Critical Analysis of a Social Research Study

INTRODUCTION

Researches overtime includes the interpretation of social phenomenon and realities in social world. In an attempt to explain social realities, Simons and Wurtele (2010) explored inter generational cycle of violence in their study. They examined the relationships between parent’s approval and children’s approval of corporal punishment (CP), the subsequent relationship between children’s CP experience and preference for hitting to resolve interpersonal conflict. They sampled 102 families including parents and children. While parents were assessed using a three self-report measure namely; conflict tactic scales, parent discipline attitudes survey and parent’s beliefs about punishment vignettes, the children were assessed using children’s belief about punishment vignettes and children’s problem-solving vignettes. Lastly, their study’s conclusion supported intergenerational cycle of violence.

In social research, the influence of quantitative research method began to diminish in the mid 70’s when qualitative research method began to gain its ground, despite this, quantitative research method is still highly appreciated by social researchers among who are, Simons and Wurtele, 2010. According to Bryman (2008:22), the basic difference between these two methods is their orientations towards; role of theory in relation to research, epistemology and ontology. While quantitative is deductive in nature and applies positivism and objectivism, qualitative is inductive, applies interpretivism and constructionism (Ibid). Despite these differences and several arguments on the relevance of each method, the two methods remain a significant part of social science researches (Miles and Huberman, 1994:40).

However, with the use of quan...

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