SoCW-6301-6500-WK9-Responses

Response 1: Relationship Between Purpose of Study and Data Analysis Techniques

·      Respond to a colleague's post by raising questions about the value of the evidence based on the quantitative or qualitative data analysis described by the classmate.

Please use 2 resources to support your post. ***Needs to be 1/2 page***

Yegidis, B. L., Weinbach, R. W., & Myers, L. L. (2012). Research methods for social workers (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Allyn & Bacon.

Colleague: Shannon

Relationship between Purpose of Study and Data Analysis Techniques

Analyzing research studies consist of many components. One of the components is descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics helps describe, show or summarize data in a meaningful way such that, for example, patterns might emerge from the data ( Laerd Statistics, 2013). Descriptive statistics basically describes the data you are analyzing. In the case study “Social Work Research: Measuring Group Success” the descriptive statistics I might use to analyze the data gathered in the case study are 8 women, 5/8 are Caucasian, 3/8 are Hispanic, 1/5 was married.8/8 are heterosexual, and 8/8 had PTSD ((Plummer, Makris, and Brocksen, 2014).The statistics I identified can guide me in evaluating the applicability of the study’s findings for my own practice in social work by using the outcome of this study to help assist women who may have or are experiencing the same challenges. The study also mentioned strategies that were used which provided evidence as to which interventions may be helpful.

References

Laerd Statistics, (2013). Retrieved from https://statistics.laerd.com

Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Foundation year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].Social Work Research: Measuring Group Success

Response 2: Statistical Significance and Variables

·      Respond to a colleague's post by suggesting how statistical significance can be used in his or her research and practice.

·      Consider practical issues such as whether a social worker is looking for a treatment approach that might be more effective than what he or she has been using, whether the participants in the study are similar or different from the client the social worker is treating, or decisions about whether to continue a program.

Please use 2 resources to support your post.  ***Needs to be 1/2 page***

Yegidis, B. L., Weinbach, R. W., & Myers, L. L. (2012). Research methods for social workers (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Allyn & Bacon.

Colleague: Shannon

  Statistical Significance and Variables 

When conducting a research you may either choose to use statistically significance or clinical significance. “Statistically significance is the likelihood that a relationship between two or more variables is caused by something other than random chance” (Investopedia, 2017).  Bauer,Lambert &Nielsen (2004)  stated “ clinical significance refers to changes in patient functioning that are meaningful for individuals who undergo psychosocial or medical interventions” (p 60). Statistically significance would affect my practice decision making in a positive way because it would highlight a specific cause. The benefit would be helping a population that may have been studied before with the same issue and I would be able to connect causation. Clinical significance would affect my practice decision making in a constructive way as well because I would be able to focus on each patients functioning rather than grouping individuals together (Bauer,Lambert &Nielsen, 2004, p 60).

In the article “Effects of a New State Policy on Physical Activity Practices in Child Care Centers in South Carolina” the study focused on determining the volume to which child care centers in South Carolina improved physical activity practices after a new policy went into effect ( O’Neill et al.,2017). The statistically significance of the study was approached by the state-by time interaction of Physical Activity Environment Total Score in which overall acceptance of new physical standards in SC child care centers was associated with improvements in practices aimed at increasing children’s physical activity ( O’Neill et al.,2017). The study showed a statistical significance between the variable which was the standards of physical activity caused the improvements. The results would influence my practice as a social worker because I would conduct future research to help other centers and see if this strategy would work

 Reference

Bauer, S., Lambert, M., & Nielsen, S. (2004). Clinical significance methods: a comparison of statistical techniques. Journal of Personality Assessment. (82)1: 60-70. Retrieved from Walden Library databases.

Investopedia, (2017). Retrieved from   www.investopedia.com/terms/s/statistically_significant.asp

O’Neill, J. R., Dowda, M., Neelon, S. E., Neelon, B., & Pate, R. R. (2017). Effects of a New State Policy on Physical Activity Practices in Child Care Centers in South Carolina. American Journal of Public Health, 107(1), 144-146. doi:10.2105/ajph.2016.303521