A counselor who adheres to the scientific practitioner framework should approach decision making based on empirical research. This means that the decisions made should be based on facts or something that has been proven. The decisions made should be happening in the real world, and be proven to work on the applied practice. Through applying evidence-based decisions, counselors are sure that the decisions they make will have a positive output. Additionally, the framework aims at increasing scientific growth in the psychology area and for this reason, the decisions made should be right not to mislead other counselors. Also, basing decisions on evidence reduces the chances of misguiding clients because clients depend on what counselors, say. Lastly, the experiences encountered during counseling practice should be used as research questions to help counselors to each time make better and improved decisions.
Quantitative research uses numerical data to interpret results from a deductive approach while qualitative research uses words, descriptions, or characteristics to interpret data from a subjective approach. Quantitative use methods such as experimentation and use of questionnaires while qualitative use interviews, observation, surveys, and questionnaires methods of collecting data. In qualitative research, results are measured on how convincing the data collected is, for instance, what the respondents say, how they react while talking, and such. For quantitative, results are measured in numbers, for example, how many people feel anxious after watching a horror movie. For instance, in research concerning anxious clients, quantitative research can be used to test the number of times anxious clients feel anxiety in a week. Qualitative research can be used to find out their feelings and why they feel anxious.
Purposive sampling is choosing a specific group of people who have particular characteristics that the researcher speculates would assist in research to participate in the study. For instance, choosing cancer patients because they can describe how it feels. Representative sampling is statistical selection in which a researcher randomly selects a group of people to represent a larger population in a study. The sample chosen has the same characteristics as the larger population and so generalization is made to results. Convenience sampling involves a researcher using a group of people in research because they are conveniently available or can be easily recruited. In such a study as investigating the behavior of anxious people in lonely places, I would use purposive sampling over representative because I aim to study on the anxious people, not the whole population. For the purposive, it will allow me to select respondents with anxiety characteristics rather than just any person.
The researcher may ask respondents what methods they are using to manage the covid-19 pandemic stress. The purpose of this question is to determine if the Singaporeans are capable of managing the stress or not. Also, it will uncover the researcher’s objective of the experience they are encountering because, in the process of stating what methods, they will also explain how they achieve it and the results of the methods. Additionally, while answering this question, the researcher will identify which methods have been challenging to interpret the experiences they have gone through. I f I were the researcher, I would ask the respondents what problems they are facing while trying to manage the stress as a follow-up probe. This question can make them open up more because their problems show how the experience is, if they are facing a lot of challenges, then it may mean the experience is not good. Also, I would ask them how they would like to be assisted maybe by the government or relevant stakeholders. The purpose of the research is not just to acquire information, I would also make sure the respondents get relevant help.
A researcher must ensure to include respect for persons. Human dignity is the basic principle for any research and the researcher must respect all the persons involved in the research. The researcher must take into account the language to use in which it should be respectable, and how to handle the respondents. Even though the respondents may be of low standards in many aspects than the researcher, they also possess the most valuable information the researcher might be seeking. Therefore, they should be respected. Respect also includes their culture and interests. Secondly, the application should contain concern for welfare ethic. The researcher must ensure to safeguard the welfare of the respondents and that the research or whatever they say should not harm or be used against them. Sometimes respondents have to answer the most delicate questions that may harm them. The impact of the research on the physical, spiritual, economic, and mental being of respondents should be considered. In such a case, if the research is being recorded, the researcher should safeguard respondents by not showing their faces or changing their voices.
