Activity https://create.twu.ca/ldrs591-sp18/unit-2-learning-activities/

I chose this article for my research activity- https://ezproxy.student.twu.ca:3734/content/pdf/10.1023%2FA%3A1004647517069.pdf.

This article was excerpted from a peer reviewed journal- Social Indicators Research.

The authors are: Dong Yul Lee ( University of Western Ontario, London), Sung Hee Park (National College of education, Chung-joo, Korea), Max R. Uhlemann (University of Victoria, B.C.), Philip Patsula (University of Ottawa, Ontario)

I m afraid to admit that this article is not very current (2000), but I still picked it for discussion because it was the closest article I could find to my question in the assignment.

“The key to genuine research is a good question that addresses a problem calling for analysis” (Badke, 2017 , p.47). In assignment 1, I had expressed that I would like to research further if there were “..cultural differences in the importance given to individual components of the formula to happiness?” The authors in their study asked, “Is the criteria for being happy in collectivistic cultures (such as Asian countries) different from that of individualistic cultures (such as North American and European countries)? ” They collected data from university students in teacher-training programs from a Canadian and a Korean university to examined if there were differences in the criteria for happiness in a ‘collectivistic’ culture (Korea) and an ‘individualistic’ culture (Canada) . They studies for similarities (or differences) in the “relative frequencies or rated importance of the 14 categories in relation to avowed happiness?” . The authors (seemingly to their surprise) found that their findings did not support their predictions. They were not able to find a statistical difference in the criteria the 2 study groups applied in expressing their happiness, even though their overall perception of happiness was different.

The intended audience could be in the fields of social sciences, psychology/psychiatry, education.

The authors did not disclose any biases or special interests, neither were any obvious. Nevertheless, the source of funding of this study is not clear.They did list the weaknesses in their study admitting that there might have been selection bias, the LGS ( Life goals survey) was constructed based on the Canadian sample only, and they did not control for definition of ‘family’ – nuclear or extended? 

I had to apply a lot of the research strategies I learnt in the tutorials as well as the text ( Badke) . I used the advance search function, used ‘limiters’ and ‘subject terms’. I am very excited to have learnt these strategies and look forward to reading the rest of BAdke’s text

 

References

Dong Yul, L., & Sung Hee, P, Uhlemann, M.R., Patsula, P. (2000). What makes you happy?: A comparison of self reported criteria of happiness between two cultures. Social Indicators Research, 50(3), 351.

Badke,W. (2017). Research Strategies: Finding your way through the information fog. (6th ed.). Bloomington, IN. iUniverse.