What is a "problem" in a psychological research?

"Selection of Problem"

Psychological Research

A scientific inquiry starts when a researcher has already collected some information/ knowledge, and that knowledge indicates that there is something we do not know. It may be that we simply do not have enough information to answer a question, or it may be that the knowledge that we have is in such state of distorted from that it cannot be adequately related to the question. Here a problem arises.

The formulation of problem is especially important, as it guides us in our inquiry.

According to Townsend (1953), "A problem is a question proposed for solution."

According to Kerlinger (1964), "A problem is interrogative sentence of statement that asks, what relation exists between two or more variables."

According to McGuigan (1964), "A solvable problem is one that posses a question that can be answered with the use of man's normal capacities."

● CHARACTERISTICS OF A SCIENTIFIC PROBLEM :

After analysing above written definitions of a problem statement, it can be said there are certain characteristics of a problem statement:

(i) A problem statement is written clearly and unambiguously, usually in question form. A few examples of problem statement are given below
¤ What is the relationship between IQ and class-room achievement?
¤ What is the relationship between anxiety and adjustment among school going children?
¤ Do students learn more from a lecture method than from discussion method?

(ii) A problem expresses the relationship between two or more than two variables. This kind of problem permits the investigator to manipulate two or more than two variables to examine the effects upon the other variables. For example: Do teacher reinforcement cause improvement in student's performance? In this example, one variable is teacher reinforcement and the other variable is student performance. It illustrates the problem found in a scientific study because the problem statement explores the effect of teacher's reinforcements on student's performance. The conditions for a problem statement are:
¤ The problem should be testable by empirical methods.
¤ A problem statement should be solvable.
¤ The data of scientific problem should be quantitative.
¤ The variable relating to the problem should be clear and definite.

●WAYS IN WHICH A PROBLEM IS MANIFESTED :

A problem is said to exist when we know enough that there is something we do not know really. There are at least three ways in which a problem is said to be manifested:

☆ Gap In Knowledge : A problem is manifested when there is noticeable gap or absence of information. Suppose a community or group intents to provide psychotherapeutic services, two questions arises, viz., 1. What kind of psychotherapy they should offer and 2. Which of the different forms of therapeutic methods is most effective for a given type of mental disease. In this example, there exists a noticeable gap in the knowledge, and hence the collection of necessary data and their explanation are needed for filling the gap in knowledge.

Contradictory Results : When several investigations done in the same field are not consistent and therefore, at times, contradictory, a problem is to find out a new answer and settle the controversy.

☆ Explaining a Fact : Another way in which we become aware of a problem is when we are in possession of a 'fact', and we ask ourselves, "Why is this so?" When the facts in any field are found in terms of unexplained information, a problem is said to exist.

● IDENTIFYING A RESEARCH PROBLEM :

The identification of a research problem may be accomplished in a variety of ways observations of every day life,

# thinking or brainstorming sessions,

# theoretical predictions and explanations,

# technological developments which make new research possible,

# problems suggested in the research literature; or any combination of these methods.

● CONSIDERATIONS IN SELECTING A RESEARCH PROBLEM :

When selecting a research problem/ topic there a number of considerations to keep in mind these considerations are 'interest', 'magnitude', 'measurement and clarity about the concept', 'level of expertise', 'relevance', 'availability of data and ethical issues'. If you select a problem without considering these issues it could become extremely difficult to sustain the required motivation and interest, and hence it's completion as well as the amount of time taken could be affected.

● THE IMPORTANCE OF FORMULATING A RESEARCH PROBLEM :

The formulation of a research problem is the first and most important step of the research process. It is like the identification of a destination before undertaking a journey. As in the absence of a destination, it is impossible to identify the shortest route, so also in the absence of a clear research problem, a clear and economical plan is impossible.

A research problem is like the foundation of a building. The type and design of the building is dependent upon the foundation. If the foundation is well designed and strong, you can expect the building to be also strong and well designed. In the case of research, the research problem serves as the foundation of a research study. If it is well formulated, you can expect a good study to follow.

According to Kerlinger (1986), if one wants to solve a problem, one must generally know what the problem is. It can be said that a large part of the problem lies in knowing what one is trying to do.

You must have a clear idea with regard to what it is that you want to find out about and not what you think you must find.

A research problem may take a number of forms, from the very simple to the very complex. The way you formulate a problem determines almost every step that follows, that is (i) the type of study design that can be used, (ii) the type of sampling strategy that can be employed, (iii) the research instrument that can b used or developed, (iv) and the type of analysis that can be undertaken.

The formulation to a problem is like the "input" into a study, and the "output" --- the quality of the contents of the research report and the validity of the associations or causation established --- is entirely dependent upon it. Hence the famous saying about computers --- "garbage in, garbage out" --- is equally applicable to a research problem.

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