Research Proposal

My research problem is determining whether and to what extent participation in online disease-specific support groups evokes a stronger sense of control over disease than participation in face-to-face support groups in cancer patients with rare cancer types. The units of analysis are individuals as cancer patients. Individuals are reasonable for comparison, since the foundational research problem seeks to identify the experiences of individuals with rare cancer types. The experiences of individuals have been measured in a variety of quantitative and qualitative research inquiries. Bulsara, Ward, and Joske (2004) evaluated the experiences of individual cancer patients, as did Lavdaniti, Barbas, Fratzana, and Zyga (2012) and Sahin and Tan (2012).

Ecological fallacies are errors made in drawing conclusions about individuals based on information gained from group analysis (O'Dowd, 2003). Distortion from ecological fallacies will be avoided because this study will make inferences about individuals based upon data gained from individuals. Group data will not be used to make deductions or inferences about individuals (Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 2008). In regards to individualistic fallacies, because this research seeks to determine, interpret, and identify behaviors in individuals, inferences about groups, societies, or nations will not be made based on information gained from individuals participating in this study (Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 2008).

Two researchable hypotheses are:

1. Patients with rare cancer types who participate in online disease-specific support groups experience a greater sense of control than patients with rare cancer types who participate in face-to face support groups.

In this research hypothesis, sense of control is the dependent variable and the independent variables are participation in disease specific support groups and participation in face-to-face support groups. The control variable is the stage of the patient's cancer, so that they are not recently diagnosed, or in the terminal stages of disease. I anticipate a positive relation between the independent variable (participation in an online disease specific support group). dependent variable and the independent variable, participation in disease specific support groups. As disease-specific support group participation increases, sense of control will increase as well. Regarding magnitude, I expect a positive, but not perfect relation between the dependent variable and the independent variable. Not all patients with rare cancer types will gain a sense of control by participating in online disease-specific support groups.

2. Disease-related anxiety in patients with rare cancer types decreases as a result of participation in online disease-specific support groups.

The dependent variable is disease related anxiety; the independent variable is online disease specific support group participation. The control variable is the stage of the patient's cancer, so that they are not recently diagnosed, or in the terminal stages of disease. I anticipate a negative or inverse relation between anxiety and the independent variable: as participation in online disease specific support groups increases, anxiety will decrease I expect a negative, but not perfect relation between the dependent variable and the independent variable. Not all patients with rare cancer types will experience a decrease in disease-related anxiety from participation in online disease-specific support groups.

References

Bulsara, C., Ward, A., & Joske, D. (2004). Haematological cancer patients: achieving a sense of empowerment by use of strategies to control illness. Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 13(2), 251-258. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2702.2003.00886.x

Frankfort-Nachmias, C., & Nachmias, D. (2008). Research methods in the social sciences (7th ed.). New York: Worth.

Lavdaniti, M., Barbas, G., Fratzana, A., & Zyga, S. (2012). Evaluation of depression in colon cancer patients. Health Science Journal, 6(4), 681-692.

O'Dowd, L. (2003). Ecological fallacy. In R. L. Miller & J. D. Brewer (Ed.), The A-Z of social research: A dictionary of key social science research concepts. London: SAGE. doi: 10.4135/9780857020024

Sahin, Z., & Tan, M. (2012). Loneliness, Depression, and Social Support of Patients With Cancer and Their Caregivers. Clinical Journal Of Oncology Nursing, 16(2), 145-149.