Current Research Methods in Positive Psychology PDF

Current Research Methods in Positive Psychology  Research occupies a central place in the advancement of any field of knowledge. It provides evidence-based practices to apply the theoretical knowledge to practical applications so that it contributes to the betterment of human beings....

Current Research Methods in Positive Psychology  Research occupies a central place in the advancement of any field of knowledge. It provides evidence-based practices to apply the theoretical knowledge to practical applications so that it contributes to the betterment of human beings. Research in positive psychology focuses on studying positive psychology constructs, assessing these and designing interventions to enhance these strengths so that human beings can flourish.  Further, given the widening scope of positive psychology affecting practically all the branches of psychology, research studies also focus on the application of positive psychology to these areas. Hence it is important to know about how research is conducted in the field of positive psychology, the traditional research methods as well as the modern developments in research methods, and the challenges of doing research in positive psychology  Research is a systematic and objective process which follows various steps to arrive at a conclusion. Research is based on data inputs that provide us information about aspects of behavior and mental processes of human beings. For instance, we can study what personality traits are most significant in determining effective coping of cancer patients. We can find out how parental mental well-being can impact the child’s development of positive personality traits. Or how our coping to a traumatic situation is influenced by our psychosocial and environmental factors  Thus research can be said to be a systematic study of some concept, phenomenon, or an issue. It not only studies the particular concept to know in detail about the nature, characteristics, and components of the concept, but also studies the dynamic interaction of the concept with other relevant concepts or phenomenon. In the process, research aims at filling the gaps in our existing knowledge of the phenomenon. Main Goals Research helps us in description of things, or phenomena. It provides a picture of the features of the constructs studied in a particular field, For example, when we talk about ‘forgiveness’ as an important construct in the field of positive psychology, we need to know what exactly does it mean, what are its components, how does it happen, the process, and how does it relate to other concepts such as gratitude or differ from self-forgiveness. Thus research is important in understanding things, phenomena, and issues – their nature, relationship, and differences with other variables. This will help us to understand and explain their dynamic interaction with other related variables. Hence, the first important step in this direction is to describe the variables in scientific terms.  The next important goal of research is Explanation, that is, to explain the relationship between things or variables. This answers the “Why” of events and phenomena, e.g., why forgiveness can lead to reduction in stress level, or why cultivating a sense of gratitude can make it easier for us to forgive.  The third main goal of research is Prediction. When we know how things or variables are related to each other, and why a particular phenomenon has happened, it helps us in predicting things. For instance, feeling blessed or being thankful for good things that have happened to us may predict to what extent people can develop the ability to accept others and letting go of things. Thus intervention measures focusing on forgiveness may include ways to promote gratitude in the individual.  In short, research aims at, finding out relationship between different things, e.g., relationship between emotion regulation and mental health. studying the differences, e.g., how do children differ in their emotion regulation from adolescents, or studying gender difference with regard to resilience or forgiveness. analyzing the influence or impact of one thing on another, e.g., how parenting style affects emotion regulation of children. predicting things, e.g., if a child will have higher emotion regulation, it will predict better mental health in the child and also at later stages of life. TYPES OF RESEARCH (1) Based on Applications Pure research/ theoretical research: This kind of research investigates the basic concepts or phenomenon, e.g., memory, motivation, intelligence or personality etc. Theoretical research as the name suggests indicates assumptions or views based on which concepts and relation to their surrounding environment are explored. It helps in the advancement or knowledge build up in the particular discipline. The focus is development of knowledge for the sake of knowledge. However, it is not just describing and combining various sets of observations and proposing a theory. Rather, it includes logical analysis of assumptions and beliefs, developing theories and then testing these theories. It may also include reexamining the existing theories in the light of new developments in the field.  Applied research: It focuses on the application of the theoretical knowledge to the actual field, e.g., how the body of knowledge related to memory can be applied in case of older people to help them in remembering important aspects in their daily life, or how it can be used to enhance student’s academic performance. Thus theoretical knowledge is applied to practical situation, and knowledge is created from real experience rather than theoretical or logical assumptions. This again feeds into the theoretical assumptions and enhances and refines the theoretical knowledge. Thus theoretical and applied or empirical research complement each other and together contribute to the advancement of any field of knowledge. Based on Objectives Descriptive research Meaning: This type of research aims at describing things, describes the nature and the characteristics of a situation, thing or phenomenon. This can also be called as prevalence studies, e.g., mental health status of orphan children or the prevalence of depression among adolescents. It describes the things systematically – it may be a phenomenon or program or service.  Methods: Descriptive research uses the methods of observation, survey, case study. Advantages: It includes large data collection, cost effective, less time consuming, informs further research, and data collected in natural environment. Limitations: It does not answer the ‘why’ of the thing studied, sample may not be representative, there may be biases of observation.  Correlational research Meaning: It studies the correlation or relationship between aspects of a phenomenon or an issue or thing. It finds out how the aspects are associated or related. Thus it studies two variables and finds out how change in one affects change in the other, e.g., how parenting style is related to the development of self confidence in children; or peer pressure impacting the mental health of students. Methods: Correlational research uses observation method, survey questionnaire, interview.  Advantages: It establishes the association between variables. Limitations: Correlation does not establish the causality or the cause and effect between two variables, i.e., what causes what. For example, there may be a correlation between self esteem and mental health of adolescents, but we cannot say whether poor self esteem in adolescents causes their poor mental health or it is the poor adolescent mental health that causes poor self esteem in them.  