Summary Week 3

This week students worked on the quantitative data analysis for the first time, conducting descriptive stats. One thing that is quite evident in the course is that students have different ways of approaching research. Some feel insecure in their understanding of statistics and need to narrowly find their way through a very select area of interest, while others want to have an overview of everything, including how we will go about the qualitative analysis and the coding we will use. Unfortunately, they are stuck with a middle ground which is easiest for the faculty – we discuss each step as it comes along. I know that this is not satisfactory for everyone, but after dealing with so many students who are lost with the most basic quantitative analysis, I simply don’t feel that it is fair to bombard them with even more information.

I have been reading Bandura’s (1997) book on self-efficacy, particularly the chapter on the elderly. Self-efficacy can be thought of maintaining control, confidence in surroundings. He brings up some interesting points to consider – such as with the elderly, high self-efficacy could be seen with an individual who works to stay active and independent. But contrast that with an individual who chooses to be dependent, and manipulates people by having them care for him or her… is this person high or low in self efficacy? Another point that interests me was regarding health care- that people in the oldest old age group grew up in a period in which it was considered appropriate to look upon the physician as an expert and not question him or her. It will be interesting to see how that plays out in our current study.

 Bandura, A. (1997). Self efficacy: The exercise of control. NY: Freeman

Lee Stadtlander