literature review helps the reader understand existing knowledge about a phenomenon and how the current research study builds upon it.
What is the role of ‘Theory’ or a ‘Framework’ in research?
Theory describes interconnected ideas explaining a phenomenon, guiding research design and hypotheses, and helps interpret results.
Why is the ‘Participants’ section important in a research paper?
This section is important because the results are relevant according to the population studied; the sample must be representative.
What information is typically found in the ‘Method’ section of a research paper?
The Method section describes:
* Sampling method
* Measurement of variables
* Statistical methods
* Type of data used
What is the purpose of the ‘Results’ section in a research paper?
The results section presents the study findings and shows what the researcher discovered within the study.
What information should be included in the ‘Implications’ section of a research paper?
This section articulates how the study results inform policy, practice, and education, demonstrating their relevance.
What are some examples of peer-reviewed research sources in the financial domain?
Examples include:
* Journal of Financial Therapy
What is the peer review process?
The peer review process involves research papers undergoing multiple rounds of revisions to screen for quality and refine research.
How can you access peer-reviewed journals?
You can access them:
* Through university libraries
* By emailing the author
* Sometimes requiring a fee or membership
What are the differences between primary and secondary data?
Primary Data:
* Gathered by the same researcher
* Original and custom-designed
Secondary Data:
* Gathered by others
* Convenient and easy to access
What is an example of a popular secondary data set?
The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is a popular secondary data set representing data from approximately 20,000 people age 50 and over.
What is the difference between correlation and causation?
Correlation indicates a relationship between variables, while causation means one variable causes a change in another.
What are convenience samples?
Convenience samples consist of individuals easily accessible to the researcher and may not be applicable to other groups.
What is the null hypothesis?
The null hypothesis states that there is no effect or relationship between the variables being studied.
What is a p-value?
P-values indicate the likelihood of the null hypothesis being true, with low values suggesting a meaningful relationship.
What were the key findings of the example study on financial strain and mental health?
Key findings include:
* Financial strain impacts mental health
* Greater financial stress affects depression levels
Why is research evaluation important in financial therapy?
The Financial Therapy Association (FTA) exists to unite professionals from multiple disciplines, foster the financial therapy profession, disseminate cutting-edge research and best practices, enhance client quality of life, and shape public policy and practice management standards within financial therapy.
What are examples of peer-reviewed research sources relevant to financial therapy?
Journal of Financial Therapy, Journal of Financial Planning, Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Journal of Family and Economic Issues, and other academic journals.
What are the two main sources of research data?
1) Primary sources - where researchers design and gather original data from study participants
2) Secondary sources - where researchers use existing data gathered by others
What is quantitative research?
Research that focuses on numerical data and statistical analysis. It typically involves larger sample sizes, structured data collection methods, and statistical testing to examine relationships between variables.
What is qualitative research?
Research that focuses on non-numerical data such as interviews, observations, and document analysis. It typically involves smaller sample sizes, aims to understand experiences in depth, and explores the meaning individuals ascribe to their experiences.
What are the seven key sections to identify when reading research papers?
1) Purpose
2) Existing Knowledge (literature review)
3) Theory/Framework
4) Study Participants
5) Method
6) Results
7) Implications
Where can you typically find the purpose of a research study?
The purpose of a study is typically found in the abstract and introduction sections of a research paper. It explains what the researchers aimed to investigate and why.
What information should you look for about study participants in a research paper?
You should look for information about the number of participants, their demographic characteristics, how they were selected, and any relevant inclusion or exclusion criteria.
What information should you look for in the methods section of a research paper?
The methods section should describe how variables were measured, what procedures were used to collect data, and what analytical techniques were applied.
What should you look for when examining the results section of a research paper?
You should look for clear presentation of findings, statistical significance (in quantitative studies), key themes (in qualitative studies), and how the findings relate to the research questions or hypotheses.
What does ‘statistically significant’ mean in research?
Statistical significance indicates that the observed results are unlikely to have occurred by chance.
