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I have chosen the article “When Online Dating Partners Meet
Offline: The Effect of Modality Switching on Relational Communication Between
Online Daters” published in Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication (Impact
factor 3.117)
The aim of the research is to support the hypothesis of the
correlation (curvilinear relationships) between virtual communication and
perception of real communication in terms of intimacy, dominance, composure,
formality and task-social orientation. The survey results support the point of
the modality switching perspectives.
Which quantitative method or methods are used in the
paper? Which are the benefits and limitations of using these methods?
Quantitative research is the systematic empirical
investigation of observable phenomena via statistical, mathematical or
computational techniques. (Wikipedia)
Following examples of quantitative methods were used in the
selected paper:
Statistical sample (men and women particular age, income,
level of education, race, experience of using online dating websites)
Numerical data collected from online survey (participants
were asked questions and use special scale)
Using control variables (number of photos in personal
profile, amount of using social media channels, initiating the first contact)
Benefits of using these methods is opportunity to prove or
reject the hypothesis (in this case the hypothesis was proved). Besides using
numerical data in order to explain social issues allows to generalize answers
(for instance, in this case using scales allows to generalize answers about
various experience of online dating). Entering control variables targets to
define the most influential factors for particular survey (number of photos and
social channels in this case).
I think that limitations of using these methods are
conditioned by are of the survey as it’s impossible to get 100% accurate date
if we are talking about social or psychological issue. Subjective answers of
each participant can give definite statistics, but anyway everyone concentrate
just on very negative or positive experience while answering, so number of
exceptions will be huge. However, the author says “…the present study differed
in several notable ways that might limit their applicability.”
What did you learn about
quantitative methods from reading the paper?
I have learned that that data collection and analyzing
allows to support or disprove hypothesis. Goals of quantitative methods
application is to adjust mathematical model to phenomena. Measurements are crucial
and let’s say core of quantitative research since measurements present
empirical observations as mathematical model.
Which are the main
methodological problems of the study? How could the use of the
quantitative method or methods have been improved?
I cannot define any methodological problems of the study.
The survey shows following results: using greater number of communicational
channels and posting greater number of profile photos are associated with
positive future “offline” relationship; generally user of online dating website
create idealized image of potential partner. These conclusions don’t seem
questionable, so I can say the proposed methodology is reasonable for this
study. Anyway there are exceptions as subject of study are humans’ relationships
that cannot be described in one particular way.
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The study conducted by Konstantina Kilteni, Ilias Bergstrom,
and Mel Slater aims to prove the emergence of perceptual illusions of ownership
in immersive reality. During the
experiment 36 participants were immersed in virtual reality and had casually
dressed dark-skinned “avatar” (CD) and formally dressed white-skinned “avatar” (FL)
appropriately. While participants played traditional African drums (they were
free in their movements and play style), special sensors recorder their
movement.
The experiment showed that those who had CD avatar had more
variations of performance and higher frequencies of movements to compare with
FL avatars. Besides, participants’ behavior “in virtual body” doesn’t depend on
demographic or gender differences.
Thus, according to the survey results participants’ behavior
changes correlates with experience of body ownership illusion.
The authors used qualitative methods such as observation and
interviewing.
Which are the
benefits and limitations of using quantitative methods?
I think that the main benefit of using quantitative methods
is possibility to describe processes or phenomena by mathematical model thereby
to get empirical support of hypothesis. So quantitative methods allows to get
accurate and independent results. Besides, results can be generalized. Also quantitative
methods allows to easily define influence of different factors by changing or
entering new variables. Formal and standardized approach can be applicable for
different cases.
Limitations of quantitative methods are impossibility to
describe everything using mathematical formalism. When quantitative methods are
used for sociological, psychological, etc. research it might be difficult to
get accurate results as assigning variables and using scales are not always
simple in that cases. Another limitation is that methods are not flexible and
limited by mathematical rules.
Which are the
benefits and limitations of using qualitative methods?
Qualitative methods are widely used to describe human behavior.
Examples of qualitative methods are behavior observation, interviewing, and case
study. These methods are limited by imagination of researcher and
interpretation of the results can be subjective. Moreover, behavior of
participants of survey is also individual and caused by different factors that
quite difficult to consider. Qualitative methods allows to analyze in-depth the
behavior of limited sample while quantitative methods allow to get general
results. (The advantages and limitations of qualitative research in psychology
and education, Christine Griffin)
Sources:
1. Wikipedia
2. The advantages and limitations of qualitative research in
psychology and education, Christine Griffin.
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