Quantitative research paper critique and analysis

¶ … discrete section and instead can be found only in the introduction, where the paper demonstrates the historical research connection made between past and present experiences of mostly relational violence against women (i.e. when the perpetrator of violence is well-known to them) and psychological health. The work established a brief history of the connectivity of violence and psychological distress or poor health claiming that the historical perspective lacked the connection between violence and poor psychological health. There is also further review in the discussion section of the work where the findings are played against historical research related to the current research works, further supporting the importance, premise and hypothesis of the work.

Does the review establish the need for and importance of this study?

The work then goes on to demonstrate the research base for the establishment of this connection and/or the connection between violence and poor health but contends that there has been little research that clearly demonstrates certain aspects of the phenomena of psychological health. The work contends that the areas of poor representation in the literature include limited representation of all different types of violence and how it affects health, the connection between interpersonal violence and social problems, studies tend to look only at the outcomes of physical and sexual partner violence rather than all types of violence, and last studies leave older women out almost entirely focusing instead on younger women. This set of limitations in historical research does support the need and importance of the study.

c. What is the philosophical paradigm guiding this research?

The prevailing philosophical paradigm of this research study seems to be interpretivism. This is especially apparent in the discussion section when the researcher reiterates the limitations of historical research on the outcomes and affects of relational violence, in the context of other social phenomena such as unemployment and drug use as well as the general indication of the need to have broader research that connects all types of violence past and present among a broader study base of women to be inclusive of the reality of violence against women.

d. What is the stated purpose of the study?

The stated purpose of the study is to "analyze the relationships between current and past interpersonal violence and the three indicators of current women's health: psychological distress, the use of psychoactive drugs and a subjective evaluation of health-controlling for a number of women's demographic and social characteristics." (Romito, Turen & Marchi, 2005, p. 1718) The work then goes on to state its hypothesis: "We hypothesized that women who had experienced violence (either recently or in the past) would score worse on the indicators of current mental health, as compared to women who had not experienced violence" (p. 1718).

e. Is the purpose consistent with the guiding paradigm?

The purpose of this work is therefore consistent with the interpretivist paradigm as it is demonstrative of an attempt to view a social phenomena in a broader context that clearly attempts to answer questions about how individuals in groups build and maintain social worlds (Neuman, p. 78).

Methodology

2) Examine the research design.

a. Name the particular research design and describe the procedures.

The research design is quasi-experimental and descriptive in nature.

b. Are there research question(s)? What are they?

There are no research questions stated in the work beyond the initial hypothesis which in question form is: do women that experience or have experienced violence score more poorly on others with regard to psychological health indicators. (p. 1718)

c. How are the variables conceptualized and operationalized?

The variables of the study including definitions of interpersonal violence, psychological health, and poor health are all conceptualized along lines associated with social standards. The definition of interpersonal violence is aligned with violence of any kind perpetrated by an individual that is well-known to the victim, including the partner, children, parent, grandparent, authority figure and/or other domestic or close relations or friends. The conceptualization of psychological health was a belief in poor mental health such as symptoms of depression and/or psychological stress. Poor health is defined as the individuals' belief in his or her overall health; good, pretty good, pretty bad or bad. These variables were operationalized differently, with interpersonal violence encompassing a broad spectrum of perpetrator type, physical, psychological violence and then further explored using the demographics of these factors as well as age, expectation or fear of continued violence, frequency or expected frequency of occurrence and also historical violence either physical or psychological by a known perpetrator or a stranger. Psychological health was operationalized by a psychological health questionnaire devised by the authors and used in a previous study to determine level of both current and past depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, fear or distress of future violence and other factors not well developed in the study. Lastly, a general health questionnaire was offered to individuals to operationalize a sense of poor health, using a single question format "How is your health, now? Possible answers were: good, pretty good, pretty bad, or Bad," (p.1719).

d. Comment on the reliability and validity of the measurement of the variables.

The reliability and validity of measurements and variables seem adequate for the quasi-experimental study as it was conducted. There is good reason to believe that other than self-report bias the participants would likely have responded truthfully, given the assured anonymity of the findings. Though self-report bias can and often is shown to be a significant factor in any self-disclosure data regarding current violence, as many people believe that researchers and medical care professionals are obligated to report violence of any kind to law enforcement and may also be embarrassed by the disclosures made.

Sample

3) Examine the sample.

a. How were these participants recruited?

Participants in this study were recruited in a small Italian community from a group of primary care clinics. All eligible participants, women over the age of 17 who sought care in one of the 6 local primary care clinics was considered an eligible candidate, and was approached to take part in the research study. If the patient did not understand Italian or was too ill or confused to participate they were excluded from participation. The study was explained to the individual by the researcher, who approached potential candidates in the waiting room, and each was given anonymity assurance. Woman who agreed to take part then signed informed consent and was given an envelope with the questionnaire material. They were asked to fill out the information and deposit it in a collection box also in the waiting area.