Brady and Dakes hypothesized that the absence of socioemotional supports among the elderly results in a high level of chronic health problems and low morale. They tested this hypothesis by interviewing a sample of 250 residents of one community who were aged 65 years and older. The participants were randomly selected from a list of town residents. The researchers asked a series of questions about the availability of socioemotional supports (e.g., whether the participants lived with any kin, whether they had any living children who resided within 30 minutes away) Based on responses to the various questions on social support, participants were classified in one of three groups: low social support, moderate social support, and high social support. In a 6-month follow-up interview, Brady and Dakes collected information from 214 of the participants about the frequency and intensity of the respondents’ illnesses in the preceding 6-months, their hospitalizations, and their overall quality of life. The data analysis revealed that participants in the low-support group had significantly more health problems and hospitalizations and lower quality of life ratings than those in the other two groups. The researchers concluded that the availability of social supports caused better physical and mental functioning in old age. (16 pts in total)

1. What is the independent variable in this study?

The independent variable in this study is the level of socioemotional support (low, moderate, high) received by the elderly participants.

1. What is the dependent variable in this study?

The dependent variables in this study are the frequency and intensity of illnesses, hospitalizations, and overall quality of life reported by the elderly participants

1. Is the design experimental or quasi-experimental?
2. Was random assignment used to control confounding variables?
3. Was matching used to control confounding variables?
4. Is the researcher justified in concluding that lower levels of social support causes more health problems and lower quality of life?

ANSWER

The independent variable in this study is the level of socioemotional support received by the elderly participants, categorized as low, moderate, or high. The dependent variables encompass the frequency and intensity of illnesses, hospitalizations, and overall quality of life reported by the elderly participants.

The design of this study can be classified as quasi-experimental. While the researchers conducted interviews and collected data from participants, they did not manipulate or control the levels of socioemotional support. Instead, they observed and categorized the participants based on their existing levels of support.

Random assignment was not used in this study to control confounding variables. The participants were randomly selected from a list of town residents, but they were not randomly assigned to different levels of social support. Therefore, there might be potential confounding factors that could influence the outcomes.

Matching was not used to control confounding variables either. The researchers did not explicitly mention any matching process to create comparable groups based on potential confounders.

While the study provides valuable insights into the relationship between socioemotional support and health outcomes in the elderly population, the researcher’s conclusion that lower levels of social support cause more health problems and lower quality of life should be interpreted with caution. The study’s design is quasi-experimental, which limits the ability to establish a causal relationship between social support and health outcomes. Other confounding variables, such as pre-existing health conditions or socio-economic factors, could contribute to the observed differences. Further research, potentially utilizing experimental designs with controlled interventions, is needed to establish a more definitive cause-and-effect relationship between socioemotional support and health outcomes in the elderly.