What is the difference between correlation and causation?
Correlation indicates a relationship or association between variables, while causation means that one variable directly causes a change in another variable.
What is a convenience sample and why is it a potential concern in research?
A convenience sample is a group of study participants who are easily accessible to the researcher rather than being randomly selected. It’s a concern because it may not be representative of the larger population.
What are some important factors to consider when generalizing research results?
Consider the characteristics of the study sample compared to the population you’re interested in, the study setting, the timeframe when the research was conducted, and any cultural or contextual factors that might affect the applicability of the findings.
What is ‘odds ratio’ in research?
An odds ratio (OR) is a measure of association between an exposure and an outcome. It represents the odds that an outcome will occur given a particular exposure, compared to the odds of the outcome occurring in the absence of that exposure.
What was the primary purpose of the example study ‘Does How We Feel About Financial Strain Matter for Mental Health?’
The study aimed to investigate whether financial strain affects mental health and whether the stress response to financial strain influences this relationship.
What theory/framework did the example study use?
The study used the ABC-X Family Stress Model, where:
A = Stressor (Financial Strain)
B = Resources and Strengths (financial/personal)
C = Perception of Stressor (positive or negative)
X = Crisis (or outcome)
Who were the participants in the example study?
The study included 8,366 Americans age 50 and over from the Health & Retirement Study.
How was depression measured in the example study?
Depression was measured using the CESD Depression Scale, which asked respondents whether they felt specific sentiments during the past week.
What were the key findings of the example study?
1) Financial strain is associated with reduced mental health
2) Those who experienced financial strain but were ‘not upset’ about it were not more likely to have greater depression compared to those without financial strain
3) Those who were ‘somewhat upset’ about financial strain had 56% greater odds of higher depression
4) Those who were ‘very upset’ about financial strain had 144% greater odds of higher depression
What are Lazarus and Folkman’s three ways to cope with stressful situations, as mentioned in the study implications?
1) Direct actions
2) Intrapsychic coping (reframing)
3) Managing emotions
How might financial therapists apply the findings from the example study?
Financial therapists can help clients with financial strain by:
1) Addressing the objective financial situation
2) Helping clients reframe their perception of financial strain
3) Assisting clients in managing their emotional response to financial strain
What does the example study suggest about the nature of financial strain?
The study suggests that financial strain is a neutral event until processed and interpreted by an individual.
What other factors were associated with greater depression scores in the example study?
Factors associated with greater depression included:
* being younger
* being in any marital status category other than married men
* having less educational attainment
* being retired (vs. working)
* having ADL difficulty
* worse perceived health
* not exercising moderately at least once per week
* smoking
What was the key takeaway for financial practitioners from the example study?
Financial therapists, counselors, coaches, and planners can have a significant impact on clients experiencing financial strain by helping them manage not just the financial strain itself but also their perception of and emotional response to it.
What is the difference between correlation and causation, and why is it important?
Correlation means two variables are associated, while causation means one variable directly causes changes in another. This distinction is important because correlational findings are often misinterpreted as causal relationships.
What are convenience samples and why should researchers be cautious about them?
Convenience samples are participants selected because they are easily accessible rather than randomly selected. Researchers should be cautious because they may not be representative of the broader population.
What cautions should be taken when generalizing research results?
When generalizing results, consider:
1) Whether the study sample represents the population of interest
2) The context in which the study was conducted
3) Whether the findings align with other research
4) The methodological rigor of the study
5) Cultural, temporal, or situational factors that limit generalizability
How can confirmation bias affect research interpretation?
Confirmation bias leads us to pay more attention to findings that confirm our existing beliefs and discount evidence that contradicts them.
How should practitioners balance research evidence with clinical experience?
Practitioners should use research evidence to inform practice while recognizing individual client differences. They should:
1) Understand the strengths and limitations of research evidence
2) Apply findings thoughtfully to individual cases
3) Monitor outcomes
4) Update approaches as new evidence emerges
5) Integrate research knowledge with clinical expertise and client preferences
