Theme 4: Quantitative research Reflection

For this weeks theme I read two papers, attended a seminar and studied some more.

I choose to read this: “Facebook and texting made me do it: Media-induced task-switching while studying”by Larry D. Rosen, L. Mark Carrier and Nancy A. Cheever, published in Computers in Human Behavior (Impact Factor: 2.067) Volume 29, Issue 3, May 2013, Pages 948–9581.

Then we had to read this:

Fondell, E., Lagerros, Y. T., Sundberg, C. J., Lekander, M., Bälter, O., Rothman, K., & Bälter, K. (2010). Physical activity, stress, and self-reported upper respiratory tract infection. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 43(2), 272-279.

The texts and seminar in relation to the suggested questions for this theme made me reflect around how specific methods are more accurate for a specific study, what kind of uncertainties comes from different kinds of used methods. Uncertainties regarding for example using the same method in different contexts, the reliability of the theories that the methods depend on, uncertainties regarding the participants, uncertainties regarding the way of gathering data/method, for example how you formulate questions without any confusion and so on.  With that said, we’ve looked at both uncertainties within one method but also uncertainties in comparison to other potential methods and this depending on the context, goal and purpose of the study.  For example is it a exploratory, confirmatory, or any other kind of study, what methods can answer to what the study seek? However, mainly I think this weeks theme learned me how to criticize results/methods internally and externally.

Seminar

During the seminar we got divided into 4 groups and had a small competition where the group with most unique answers to different questions won. The questions concerned disadvantages/advantages in qualitative research, disadvantages/advantages in quantitative research, disadvantages/advantages in web-survey vs paper-survey etc.  After each question Bälter presented his answers to the questions. To be more concrete, for example, we discussed how feedback could make participants more engaged because they get something back from the study, this will probably result in more accurate results. Another thing we discussed were how participation, in for example surveys, could increase by sending a pre-introduction, reminders and, as mentioned, giving feedback. Bälter also talked about the importance of how you formulate questions and scales when gathering data in order to avoid confusion and reliable answers.  Other topics were for example, you can test methods before you actually use them as well as not only having the study’s purpose in mind when choosing method, but also the target group.

I think much of this week theme introduced different kinds of methods depending on what type of theory the study seek/have, this relates back to last weeks theme. The generalizability is also something I think is affected depending on the method as well as the to what extent you seek causality and more. In another way I think this relates to earlier themes in that, depending if you know anything a priori or not, impacts what kind of method you prefer. Quantitative data can be good to confirm a hypothesis for example. Other than that I think that this weeks theme concerned finding problems and limitations with methods, but also how external problems and limitations can have an impact on the data gathered from methods.