The use of a case study as a method of research involves in-depth investigations of an individual, a community or a group of people. Case studies offer valid data, in the article case studies have been used to acquire data, for instance, various studies from different authors have been included in an article such as a study by Sylvia Morelli on how empathetic people reacted when looking at the happy and sad moment (Kluger 30).
Strengths and weaknesses
Case study research method involves intensive studies, it investigates and explores deeply and thoroughly. Therefore detailed information of a person or a community is acquired. The case study also provides insight into further studies (Matthews and Liz 46). However, one of the main criticisms is that the collected information among few individuals cannot be generalized to the broader population.
Questionnaire
Questionnaires are research instruments which consist of several questions with the aim of collecting data. They are thought to be a type of written interviews, open-ended questions are asked or tightly structured questions are asked. Questionnaire offers an efficient and quick method of acquiring a huge amount of information. The article has embraced this type of research method to acquire information, for instance, the information obtained by time polls and the psychologist Ryan Howell where he administered questionnaires (Kluger 32).
Strengths and Weaknesses
Questionnaires can obtain a huge amount of data at a relatively low cost and the information acquired can be converted to quantitative. However, the questionnaires lack detailed information (Matthews and Liz 47).
Meta-analysis
The method involves a combination of results from several studies made and a statistical analysis is done. The method is meant to increase the power of an individual study.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The results can be generalized in a population that is large and the accuracy of data can be improved since more information is used (Matthews and Liz 47). On the contrary meta-analysis of small studies cannot predict for one single large study.
(2.) Conclusions from Charts and Graphs
The graph shows that only 25% of the people in the year 2004 eat in order to improve their moods while in 2013 the number decreases to 17%, therefore it is clear that fewer people do eat in order to improve their moods. Moreover, in the year 2004 the number of individuals who did shopping for the sake of improving their moods was 17%, but in the year 2013 the percentage went down to 10% (Kluger 35). Additionally, only 21% of individuals have sex to improve their moods in 2004 while in 2013 the number decreased to 14 %, thus confirming that fewer people engaged in sex to improve their moods in the in that year. The number of people who assist others in order to improve their moods is high compared to those who eat shop and have sex. In the year 2004 42% of people help others as a way to improve their moods but in the year 2013 the percentage decreased to 34% and finally, almost half of the population pray to God in order to improve on their moods in the year 2004 while in the year 2013 the number decreased to 38% (Kluger 35). Thus the study can conclude that fewer people do those things to improve on the moods.
The chart indicates that 56% of the population spend time on the social media. Moreover, 64% of the Democrats said that the number of likes that one gets on social media changes their self-esteem or moods. However, only29% of the Republicans feels that the likes they get on a post on the social media change their moods. In addition, 76% of the population believes that other people make themselves better on the social media to look more attractive and successful than they are currently, whereas 17% did not agree with the statement that those who use social media are more attractive in their profiles compared to their current situation (Kluger 35). Finally, 41% of individuals were happy as they expected at that particular stage while 28% were happier than expected and 27% were not as happy.
(3.) The physiological and psychological processes involved in the study of empathy by Lieberman and Morelli
The physiological activity involved is the brain activity which included psychological processes such as memory, thinking, imagination and emotions, learning, motivation, sensation, and perception. These activities were clearly demonstrated in the study by Morelli and Lieberman. For instance, when they were referring to volunteers they perceive them; they used memory when they were trying to memorize the eight-digit figure (Kluger 30). Moreover, the volunteers imagined when they were free to focus on the images. In addition, the psychological activity of sensation was used when they said that individuals with uncluttered brains processed and felt things more deeply. Also, the psychological process of motivation is expressed where Morelli states that “it
is possible that being distracted may reduce your own happiness.” Therefore, the motivation of being happy is reduced once one is distracted; they also perceived that people who operated under cognitive load confirmed reduced empathy reactions. Thus these processes involve the contribution of mental, social, physiological and physical activities (Williams, Julie and John 1260). Therefore, these psychological processes are subject to change and modification, for instance from the study where Morelli talks of uncluttered brain feel things deeply, if they change to cluttered brains then they will sense things less deeply. Through that, psychological processes are considered to be emergency in nature since they unfold during the interaction of human being and the environment (Williams, Julie and John 1261). However, they are available the individual who experiences them, although they can be observed by other persons at different degrees.
(4.) Implications for Civic Engagement
“Being distracted reduces our empathy for others and blunts responses in the brain” as was quoted by Morelli will implicate civic engagement by influencing the giving behaviors of various persons in the society, for instance, the poor. Moreover, the sense of common purpose among people will be reduced, thus the needs for solidarity will not be addressed. Therefore, the quote will implicate problem-solving, working with other communities. Moreover, with reduced empathy, people will be less motivated in engaging in civic engagements (Einfeld and Denise 100). Additionally, an individual in a group will have reduced concern over the welfare of the other in a group hence more negative attitude which generalizes the whole group. On the contrary increased empathy capacity impact directly the desire to participate in civic engagement in order to make a change in the community. To an individual with fully developed capability to think correctly about civic issues will have his or her moral commitment and sense of individual responsibility to act will have the civic engagement implicated through reduced empathy. For a community to effectuate change they should work together successfully in order to achieve a common goal (Einfeld and Denise 101). Thus reduced empathy reduces the level of cooperation among members of the community; hence empathy is very crucial for cooperation. In order to solve the most challenging issues in the community empathy levels of empathy is fundamental.
Works cited
Einfeld, Aaron, and Denise Collins. "The relationships between service-learning, social justice, multicultural competence, and civic engagement." Journal of College Student Development 49.2 (2008): 95-109.
Williams, Lawrence E., Julie Y. Huang, and John A. Bargh. "The scaffolded mind: Higher mental processes are grounded in early experience of the physical world." European journal of social psychology 39.7 (2009): 1257-1267.
Kluger, Jeffrey. "The happiness of pursuit." Time. com (2013).
Matthews, Bob, and Liz Ross. Research methods. Longman/Pearson Education, 2010.