Explanatory research Meaning: As the term indicates, explanatory research aims at explaining things rather than just finding out if there is a relationship or not. It answers the ‘why’ of the research being done, e.g., why poor academic achievement leads to internet addiction? Or why a particular parenting style causes reduced self-esteem. Based on the Enquiry Mode Quantitative It refers to a structured approach of doing research. All the aspects of research are pre-determined. It emphasizes the quantity – the data is quantitative in nature. Result is quantified, analyzed by statistics, and then interpreted. Thus replication of the study is possible and findings can be generalized  Qualitative Qualitative research is more flexible in nature, no pre-determined set of steps, follows an unstructured approach. Emphasis in qualitative research is on description and narration of the data rather than on analysis and measurement. It focuses on the experience of the participant. Hence it can provide rich and complex data sources. However, it may not be generalized.  Mixed method research It follows both quantitative and qualitative aspects, flexibility in some parts and structured in some other aspects of research design. Mixed method research can also involve data collection using both quantitative and qualitative ways. One’s research objectives will determine whether one would go with quantitative, qualitative, or mixed method research. PROCESS OF RESEARCH The process of research answers the “How” of research, that is, how a research is conducted. Here the steps in doing a research study are provided for your recapitulation and clarification. We can divide the entire research process into six steps: Step 1: Topic selection and Review of Literature Step 2: Methodology Step 3: Data collection, coding and analyses Step 4: Findings, discussion and conclusion Step 5: References Step 6: Putting the research as a paper/ preparing a research paper Step 1: Topic Selection and Review of Literature (1) Topic Selection Process (a) Generation and development of research ideas Research always starts from an idea. How does that idea come? And when you have an idea, how do you develop it? Discuss with your teachers and seniors like research scholars, consult the experts in the field Read the literature – read in a focused manner and go in depth on a specific area Ensure that the specific area you are exploring are addressing/concerned with contemporary/recent issues, not old issues on which already lots of research have been conducted. How will you come to know about the current issues/concerns in the field? Read recent journal articles.  (2) Review of Literature It refers to finding out the related studies in the area of research you are interested in. Refer to journals, books, electronic search, encyclopedias, handbooks, and databases such as ERIC, JSTOR, PsychInfo, PubMed for doing the review of studies. Review of literature helps you to know the theoretical background concerning your topic, find out the studies related to the topic, and point out the research gaps. It helps in refining your topic and brings more clarity about the research methodology.  (3) Research Problem/ Research Questions You need to be clear about what you are going to study. It determines or affects the subsequent steps in the research. Because when you know clearly where you want to go, you can take concrete and appropriate steps accordingly. It will help you formulate your research design, sample, variables, analysis etc. properly, e.g., to measure the effectiveness of a wellbeing program on the health of the older population or effectiveness of a motivational program on the motivation of the sportspersons or study how resilience affects the coping and well- being of the flood victims etc.  (4) Variables Important to identify variables in your research study, and provide operational definitions. Mainly you have (a) Independent variable (IV), which we can manipulate and which causes the dependent variable; (b) Dependent variable (DV), which is the result and it depends on the IV; and (c) Extraneous variables, the external variables which we need to control as they can influence the dependent variable, and thus findings may not be valid. Step 2: Methodology (1) Objectives: It states in specific terms what you want to study. (2) Hypotheses: These are tentative proposition/statement or assumption based on the existing studies. We can propose either null hypothesis or alternate hypothesis depending on the existing studies. The data collected is analyzed to see if it supports or rejects the proposed hypotheses  (3) Research Design It is a plan, strategy or blueprint of how you will go about conducting the research including the analyses of the data. It addresses how will you find answers to your research problems. It ensures that the study is conducted with a proper plan/design to achieve the objectives. It is not a faulty design or strategy. Thus it ensures or aims at getting accurate, objective, un-biased, and valid results – objectivity, validity and accuracy of the study procedures  Research design clearly mentions how to go about the study – what design is to be followed, how the sample will be selected, how the data will be collected, what analysis will be used, how findings will be communicated. All this makes possible the replication of the study by other researchers. (4) Sample Sample helps us to draw inferences regarding the study objectives from it to the population. Hence proper sampling technique needs to be used and due attention needs to be given to sample size, representativeness, and randomization. In Quantitative research there is pre-determined sample size, sample randomization, and probability and non-probability sampling. However,in Qualitative research, the focus is on nonprobability sampling, ensuring an information rich sample, and ongoing data collection till a data saturation point. (5) Tools Quantitative research design uses standardized tools, or self developed questionnaire having reliability, validity, and norms. Whereas qualitative research makes use of interviews, observation, and focus group discussions. Primary sources and Secondary sources both are used for data collection.  Ethical issues: It is very important for the researcher to take care of any ethical issues that may come up in the research study, and follow all ethical guidelines such as taking the informed consent of the research participants, ensuring confidentiality, benevolence, avoiding bias by the researcher, following an appropriate research design, and accurately reporting data. Step 3: Data collection, Coding and Analyses Methodology is the main pillar of any research. It is like the blue print of any building. Once it is finalized, one can further proceed with collecting data and analyzing it. Step 4: Results, Discussion and Conclusion Findings of the study need to be reported in terms of the proposed hypotheses. Next, one needs to discuss these findings according to the earlier studies and theories. The researcher highlights the key findings of the study and points out the implications of the research study. Step 5: References References need to be written in the latest APA format (refer to www.apa.org). Example https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rpos20/current https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17439760.2014.9413 82