Romantic Connection between Couples in Successful Long-Term Marriages - Research Paper Example

The participants for the study will be drawn from successfully married Caucasian Christian couples living in the Texas area whose marriages have lasted for at least twelve years. Following Patton (1990, pg. 169-186) a qualitative purposeful sampling will be conducted in the form of a questionnaire of 100 participants (50 couples), to gain holistic insight into their cultural perceptions of relationship standards. Furthermore, the in-depth interview will be conducted with ten couples to gain more specific qualitative insight.

The interviews will constitute the major research emphasis.For the purposes of this study, purposive sampling will be made through the assistance of gatekeepers. The sample size comprising of fifty couples (or one hundred participants) is large enough to yield useful insight and small enough to be handled comfortably and given the resource and time limitations. Interviews will then provide the development of a deeper meaning through both the answers provided by the participants and the observations made during the interviews of their interactions.

By taking an approach of an Emotive Function during the interviews, the way in which the respondents give their interviews will be observed and assessed as much as how they answer the questions. (Shank, 2006) By assessing the Poetic Function of the way the stories are told to the interviewer, the content can be analyzed for the way in which the interviewed participant relays reality and the perception of that reality. (Shank 2006) The way in which a respondent tells the story can reveal the way in which that individual believes the story.

Most importantly, the use of the Phatic Function in creating an open channel between the researcher and the participant will allow for a more truthful interview that can provide deeper revelations on the topic.