Conducting Qualitative Research

Conducting Qualitative Research

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Conducting Qualitative Research

Kurt, M. K., (2004). Behavioral Treatment of Trichotillomania: A Case Study. Clinical Case Studies, 3:2, 171-182. doi: 10.1177/1534650103259642

Description of the Study

‘Behavioral Treatment of Trichotillomania: A Case Study’ was a research conducted with the aim of determining the prevalent of trichotillomania disorder and its treatments (Kurt, 2004). His case study was a 21-year old female who had the tendency of pulling her hair. Kurt spent 11 days to gather the baseline data. He spent 4 months identifying the best behavioral treatment for his patient. His behavioral treatment was effective because incidences of hair pulling reduced. Kurt also noticed re-growth of hair in affected areas of the scalp and improved interpersonal behavior of the patient.

Type of Survey

The research used AB or simple phase model to conduct his study. The design is commonly used assess a one behavior of a single subject.

Implication of Survey Data on Decision Making

Baseline data recorded during the 11-day period was used to identify the tendency of hair pulling before the introduction of behavioral treatment. According to Fink (1995), baseline data is collected before the start of a treatment program to determine initial status, and later used to monitor changes and explain findings. Data collected during the second-phase was used to ascertain the effectiveness of the proposed treatment. The study’s time series indicated that treatment introduced by Kurt improved his patient’s behavior.

Limitations of AB design

According to Sheperis, Young and Daniels (2010), the major limitation of the AB design is that it does not recognize external settings or events that might confound the outcomes of a study. The positive behavioral change witnessed in Kurt’s case study could have been influenced by other factors coupled with the treatment. Kurt explains that his patient’s mood, anxiety, self-esteem and social interactions improved during the treatment. This design fails to recognize the impact of these factors on the patient’s behavior.

Reference

Fink, A. (1995). Evaluation for education & psychology. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications.

Kurt, M. K., (2004). Behavioral Treatment of Trichotillomania: A Case Study. Clinical Case Studies, 3:2, 171-182. doi: 10.1177/1534650103259642

Sheperis, C., Young, J. S., & Daniels, M. H. (2010). Counseling Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods. Boston: Pearson.