Critical Thinking Decision Path: Selecting a Research Process

QUESTION

CRITICAL THINKING DECISION PATH Selecting a Research Process If your beliefs are Researcher Humans are biopsychosocial beings, or beliefs Humans are complex beings who attribute known by their biological, unique meaning to their lile situations. psychological, and social They are known by their characteristics. personal expressions, Truth is objective reality that can be Truth is the subjective expression of reality experienced with the senses and as perceived by the participant and shared measured by the researcher, with the researcher. Truth is context laden. then you’ll ask questions, such as Example What is the difference in blood or questions pressure and heart rate for What is the structure of the lived experience adolescents who are angry compared of anger for adolescents? to those who are not angry? and select approaches Approaches QUANTITATIVE of QUALITATIVE leading to research activities Research of Researcher selects a representative Researcher selects participants who are activities (of population) sample and experiencing the phenomenon of interest determines size before collecting data. and collects data until saturation is reached. Air

ANSWER

Critical Thinking Decision Path: Selecting a Research Process

Introduction

Choosing the appropriate research process is a critical decision for researchers. It hinges on their beliefs about the nature of humans, the concept of truth, and the type of questions they want to explore. In this essay, we will navigate a critical thinking decision path to select either a quantitative or qualitative research approach based on specific beliefs and examples.

Beliefs

1. If your belief is that humans are biopsychosocial beings, known by their biological, psychological, and social characteristics, and that they are complex beings who attribute unique meaning to their life situations, then you’ll ask questions that explore personal expressions and the lived experiences of individuals.

Example Question:
What is the structure of the lived experience of anger for adolescents?

Decision Path

Quantitative Research

If you believe in objective truth that can be measured by the researcher and that truth is context-independent, you might lean toward quantitative research. Quantitative research aims to establish relationships and patterns by collecting numerical data from a representative sample. For example, you could investigate the difference in blood pressure and heart rate for adolescents who are angry compared to those who are not angry. In this case, you would select a representative sample of adolescents, determine the sample size, and collect quantitative data through standardized measures.

Qualitative Research

If you believe in the subjective expression of reality as perceived by the participant and shared with the researcher, and you acknowledge that truth is context-laden, you might lean toward qualitative research. Qualitative research aims to explore the depth and richness of human experiences, allowing participants to express their unique perspectives. For example, in understanding the structure of the lived experience of anger for adolescents, you would select participants who are experiencing anger and collect data until saturation is reached. This data might be gathered through interviews, observations, or open-ended surveys, allowing participants to share their personal meanings and experiences related to anger.

Conclusion

The choice between quantitative and qualitative research approaches is influenced by one’s beliefs about the nature of humans, the concept of truth, and the research questions they seek to answer. In this critical thinking decision path, we’ve explored how beliefs about humans as complex beings who attribute unique meaning to their experiences and the nature of truth can lead to different research approaches. Quantitative research emphasizes objectivity and numerical data collection, while qualitative research prioritizes subjective expressions and the exploration of personal experiences. Researchers should align their chosen approach with their underlying beliefs and research questions to conduct meaningful and relevant studies.