Descriptive and non-experimental research is very relevant in the sciences, although many people may not understand that. Non-experimental research can come in two forms; a quantitative study, or a qualitative study. A quantitative study can include research methods such as interviews, questionnaires, surveys and/or psychological tests (Smythe, 2014). A qualitative study can include research methods including qualitative interviews, focus groups, ethnographic research and/or historical research (Smythe, 2014). Both methods of non-experimental research are beneficial in the world of science or psychology as they can both produce new knowledge.
For this assignment, the class was asked to pick a relatively new, non-experimental, research study. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality recently produced an article including a new study. The study is “A Quantitative Study of ‘Friends with Benefits’ Relationships” by Inga Gusarova, Vanessa Fraser and Kevin G. Alderson., which is a relatively new area of study. Because this is a new area of study, the authors believe that this is the first quantitative study of friends with benefits relationships done in Canada (Gusarova, Fraser & Alderson, 2012, 57) and it is probable an area of research that is unknown to many people. This article was very interesting to read and gave new ideas to a new form of relationship that many people today are engaging in.
Article Summary
This article, “a Quantitative Study of ‘Friends with Benefits’ Relationships”, is very new knowledge in Canada about a new type of relationship that people are starting to engage in, called friends with benefits. Throughout the article the authors refer to this relationship as FWBR, which is how this essay will ref...
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...in another FWBR because they are ready to take that step into a serious relationship. As well as age affecting whether younger or older people will engage in another FWBR, older people could report more negative experiences because they are nearing the age of marriage or committed relationships. Overall, studying the age of people engaging in FWBR could show drastic results.
Works Cited
Gusarova, I., Fraser, V., & Alderson, K. G. (2012). A quantitative study of "friends with benefits" relationships. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 21(1), 41-59. Retrieved from
http://go.galegroup.com.libproxy.uregina.ca:2048/ps/i.do?action=interpret&id=GALE|A3
02109618&v=2.1&u=ureginalib&it=r&p=HRCA&sw=w&authCount=1
Smyth, W. (Feb, 2014). Non-Experimental Methods. Psychology Research Methods. Lecture conducted from the University of Regina. Regina, SK.
In “Friends with Benefits: Do Facebook Fiends Provide The Same Support As Those in Real Life?”, Kate Dailey argues about whether the Facebook social scene could replace that of real life or it just mimics the likely course of friendship if people would still be close. The narrative begins with Dailey sharing an anecdote about a personal situation concerning a friend who just went through a hard time, the nonchalant friendship which the essay gravitates towards. While realizing the tragic news, her argument comes into place: is Facebook a great place to spread negative news or is it unable to beat the warmth in people’s physical reaction?.
Karbo Karen. "Friendship: The Laws of Attraction." Psychology Today 39.6 (2006): 90-95. EBSCOhost. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
The scientific method is how psychologists gain knowledge about the mind and behavior. It is used by all scientists. The experimental method is the one way to engage the scientific method, and the only way to find a cause and effect in relationships. It is summarized in five steps, observing some phenomenon in the world, forming a hypothesis which is an educated prediction about relationships between two or more variables, examining the gathered information by using empirical research, determining what the results are and drawing them, and evaluating the results whether it will support the hypothesis or not. Researchers, at the end, submit their work for publication for all to see and read (King, 2016). There are three types of psychological research in the scientific method, descriptive research, correlation, and experimental research (King, 2016). The article The Effects of Negative Body Talk in an Ethnically Diverse Sample of College Students (Katrevich, Register, & Aruguete, 2014) is an example of the experimental method.
The other four participants, Lesego, MJ, Solomon and Thabo, who are all between the ages of 22 and 25 years old are in an ‘intimacy vs isolation stage’ (Sadock et al., 2015). During this stage, the virtue of fidelity is important as it emphasises the need for young adults to make and honour any commitments they enter (Sadock et al.,
Because of this, Steve Duck of University of Iowa refers to women’s studies as “understudied relationships” (Duck 1). In his book, Under-Studied Relationships: Off the Beaten Track, Steve delves into the complicated world that is friendship between women. He reveals that even the best of relationships, more often than not, will “dissolve due to geographical distance”, especially during the transition from high school to college (133). However, Duck claims that this occurrence during young adult transitional periods is “more detrimental to male friendships than female friendships” (133). He explains that, “men’s inability to maintain distal friends may be due to a lack of awareness about and skills to utilize effective strategies that maintain a [friendship]” (184). This argument implies that though males are invested in their friendships, they do not express as much emotional interest in these relationships as their female counterparts. While distance may seem challenging for women to overcome, they collectively put more effort into preserving their friendships than men. Duck further instills this concept by explaining that “women’s same-sex friendships tend to be based more on intimate and emotional discussions than men’s” (186). Men, Duck argues, lack the depth in their friendships that women possess, and, for this reason, have difficulty sustaining a friendship that is met with the strain
... L., Andersen, P., & Afifi, W. (2011). Close encounters: Communication in relationships. (3 ed., pp. 322-330). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
From a young age most people have gone through many relationships with other people who were not their family. Thus, we often acknowledge these relationships as friendships. But the word friend is too broad, so people categorize their friends to several types. In her book “Necessary Losses: The Lovers, Illusions, Dependencies and Impossible Expectations That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Grow”, Judith Viorst divided friendships to six types. Those are convenience friends, special Interest friends, historical friends, crossroad friends, cross-generation friends and close friends. In my life, I have been friend with many people since I was little. Although I have met all six kinds of friend of Viorst, convenience friends and close friends are two important kinds of friends in my life.
Kassin, S., Fein, S., & Markus, H. R. (2014). Social psychology (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Friendship has been crucial to the survival of women especially those whose social class puts at a disadvantage. Margaret Andersen, in her book, Thinking About Women: Sociological Perspectives on Sex and Gender, asserts that “Despite long-held assumptions that women’s primary identity was attached to men, research now shows the important role that friendships between women have, including women who live within stable heterosexual relationships” (94). While her claim on women primarily being identified with men is an assumption maybe contested, she points out the importance of friendship to women, which necessarily does not have a sexual undertone.
Gary W. Peterson and David E. Peters. “Adolescents Construction of Social Reality: The Sexual Relationships Are Associated With College Students Engaging In One-Night Stands." Journal Of Cognitive & Behavioral Psychotherapies 13.2 (2013): 321-331. Academic Search Premier. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.
Holman, Amanda, and Alan Sillars. "Talk about “hooking up”: The influence of college student social networks on nonrelationship sex." Health communication27.2 (2012): 205-216.
Also, Erikson’s Intimacy versus Isolation theory explained that young adults at this stage will think about being intimate or having a close relationship with a person (Miller, 1983). This could be a friend who they can confide in or a sexual partner (Miller, 1983). Those who engage in marriage at a you...
...; With the use of applying this theory to an episode as a demonstration, an application, and then an explanation, it is easy to see how the Social Exchange theory is related to everyday situations. Not only can the theory be applied to amorous relationships, but to that of friendships. The utility of the theory is seen in just about every type of interaction and is key to better understanding why relationships, friendships, or any mutual interaction, for that matter, turn out being costly or rewarding.
"Fulfillment at Any Age." Sexual Hookups and Psychological Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.