Correlational Studies: Studying the Parent-Child Relationship

To birth a child a woman must endure nine months of pregnancy and then labor-where she must bear down to bring forth the child from her womb. But this is not the end of the story. An addition of a child changes the lives of parents forever. Mother and father must make changes in their lives-which was most likely centered around their own wants and needs-but will forevermore be centered around the needs and wants of their child. In the study of child psychology, the quality of parent-child relationships can be studied to see what impact it has on children's social emotional development. It was once thought that the most important bond was between a mother and her child, but it is now concluded that a father's role in his child's life is just as important. In fact even if the father is not involved with the child directly, his relationship with the mother will have a direct impact upon the child. The National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2004) found that:

"sensitive and responsive parent-child relationships also are associated with stronger cognitive skills in young children and enhanced social competence and work skills later in school, which illustrates the connection between social/emotional development..." (http://www.developingchild.net/papers/environment_of_relationships.pdf)

Researchers can discover information about the quality of parent-child relationships and its impact on a child's social emotional development through correlational research.

Correlational research investigates the relationship between two variables to determine if they are associated. Correlational research helps provide child psychologists with important information about the probable cause and effect for various issues, however, just because two variables are correlated does not prove causation. There are several types of correlational studies: naturalistic observation, ethnography, case studies, survey research, and psychophysiological methods. In designing a correlational research project there are several steps. The first step is to define the problem and identify specific variables. The next step is to choose appropriate research participants. Third, begin research using the desired method and collect data in a quantifiable form. Lastly, analyze the data and correlate scores.

Correlational research provides three possible results: a positive correlation, negative correlation, and no correlation. A positive correlation indicates that both variables increase or decrease at the same time. For example, in the above illustration a positive correlation would indicate that as the quality of the parent-child relationship increases then so does the social emotional development of the child. In contrast, as the quality of the parent-child relationship decreases, so does the social emotional development of the child. Negative correlation indicates that as the amount of one variable increases, the other decreases. For example, in the above illustration a negative correlation would indicate that as the quality of the parent-child relationship increases then the social emotional development of the child decreases (or vice versa). Finally, a result of no correlation indicates that there is no correlation between the two variables. For example, in the above illustration a result of no correlation would indicate that the quality of the parent-child relationship does not have any impact on the social emotional development of the child.

Numbers that indicate correlational strength, called the correlation coefficient, measures correlational research. The correlation coefficient can range from -1.00 to +1.00. A correlation coefficient close to -1.00 indicates a strong negative coefficient, while a +1.00 indicates a strong positive coefficient. A correlation coefficient of zero indicates no correlation.

The advantages of correlational research are that a) correlational research allows the researcher to analyze the relationship between a large number of variables in a single study group and b) the correlation coefficient gives a measure of degree and direction of the variable relationship. It is an advantage for any researcher to be able to test several different variables in a single study group. If we used the illustration above, a researcher would not only be able to gather data about the effect of the quality of parent-child relationship on the social emotional development of the child, but he/she would also be able to test other questions about the quality of the parent-child relationship (like it's effect on intelligence, nutrition, etc). It is also an advantage to be able to measure results with the correlation coefficient method because it allows data to be gathered in measurable results that can be challenged and tested, leading to further discoveries.

There are disadvantages to the correlational research method, as well. One disadvantage is that correlational research does not establish cause and effect relationships between variables. For a researcher, that means that there is still no concrete answer for the question that they posed. Instead they are left with a prediction. Another disadvantage of correlational research is that it breaks down complex relationships into simpler components. For example, in the above illustration a researcher would just be focusing on parent-child relationships instead of factoring in other pertinent issues (like the home environment, economic status, sibling relationships, etc).

Once a child enters the world, researchers can utilize correlational studies to gather information about how the quality of parent-child relationships impacts the social emotional development of the child. While correlational research does not provide a concrete answer for researchers and seems to oversimplify complex relationships, it does allow them expand upon their hypothesis and gather measurable data. It seems that these advantages far outweigh the disadvantages because correlational studies continues to be a popular form of research in the field of child psychology. This form of research has been used recently to find predictions on a variety of subjects, such as; the impact of parent-child attachment on aggression, social stress, and self-esteem, maternal attributions and young children's conduct problems, and attachment security and parental sensitivity during infancy. For teachers, parents, and child care workers, correlational studies provide a wealth of data that can be utilized to bring positive changes into the lives of children. For example, if a parent hears that watching violent movies can lead to aggression in children, that parent may begin to be more cautious of the type of television programs they allow there already rambunctious child to watch. Overall, correlational studies can and will continue to provide suggestions to important questions about children in our fast-paced society.

References:

Kent State University. (2006). "Child Psychology". Retrieved December 10, 2006 from http://dept.kent.edu/psychology/gradprograms/child.htm

Lamar, Yvonne. (2006). "Correlational Research Designs". Retrieved December 10, 2006 from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/tutorial/Lamar/ylamar.htm

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2004). Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships. Retrieved December 10, 2006 from http://www.developingchild.net/papers/environment_of_relationships.pdf

Van Wagner, Kendra. (2006). "Correlational Studies". Retrieved December 10, 2006 from http://psychology.about.com/od/researchmethods/a/correlational.htm

Wikipedia. (2006). "Developmental Psychology". Retrieved December 10, 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_psychology