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METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES IN RESEARCH OF THE AGED IN INSTITUIONAL CARE
Author(s) -
Thomas T.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
australian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 0726-4240
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-6612.1989.tb00775.x
Subject(s) - institutionalisation , confounding , reliability (semiconductor) , psychology , research design , qualitative research , gerontology , applied psychology , medicine , social science , sociology , psychiatry , power (physics) , physics , pathology , quantum mechanics
Although studies of institutionalization of the aged are numerous, in many cases inadequate research designs have been employed and methodological problems have created serious obstacles to understanding. Many findings are unreliable and not generalizable due to sampling problems. The reliability and validity of measures for predictors and outcome variables were often not established. Serious confounding among measures has not been investigated, and few studies selected their variables on sound theoretical bases. Cross‐sectional and retrospective designs were frequently employed and data analyses have been predominantly qualitative and descriptive. These methodological issues created considerable uncertainty about the effects of institutionalization in gerontological literature.