Depression in Middle-Aged Males - Essay Example

RESEARCH ON DEPRESSION IN MIDDLE-AGED MALES Insert Insert Research study on depression in middle-aged males Research psychology is the study of how things behave and their use in academic settings. It consists of areas such as abnormal psychology, biological, cognitive, comparative, developmental psychology, personality, social psychology and others. All types of psychology can have a research component accompanying it. One has to carry out depression research in psychological conditions affecting in a comprehensive accord with the standards of the scientific method (Brophy & Pinnegar, 2005). That is, is should contain both qualitative ethological and quantitative statistical modalities that help to generate and evaluate explanatory hypotheses based on depression as a psychological phenomenon. Psychology and research on disorder tends to draw on scientific knowledge from other fields that enables it explain and comprehend mentally related aspects. Research studies are meant to improve individual’s overall understanding of a disorder and any other particular topic. Types of participants It will involve giving out questionnaires to middle-aged members of the community and students of one given school. It will ask mid-aged males to volunteer and fill the questionnaires, and if need be they should be compensated financially for their time (Roth, 2013). In addition to that, it will treat students differently from community members in that they will be pure volunteering by pupils. It is because the study will help them in their study in classes. Common characteristics considered will be age and levels of depression as a result of psychological disorder. The selected males will help me as a researcher to trust information handed to me by participants (Creswell, 2009). Also, the mid-aged makes should be in a position to read, understand and fill the questionnaires within the time limit. Both should also volunteer to give out information. In such occasion, one tends to give truthful information since they are not forced. Since the students and members of the community volunteer to give out information based on things that affect them directly or indirect, I will get right results. Also since the questions in the questionnaires are all in uniform the correct results, there will be expectation of good results (Salkind, 2000). Recruiting participants Often, the hardest and challenging aspect of conducting the research can be how to execute efficient and effective recruitment strategies of research study participants who will effectively depict the depression situation to be analyzed. Also implementing such strategies can increase workload hence complexity in managing participants for a depression course, but such complexity can be essential to the success of achieving key research objectives (Salkind, 2000). It is also of great importance to design a protocol that will clearly point out the research population and enable for easy identification and enrollment of respondents. There should be a review of those complex rules for recruitment feasibility of makes in the society. In addition, recruitment and retention begins with the first contact that a potential participant has with the study of depression in correlation with age and gender affiliations. Recruitment resources that will be followed for participant recruitment process should adhere to policies and laws concerning pursuit of such agenda. It is a complementary participant recruitment tool that exists as a result of collaboration between various institutions. It aims to ‘match’ two groups of people and such group’s volunteers and can be people who wish to learn about research that might be of interest to them. Moreover, Research match can be used as an additional recruitment strategy for this study because of many participants available in the database. Study search will also incorporate a web-based application approach that provides a searchable listing of research studies seeking volunteers. It contains basic descriptive information about each study that includes: study title, objectives of the study, eligibility criteria and also consider personnel contact information (Salkind, 2000). Collection of data from Questionnaire Questionnaires are papers that the researcher has written down questions that he intends to get feedback from a given persons or group of people. Such answers give him an opportunity to sample different views hence helping him in his field of study. Construction and administration of research questionnaire that will contain the following guidelines will be undertaken; Step 1: Defining research objectives. It will start with a broad topic, and then narrow it down by asking some questions. The questions will be about the time frame, location and conducting an extensive descriptive study versus specifying. There will also be a comparison of different subgroups, what aspect of the topic to be studied and how abstract is of interest. Step 2: Selecting a sample: It will be followed by identify the target population with age bracket between 40 and 70 years males only from which one shall select the sample. Step 3: Designing the questionnaire. It will include return address information on the form and include a postage paid address envelope; Additional considerations: Use of coding to keep respondent identity anonymous (Salkind, 2000). Step 4: Pilot testing the questionnaire: This is to use a sample of target respondents to direction test the questionnaire. Provide a room for them to analyze or make suggestions for improving the items. Step 5: Pre-contacting the sample: the greatest response rate appears when the researcher identifies himself and discusses reasons for the study and requesting cooperation Advantages of questionnaires include: Practical: Through questionnaires one has to test facts practically, in large amounts of information one can gather from a large number of people in a short period and a relatively affordable way. In addition, it can also be done by the researcher with limited time, and it’s reliable. Also, the results of the questionnaires can be easily quantified by a researcher or through the use of a software package. Moreover, they can be analyzed more scientifically and objectively than other forms of research thus making positivists believe that quantitative research data can create new theories and test existing hypotheses Disadvantages of questionnaires It is said to be inadequate to comprehend some forms of information which can include changes in emotions and feelings. Also, quantitative research is an artificial creation by the researcher because it asks only a limited amount of information without expecting explanation from respondents. Moreover, there is no way to tell how truthful a respondent is being and how much a defendant thought has put in. Alcoholism as a factor that causes depression may not be captured in a quantitative approach. Also, the respondent may forget and not think within the full context of the situation. Moreover, people may read each question differently and reply based on their interpretation of the question (Salkind, 2000). Therefore, there is a level of particular subjectivity that people have not put it into consideration. Erectile dysfunction being a pointer to depression with reduced male hormone release is a sensitive affair and the research anticipates a low response concerning the anomaly. 