It is easy to throw a study together to gather information to form a theory. While every study is not created equal, it is essential to tailor the study to show no bias and provide detailed analysis that can be documented and presented with supporting evidence. A clearer picture can be seen by being precise and meaningful, showing both sides of its goal.

I participated in the Healthy Relationships Survey by Saint Mary's University (https://smuniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9H9peOunvW3Q5MiLinks to an external site.). The research being conducted was about how you act in relationships, whether romantic or platonic. I filled out a questionnaire, with the first part of the survey being about my background (gender, age, and ethnicity) and the second part about my goals, actions, thoughts, and feelings. The questions asked about my style of interacting with people (whether they are aggressive or assertive, or friendly or supportive), my personality, and my self-perceptions. The questions also focused on the nature of my interactions with peers, friends, and romantic partners. The research method was scaled based on strongly disagree to strongly agree, and I filled out the responses as they applied to me. From what I can gather, the hypothesis was to learn about adult relationships, how people use them for their goals, and what strategies are utilized to achieve success. The study mentions predicting social, emotional, and psychological health and applying it to schools, government agencies, and community organizations to make a difference. Still, it was not compelling enough to determine that. The questions focused on using manipulation, anger, and physical violence to get what you want and to use those to force someone to comply in the guise of a relationship. A few asked if the relationship was genuine, and a couple of random questions to make sure the participant was paying attention and answering accurately. Some elements that did work were adding random questions to engage the participant, asking personal questions about my relationship status, and using the scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree. While vague, it can help paint how the individual can sometimes do things and cause some reflection on how you are interacting with others when trying to achieve goals. Because the questions are broad when asking if physical violence or cheating happens, it does not clarify to what extent. Some people have various degrees of what they consider cheating and physical violence. I would have liked to see more specific questions, such as yelling or cursing, instead of silent treatment and clarifying cheating, such as emotional cheating, like talking to others on social media or liking posts. That shows me more in terms of what people think is acceptable. Manipulation is broad, and without specifying certain things (although that can be challenging and take more time), it can lead to the answers not being truthful due to the one thinking about how the question is worded. For instance, when I was in my men's class, some of the people sharing did not feel breaking something around the house, slamming doors, or punching a wall were signs of physical violence because they did not harm the other person. The study was unethical due to the vagueness of the questions and the lack of in-depth analysis required to determine what the study was trying to decide. Also, it is one-sided, and the person giving the answers is not being compared to the answers of the other side of the relationship. Since the study was based in Canada, the background of the questions is rooted in the Western view of relationships and, therefore, does not accommodate those who participate with different cultural and social norms. While there were no names or ways to identify the participants, some people can feel uneasy about answering it ethically because of fear of retaliation or being unable to come to terms with what they have experienced. It is crucial to have more accurate information being asked because it will determine more of where the person is coming from. Asking carefully worded questions and repeating them later with a slight variation on how they are asked will give a more accurate response, showing whether someone is paying attention and answering truthfully. These questions will be vital to me as a therapist because connecting with your patients, understanding their background, and being sincere and genuine will lead to personal growth and change. People want to feel like they have a safe space to be themselves and be seen and heard. They require trust and a judgment-free zone to have the ability to grow and learn.

From my classes and my healing journey, I have learned that there is no one-size-fits-all regarding help and learning. This includes ambiguous studies where insufficient information is presented to form a theory. It is essential to be specific and meaningful when conducting studies so there is concrete evidence that supports the theory and a solution to the problem.

Questions?

• What lingering questions do you have about the research in which your peer participated?
• Can you identify any additional methodological or ethical concerns?