Quantitative Research in Social Trauma

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Social Trauma – An Interdisciplinary Textbook
  • 1697 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter will try to answer on how to conduct relevant quantitative studies, using valid and reliable methodology, in order to obtain comparable and practicaly meaningful results in social trauma field. This will be done through the discussion of main study phases: (a) developement of the important research questions on social trauma (e.g., possible outcomes or correlates, possible mediators and moderators, effective treatment and protective factors etc.), (b) implementation of an appropriate study design, (c) decision on sampling strategy and control group issues, (d) application of validated measures and adequate assessment procedures, as well as dealing with their chalenges, and (e) performing proper statistic analysis of quantitative data. Examples of good research practice will be given in order to vividly illustrate these theoretical considerations.

In addition, importance of scientific (quantitative) research approach, specificaly in social trauma field, will be emphasized. Moreover, the reader will become familiar with strengthenesses, weaknesses and limitations of quantitaive approach, as well as ethical standards that can prevent its misusage. Finally, future directions and open questions will be discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
EUR 29.95
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
EUR 93.08
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
EUR 117.69
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free ship** worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
EUR 160.49
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free ship** worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ben-Shlomo, Y., Brookes, S., & Hickman, M. (2013). Lecture notes: Epidemiology, evidence-based medicine and public health (6th ed.). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Betancourt, T. S., & Khan, K. T. (2008). The mental health of children affected by armed conflict: Protective processes and pathways to resilience. International Review of Psychiatry, 20(3), 317–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Breslau, N., Peterson, E. L., & Schultz, L. R. (2008). A second look at prior trauma and the posttraumatic stress disorder effects of subsequent trauma: A prospective epidemiological study. Archives of General Psychiatry, 65(4), 431–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foa, E. B., McLean, C. P., Zang, Y., Zhong, J., Powers, M. B., Kauffman, B. Y., … Knowles, K. (2016). Psychometric properties of the posttraumatic diagnostic scale for DSM-5 (PDS-5). Psychological Assessment, 28(10), 1166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fonagy, P. (2015). Methodological considerations in evaluating the outcome of psychoanalzsis. In M. Leuzinger-Bohleber & H. Kächele (Eds.), An open door review of outcome and process studies in psychoanalysis (pp. 61–80). London: International Psychoanalytical Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ford, J. D., Racusin, R., Ellis, C. G., Daviss, W. B., Reiser, J., Fleischer, A., & Thomas, J. (2000). Child maltreatment, other trauma exposure, and posttraumatic symptomatology among children with oppositional defiant and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. Child Maltreatment, 5(3), 205–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghosh-Ippen, C., Ford, J., Racusin, R., Acker, M., Bosquet, K., Rogers, C., & Edwards, J. (2002). Traumatic events screening inventory-parent report revised-long version. PsycTESTS Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1037/t30813-000

  • Kazdin, A. E. (1992). Research design in clinical psychology (Vol. 3). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krishna, R., Maithreyi, R., & Surapaneni, K. M. (2010). Research bias: A review for medical students. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 4(2), 2320–2324.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krueger, R. F., & Markon, K. E. (2006). Understanding psychopathology: Melding behavior genetics, personality, and quantitative psychology to develop an empirically based model. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(3), 113–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mollica, R., MCdonald, L., Massagli, M., & Silove, D. (2004). Measuring trauma, measuring torture: Instructions and guidance on the utilization of the Harvard program in refugee Trauma’s versions of the Hopkins symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-25) and the Harvard trauma questionnaire (HTQ). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mollica, R. F., Caspi-Yavin, Y., Bollini, P., Truong, T., Tor, S., & Lavelle, J. (1992). The Harvard trauma questionnaire: Validating a cross-cultural instrument for measuring torture, trauma, and posttraumatic stress disorder in Indochinese refugees. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 180, 111–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moser, U., & von Zeppelin, I. (1996). Der geträumte Traum: wie Träume entstehen und sich verändern. Kohlhammer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, S., Elklit, A., Dokkedahl, S., & Shevlin, M. (2017). Anger, guilt and shame as mediators in the relationship between war experiences and PTSD: Testing the moderating role of child soldier status. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 10(4), 323–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ortlepp, K., & Friedman, M. (2002). Prevalence and correlates of secondary traumatic stress in workplace lay trauma counselors. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 15(3), 213–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stover, C. S., & Berkowitz, S. (2005). Assessing violence exposure and trauma symptoms in young children: A critical review of measures. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 18(6), 707–717.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sonja Protić .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Protić, S. (2021). Quantitative Research in Social Trauma. In: Hamburger, A., Hancheva, C., Volkan, V.D. (eds) Social Trauma – An Interdisciplinary Textbook. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47817-9_34

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Navigation