Response 1: Group Research Designs

Respond to a colleague’s post by explaining an insight you gained from this week’s Resources that addresses a topic in your colleague’s post.

 Please use one learning resource to support your post.

 ***Needs to be 1/2 page***

Colleague 1:  Annabeth

I chose to read the article on family functioning with adoption between heterosexual couples and gay couples.  The study as mentioned by the authors was a cross sectional sampling and this was also a limitation as well according to their research.  “Convenience sampling and cross-sectional studies often help to yield larger study samples, but they are limited in terms of their effectiveness against several threats to internal and external validity” (Leung et al, 2005 p. 1042).  This means that when the researchers sent out the surveys and research questionnaires to individual’s it was more for convince so that everyone could get their results quicker.  Many believe that homosexual couples make poor parents but research conducted by Leung (2005) mentions that what actually makes the best adoption situations are when siblings are placed together and are adopted younger.  This allows for them to not have to be in the foster system longer.  I would worry that the external validity of the study would be tested in different cultures.  In Asian cultures there are much stricter population standards and this is why there might be more Asian children that need to be adopted.  This could potentially skew data.  

Leung, P., Erich, S., & Kanenberg, H. (2005). A comparison of family functioning in gay/lesbian, heterosexual and special needs adoptions. Children and Youth Services Review, 27(9), 1031–1044.

Response 2: Pretests/Posttests and Attrition

Respond to a colleague’s post by supporting or refuting ideas about his or her vision of how the study might be designed to gather data about the effectiveness of these parenting classes. Please use one Learning Resources to support your answer.

***Needs to be 1/2 page*** 

Colleague 1:  Shannon

Pretest/Posttests and Attrition

            In the case video episode 5 of the Hernandez Family the social worker explains Mr. and Mrs.Hernandez has missed four of their parenting classes which resulted in them not completing the mandated program. The social worker then speaks about calling ACS in which the parents would have to take the classes all over again. One of the issues as to why they miss so many classes is because Mr.Hernandez needs to work overtime because of their financial needs but they need to finish the classes for the program. The agency needs to know how affective the parenting classes are and when the individuals in the program don’t complete the program there’s no data (Laureate, 2013).I think the social workers wanted to know if the parenting classes are effective. I think the pre was to see how parents parented before taking the classes as opposed to when they were done with the required classes if their parenting skills improved. Attrition took into account because the program wasn’t completed by the Hernandez family so how can it be determined if the program was fully effective and the goal was successfully met. I think attrition is important and could’ve been avoided. If there was a way to work around Mr.Hernandez schedule so he can still get overtime and attend classes those adjustments should’ve been made.

 In this case I would recommend an experimental design to show the before and after effect of taking the parenting classes. The study should involve a period of time maybe a year, because changes don’t happen overnight and I think the time frame is appropriate for this study. I would have a control group which would be parents who don’t attend the parenting classes in comparison to the parents who attend the parenting classes. I would explain to the social worker we have to have flexible times and days for those who have to work. If we want the program to be successful we have to ensure there are multiple options to help our clients.

References

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013). Hernandez family (Episode 5) [Video file]. In Sessions.