Problem:
Davies et al. (2015) explored whether Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) training improves staff confidence and changes how staff understand the causes of challenging behaviour in a forensic mental health setting. The hypotheses were clearly connected to the purpose of the study. The authors predicted that staff confidence would increase after training and that staff would begin to attribute challenging behaviour more to external and changeable factors rather than internal causes (Davies et al., 2015). These hypotheses fit well within quantitative research because they examine relationships between variables. In this case, PBS training is the independent variable, while staff confidence and causal attributions are the dependent variables. The authors also used established instruments to measure these constructs, which helps ensure the variables were clearly defined and measurable (Davies et al., 2015).
Using the Research Questions and Hypotheses Checklist helped confirm that the study's questions and hypotheses logically align with the purpose and research design (Walden University, 2016). One small limitation is that the authors did not clearly state the research questions separately from the hypotheses. Including clearly written research questions could have made the focus of the study easier to follow.
The study used a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, where participants completed surveys before and after the PBS training (Davies et al., 2015). Because the participants were not randomly assigned to groups, the study does not meet the criteria for a true experiment (Burkholder et al., 2020). However, this design still works well for examining whether training leads to measurable change over time. The use of validated scales and statistical tests supports the credibility of the findings.
Overall, there is strong alignment between the theory, problem, purpose, hypotheses, and research design. Attribution theory provides a meaningful explanation for why changes in beliefs may influence helping behaviors, and the quantitative design allows those changes to be measured objectively (Babbie, 2017). One limitation is that the study did not include a control group or long-term follow-up, which makes it difficult to know whether the changes were sustained over time (Davies et al., 2015). Even so, the study offers helpful evidence that PBS training may positively influence staff perceptions and confidence.
Respond to a classmate who was assigned a different article than you by further supporting his or her critique or respectfully offering a differing perspective. Need Assignment Help?
Babbie, E. (2017). Basics of social research (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Burkholder, G. J., Cox, K. A., Crawford, L. M., & Hitchcock, J. H. (Eds.). (2020). Research designs and methods: An applied guide for the scholar-practitioner . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.