Briefly discuss the type of design used by Torres and the timing of the data collection.
Torres used both the qualitative and quantitative research designs. For qualitative research design, he utilized the semi-structured interviews to gather the data needed to understand and determine the needed skills to successfully engage in the mainstream U.S. and Latino cultures, and the cultural consensus analysis to determine the shared cultural model of Latino intercultural competence. This was done by measuring the degree to which the participants agree on the definition of some cultural domain.
In general, Torres used the mixed-method approach of research design which is a combination of both the qualitative research design and the quantitative research design. The Approach provides both an analysis using qualitative data and subject them to inferential statistics to determine the significant relationship of variables in the study that can be very useful in formulating research models and construct.
Briefly describe the theoretical lens that underlies the study.
The study of Torres on establishing a cultural model of intercultural competence using the experiences of 46 Latinos did not focus only on what changes occur in an individual’s life during cultural adaptation but also look into the processes that took place. His research is different from other acculturation studies in which they are usually hindered by the static view of intergroup relations which focus mainly on language preferences and entertainment/friendship patterns.
The study used the mixed-methods approach of research in order to derive research results that are both based on the qualitative perspective (interview responses) and quantitative perspective (cultural/consensus analysis/correlation analysis). Through the Approach, key characteristics of intercultural competence were identified and defined, and a shared cultural model of the construct was formulated.
Briefly describe the data analysis procedures used in the study
For the data generated from the interview, each interview was tape-recorded and transcribed word for word. Those responses given in Spanish were also translated in English. Generally, the study used the open-decoding method in which “data are broken into discrete parts, closely examined, and compared for similarities and differences.
For the quantitative data analysis, a software program named as ANTHROPAC was used. The software uses the participant ratings of importance as units of analysis and the informants as variables in a factor analysis. The results of the analysis shed light on the shared cultural model of Latino intercultural competence.
Explain the rationale for using the mixed method design in the study.
Mixed-method approach or the use of both the qualitative and quantitative research designs provide an avenue to make an in-depth analysis of data from responses of the respondents of the data and subject them to inferential statistics which will serve as the basis of inference. Qualitative data can also be test to determine their significant relationships in the mixed-method approach. The Approach gives the researcher the opportunity to explore the richness of qualitative data such as interview responses and the practical use of inferential statistics (with the use of Statistical Softwares) in generating the results on the study.
Most studies in behavioral sciences are usually anchored only on the use of qualitative research design. This is because most studies are based on the responses of the participants which do not require quantifying them but rigorously understanding them. However, it is becoming a practice to use “quantitative measures” to the responses given by the research participants and subject these measures to inferential statistics to derive a more credible and empirical results (Cresswell, 2003).
Reference
Cresswell, John W. (2003). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches (2nd ed). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.
