SUITABILITY OF QUANTITATIVE RESEACH DESIGN ON INTIMACY OF YOUNG PEOPLE

Introduction

This paper is a response to a study that was done to determine the applicability of Quantitative in the context of intimacy among young people. This report presents in-depth perspective of the model that can suitably be employed in a research on a research touching on the topic of intimacy. Considerations for the study impounded two research designs given below:

1.1 Quantitative Method

Quantitative aspect of research on intimacy focuses on experimental techniques which are normally aimed at determining the amounts, frequencies, means and even the severity.

1.2 Qualitative Method

Qualitative aspects touch on non- experimental part including shared experiences, interviews and observations aimed at establishing realities about intimacies.

2.0 Quantitative Method in Depth

2.1 Advantages of Quantitative Method as a Research Model

As opposed to qualitative method in carrying out research, quantitative method presents the researcher and the consumer of the research with sufficient understanding of the implications of the findings. This is because the methods used to present the findings provide for visual impression and determined amounts of confidence apportioned to the study. Basically, researchers on intimacy among the young generation have largely adopted quantitative research due to its ability to present more reliable results as compared to qualitative research. One of the main reasons that make quantitative research to be preferred to qualitative research is that qualitative research focuses on people’s opinions about the intimacy. Therefore, respondents mostly gravitate to their opinions, likes and dislikes evading the reality the researcher could be in need of. The interest of the researchers has also shifted significantly from just knowing to establishing the relationship between various intimacy variables. Qualitative research could just establish a in an intuitive sense that some aspect affects intimacy without detailing the extent to which the variables are related. For instance, Bragg et al. (2011) in their study about the influence of fashion on the intimacy between young people, they used experimentation to achieve their goal. The advantage that quantitative research might have over qualitative research as regards divulging information on the part of the respondent is that it assures respondents of secrecy. If a researcher issues questionnaires for instance, it will be easy for whoever who is going to respond to give his/ her opinions without feeling insecure. Quantitative design allows for in-depth view of the variables in the study. Unlike in qualitative where all is about talking and perhaps basing one’s conclusion on the conversation alone, quantitative quenches the urge of ‘how much’ and this has turned out to be a concern of many researchers.

2.2 Limitations of Quantitative Method as a Research Model

The quantitative approach however is not all that perfect. There are areas qualitative approach is better off than the quantitative approach. In practice, it is extremely to to conduct a research using the qualitative approach. For instance, in a research that entails interaction, the qualitative approach may perform better. The appropriate example is that of a research conducted by Bandura et al (1963) which entailed establishing the effect of film industry on intimacy. To gather enough information on such a subject and deliver reliable results, qualitative aspect might be better. However, what matters the most in any research is how the findings may be used to draw conclusions. The beauty of qualitative research design is that it has no mathematical aspect. It is about interacting. And thus, it differs significantly from quantitative design as it can be carried out anywhere. If one is interested in researching on effect of watching television on intimacy for instance, he/ she can research in a hotel, in a bus. This is because no data is recorded. It is thus that easy.

2.3 Suitability of Quantitative Research as a Method of Research

In general, research on intimacy can be carried out most effectively by approaching it from the quantitative design as compared to the qualitative design. This is because in the research touching on intimacy among the young people, it is proper to get more concerned about the kind of relationships that exist between our two variables of interest. Variables in this case may refer to the effect of television on the intimacy among the young people. In this case our variables are effect of television and intimacy. At the end, quantitative analysis will present a very exhaustive and in- depth into what the researcher and the consumer might find extremely important. This is not meant to rule out qualitative design as a completely inapplicable as far as research on the topic in our context is concerned but make advocacy for the quantitative aspect of the research.

3.0 Conclusion

Research on intimacy seeks to find out factors that affect or cause a certain behavior among people. In this regard, it proper for us to suggest a way we can get more understanding of the topic. Young people are so dynamic and therefore understanding any aspect about their lives requires much task. Apart from identifying factors behind their intimate linkages we should aim higher. This will enable people to view the young people’s intimacies through a lens that has a focus on a point of information. Qualitative design and quantitative design are both very useful as far as attaining this objective are concerned. However, more clarification may be presented by embracing the latter. Quantitative research design may not only help the researcher to identify the factors or the issues or the characters that influence young people’ s intimacies but it will also help the researcher to establish the kind of relationship that exist between the two variables in the research. For instance, if it is about television and intimacy, the researcher can know what amount of television can alter intimate aspirations of a teenage viewer. If it is a research to establish the how fashion influences intimate relationships between teenagers, quantitative design will lead the researcher to know the extent to which the two variables in his research are related. Social scientists have embraced the aspect of knowing more about what they already know. Though it might require more effort, it is recommendable for use in the research on the topic of intimacy.

References

Bandura, A., Ross, D., and Ross, S. A., 1963. Immitation of film mediated aggresive. Journal of Abnormal & Social Psychology, 66(1), pp. 3-11.

Bragg, S., Buckingham, D., Russell, R., and Willett, R., 2011. Too much, too soon? Children, “sexualization” and consumer culture. Sex Education, 11(3), pp. 279-92.