2 Significance of results expected The results of the research have to change the perception that people have about depression among the mid-aged man. It will present detailed data representation of the subject matter. Psychology is one of the issues that is considered very complicated and challenging field to understand. After the research, the study will provide a new understanding to the age, depression and its factors. In addition, the research will also help the researcher to make an informed decision in whatever area of study that one was undertaking. Depression among men as a research field will be of great importance not only to the current generation but to the generations to come. It will boost the research of future generations by providing ready information that one can use as reference. That is it will be offering assistance to new researchers in that particular field. Difference in results in psychology with regard to depression in men Many people have a different perception of psychological distress and, therefore, there will be the difference in the attitude that men have when it come to psychology. The research will also give the community as well as the group of students and all the participants in the study a wider understanding of psychological disorder. Ways to apply results in psychology The expected outcomes will be used to make decisions in the study. Once someone has started the research, and then the individual has to come up with a convincing conclusion, the research outcome will stand as a reference point because it will contain views from the majority of respondents who are responding to the questions. Moreover, the study will also serve a guide to the future researchers. That is after the researchers have carried out their research; the will have to make comparisons and see if they are on the right track (Baker & Wiseman, 2006). Apart from having its merits, depression among men as a field also have some of the shortcomings. Once the study is over, one will be in a position to tell the demerits that come along with psychology. Therefore, the research will give the room to individuals to understand the challenges that come along with psychology. Understanding the challenges of psychology means an individual will be ready to face the challenges ahead while carrying the next study. Moreover, mental health practitioners can also put this into practice in order to help other people. That is, they will have to explain to the public and mid-aged men in particular about the genesis of the psychological problems and how to avoid. Ideas for future research and reasons to replicate the results Because psychological problem is a thing that does have many known and unknown causes, the research should be continuous so as to handle the problem efficiently. The second thing is that, the research should be carried out using different mechanisms, as well as different respondents, and finally comparing their answers in order to come up with a reliable conclusion about age, mid-age, gender, hormones, depression and other psychological disorder. There should be no replication of results because of the emerging issues in the psychology. In addition, the search methods are always different, and each might give a different outcome. The respondent’s times also fear the confidentiality of the information they are giving, and thus they might give wrong information, making the research not reliable. Method and Discussion sections basing on data analysis using correlation The section will be explored via the concept of relationship more so basing on Pearson’s correlation coefficient (Paquette, 2002). The technique will show how to perform one and two-sample hypothesis testing. Moreover, it will be determined if the relationship between the variables is zero or equal. In addition, it will explore alternative techniques of correlation, namely Kendall’s tau and Spearman’s rho, and the relationship between the chi-square test t-test for independence as well as the correlation between dichotomous variables. The method will finally give a reliable conclusion that the researcher can use in decision-making. 2. Analysis of the process of drafting a research proposal The process of collecting information is the most difficult moment in the entire procedure. First the interviewer has to come up with questions that will contribute to finding solutions. When formulating the questions, one need to ensure that the questions are general and do not touch on personal life. Moreover, the interviewer should also be available to offer directions to the interviewees on how to feel questionnaires (Salkind, 2000). Drafting the research proposes is a very sensitive thing that one need to put into consideration in Oder to ensure the success of the research process. In the development of the draft, one needs to put into mind the confidentiality of the information from the field. An interviewee can only give truthful information if there is confidentiality. The interview questions should also be open-ended questions, that is, it has to give the interviewee a chance to give a real explanation of the perception of the subject. (a) Challenges in writing the Literature Review section There is no difficulty is writing literature review concerning the age of men in relation to depression. It is because the entire research process has some main topics that make it easy to draft into sections and subsections of the literature review. In addition, the field narrows down to men, mid-age and a psychological disorder; depression hence content generation will be quick and understandable in the nature of psychological research and hence drafting a comprehensive review. Literature review format, as well as the content, is what will be changed the next time. It is because the respondents, as well as the research issues, will be different (Salkind, 2000). (b) Significance of Research Question The research questions will enable the researcher to ask relevant questions with respect to age, affiliations to stress and perception of the anomaly, which will enable one to make reliable decisions. In addition, the research questions will also allow the researcher not be repetitive in the process of finding facts about the subject of study. If the researcher skips the questions, then one will not be able to get the exact flow of events, and that might contribute to variance in the conclusion. In addition, there will be no consistency in the entire process. As a result, the interviewee might develop suspicion and thus give false information. (c) Changes in the research There will be modification on the questions to cover areas of depression. It is because any positive or negative impact of depression on the life of mid-aged men emanating from the daily activities that one does. The research questions should not be complicated instead it should also give the interviewee room to explain the situation. (d) Reactions to the process of drafting a research proposal The process of developing research questions should not majorly touch the personal and sensitive matters of an individual. The research questions should give someone room to explain how they feel. That is the questions should be open-ended questions. e) Anything to add There are those individuals who cannot read and write but have reliable information for the research topic. Therefore, the researcher should ensure the recording device is available so as to capture the voice of the interviewee at any given time. References Baker, D., & Wiseman, A. (2006). The impact of comparative education research on institutional theory. Amsterdam: Elsevier JAI. Brophy, J., & Pinnegar, S. (2005). Learning from research on teaching. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Creswell, J. (2009). Research design. Los Angeles: Sage. Paquette, L. (2002). Strategy and ethnic conflict. Westport, Conn.: Praeger. Roth, W. (2013). On meaning and mental representation. Rotterdam: SensePublishers. Salkind, N. (2000). Exploring research. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. Read More