Adult-to-child interactivity
Summary
The research investigates the influence of gadgets on relationships between parents and their children. The study took place in the park, where the researcher compared the frequency of parents interacting with their kids to the frequency of their interacting with their devices. It was found out that the fact of carrying and using devices led to a lesser amount of parents’ communicating with their offspring, and to the decrease in children’s happiness.
Questions about the study
Did the parents with very young children pay more attention to their kids in comparison to those whose offspring were older despite the devices? Did the interaction between parents and their gadgets endanger young children? Did any kids use devices when their parents did not, and, as a result, did they ignore their parents?
Alignment between methods, analysis, and conclusions
The researcher employed naturalistic observation in their study, which allowed for recording the natural, unaltered behavior of the sample. The observations were then analyzed about the theme of the effect of technology on the interaction between individuals. The conclusions that were made might sound too general for the conducted observation (“the research indicated that most people through the social media neglect the obligations that they have to real people”), but they do reflect the situation connected to the researched phenomena.
Bias in the study
The study might appear slightly biased against the usage of devices, perhaps drawing too generalized conclusions from the observation concerning the adversity of social media. However, the conclusions are supported by references to scholarly literature; for instance, Galloway (2013) also asserts that social media have highly negative consequences. In any case, the conclusions appear fully justified about the phenomena that were being studied.
Ethical research
Despite being restricted by the specifics of the method of observation, the researcher strived to protect the identity of the representatives of the sample and did not include any personal details in the study. Moreover, the researcher endeavored to avoid famous individuals, for recording their behavior would uncover their identity. Therefore, the scholar paid close attention to ethical issues while conducting the study.
Communication of research findings
The findings of the study are communicated in a clear and structured way. The purpose of the study, its strengths, and limitations, methods, the results of observations, as well as conclusions and implications are clearly stated. Despite the presence of linguistic imperfections, the material is easy to grasp and comprehend.
Effect of parenting styles on mood disorders and mobile device/social media usage in adolescents
Summary
The research by Name 2 investigates the correlation between four parenting styles (as defined in Garcia and Gracia (2009)) and perceived engagement of adolescent offspring in communication with parents versus the usage of mobile devices during family meals in a restaurant. It was found out that the less attention parent paid to their adolescent children, the more time the children spent using their mobile devices. The results of the study are backed up by a substantial literature review.
Questions about the study
What other factors, apart from the parenting style, might affect the number of time children spends using their devices? Were the kids always happy to abandon their gadgets when they were addressed by their parents? Did disengaged parent stimulate their children to use their devices?
Alignment between methods, analysis, and conclusions
The method of naturalistic observation was chosen to gather the data. The results were analyzed to find the dependence between the parenting style and the quantity of time spent by children while using their devices. The utilized method of data obtaining was adequate for such an analysis because it allowed perceiving the natural behavior of the families. The conclusions are directly based on the gathered data and its analysis and are supported by scholarly literature on the topic.
Bias in the study
The researcher has identified the main bias of the study, identifying the issues of possibly prejudiced definitions of the utilized concepts. Although the definitions were given after the observation has occurred, they might have been significantly dependent on the author’s perceptions of family relationships.
Ethical research
The researcher thoroughly followed the ethical code while conducting the study, observing the families from a distance, not meddling in their affairs, and only recording those nuances of the sample’s behavior in a public place that was significant for the research. The confidentiality of the members of the sample has been protected; the scholar did not even know the names of the observed individuals and exposed no personal information in the study.
Communication of research findings
The findings of the study, as well as all the other data related to the research, are presented in an exemplary clear, well-structured way. The necessary components of a report about a study are provided explicitly. Despite some minor linguistic imperfections, the research is engaging and easy to comprehend.
References
Correa, T., Hinsley, A.W., & De Zúňiga, H.G. (2010). Who interacts on the Web? The intersection of users’ personality and social media. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(2), 247-253.
Galloway, A. R. (2013). The interface effect. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Garcia, F., & Gracia, E. (2009). Is always authoritative the optimum parenting style? Evidence from Spanish families. Adolescence, 44(73), 101-131.
Golbeck, J., Robles, C., & Turner, K. (2011). Predicting personality with social media. Proceedings of CHI EA 2011, CHI 2011 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 253-262. Web.