Scientific Explanations and Theory Development

You will begin the collaborative process of discussing your research ideas and finding a question that you wish to develop into a research proposal.

• Using the online scholarly Library, find a peer-reviewed journal article discussing a theory or problem in psychology that you would like to investigate.
• Describe the problem or theory and why you find it interesting.
• Describe how scientific explanations differ from "common sense" and "belief-based" explanations.
• Discuss how scientific methods of inquiry may help you to investigate your chosen topic.
• In your peer responses, suggest potential avenues of research, discuss methods that seem appropriate, or identify potential ethical issues.
• (THE TWO PEER RESPONSES ARE LISTED BELOW). The first peer response is an article about quiet quitting. The second peer response is about using psilocybin for depression. THANK YOU!

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The problem I would like to discuss with all of you is what has been termed as quiet quitting. This term has recently entered the lexicon due to work trends and attitudes from the Covid 19 pandemic. Is this a new phenomenon, or is this just a new branding for dissatisfied or disengaged workers? I initially thought that quiet quitting referred to people not formally giving notice of quitting but rather no longer showing up for work. The term actually refers to something I have seen at nearly every job I have had to some extent or another. Quiet quitting refers to not going above and beyond what is required in your job and basically just doing the bare minimum not to get fired due to losing interest or satisfaction in your job. That is certainly not a new, not previously recognized behavior.

An article by Celeste Mazer et al. states, "Whether quiet quitting is perceived as a problem or a solution depends on the perspective one takes". From my empirical perspective, I have seen this behavior time and time again. Its cause has often been the result of a mix of responsibilities. Whether it is the result of a worker suffering from burnout, lack of motivation, or poor management, the results are the same. Lost productivity does not benefit anyone. A company needs to thrive to continue to employ its employees.

In recent years burnout, due to the additional stresses put upon the workforce by Covid, is most likely the main culprit. I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to perform my job from home during the pandemic, but it is not to say that the experience was stress-free. It was a stressful time for all of us. Many of us were very worried about our health and that of our loved ones. Continuing also to be concerned about the bottom line of a business that we worked for, if, in fact, we were before the pandemic, dropped in importance. Those that had to still go to a job and be subject to performing under quarantine protocols led to a lot of actual quitting, which just made it more difficult for those that remained.

From a commonsense explanation, the workers may view that what they saw or were told at work made them feel insignificant or unappreciated, leading to their dissatisfaction. It is not to say that these perceptions were not valid. We must consider that when we are in a state of fear, it is more difficult than usual to be able to look at a situation from someone else's perspective. Their managers and the company's owners were also most likely in a state of survival not only for the business but for the health and safety of their loved ones. This disengagement from management certainly exacerbated the situation. To establish verifiable data surveys or interviews could be performed and evaluated to attempt to determine the cause from a more scientific perspective.

From a belief-based perspective, I do not think we can discount the effect of social media on this situation. While it is not new information that businesses usually look out for themselves first and that the reason for the company is, at its core, to make a profit, I see many posts, on many different platforms, with a very pessimistic view of the employee/employer relationship. I think that this pre-loads a lot of negativities before someone even enters the job market. I am not saying that one should enter the workforce blindly, but rather recognize the relationship for what it truly is. It's an exchange primarily and a relationship secondarily. This does not mean that both parts aren't important for a successful situation for both the employer and the employee. It also does not discount that there are horrible bosses and owners out there that exploit their staff. You need to enter with an open mind to succeed in any relationship. Gallup has established a 12-statement list, referred to as the Q¹², to assist employers in identifying ways to improve productivity. A focus on item 5 from that list, "My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person" (Gallup, 2023), indicates the importance that employees have needs that surpass monetary compensation.

What I would like to focus research on is whether this is a situation that is getting worse. While the pandemic appears to be officially over, we still feel the repercussions of the last 3 years of stress levied upon the workforce. Many have changed jobs only to realize that it is still a job that does not provide the satisfaction that they demand. The truth of the matter is that many jobs need to be done that may never provide the compensation or feeling of accomplishment that people expect.

Perceptions have changed not just because of the pandemic but because of the way different generations view work. "Younger workers are more aware of and advocate for mental health, work-life balance, and healthy work culture from employers" (Mazur et al., 2023). If this is the case, would it be beneficial to focus on populations of younger workers for this research? I think identifying whether changing their perception of what the exchange of the relationship should be or if change can be implemented by management will still ensure the company's health going forward.

References:

Bordens, K. S. (2021).Research Design and Methods: A Process Approach(11th ed.). McGraw-Hill Higher Education (US).https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781264169634

Gallup. (2023). Gallup's employee engagement survey: Ask the right questions with the Q¹² survey. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/356063/gallup-q12-employee-engagement-survey.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=gallup_access_branded&utm_term=gallup%20q12&gclid=CjwKCAjw4ZWkBhA4EiwAVJXwqSVhesuFMh1iN3G9W13whKW6nz7w6lOWecJaNSpCSWSDgAm1bSrUvRoCi9EQAvD_BwE

Mazur, C., Stelzner, G., Mustafa, H., & Sachau, D. (2023) I'd quiet quit if I knew what it was. The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist. 60 (3), 1-5.

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Potts and Chakhssi (2022) hypothesize in "Psilocybin-assisted compassion focused therapy for depression," that compassion focused therapy (CFT) can provide the theoretical model and compassion practices that will reinforce the experiences during the navigation and follow-up therapy sessions. Psychedelic assisted therapy (PAT) is an emerging treatment that is proving to be very effective at reducing depressive symptoms. Multiple studies have demonstrated the efficacy of psilocybin in patients with terminal illnesses and major depressive disorder. In order to achieve optimal results, psilocybin treatment should be paired with psychological support, before, during and after drug administration. CFT was developed by Paul Gilbert (2005) to address patients who do benefit from traditional therapy and who exhibited high levels of shame and self-criticism. I found it interesting that Potts and Chakhssi espouse using CFT because they believe compassion boosts the brains ability to be resilient against suffering. My professional experience indicates that people lacking compassion and empathy are less resilient and more likely to make negative social connections. Their theory is that CFT and therapy involving the use of psilocybin are both contributing to the promotion of connectedness and social safety. These two approaches have the potential to complement each other and establish a robust foundation for effectively addressing depression (Potts & Chakhssi, 2022).

Scientific explanations differ from "common sense" and "belief-based" explanations in several key ways. First of all, scientific explanations are rooted in empirical evidence obtained through observation, experimentation, and data analysis. They rely on gathering objective data and using rigorous methodologies to test hypotheses and theories. In contrast, common sense explanations often rely on personal experiences, intuition, and anecdotal evidence, which may not be reliable or generalizable. Belief-based explanations, on the other hand, may stem from personal beliefs, cultural traditions, or religious convictions, without necessarily being grounded in empirical evidence. These types of explanations are extremely prone to bias and factual fallacy.

Secondly, scientific explanations are formulated in a way that allows them to be tested, evaluated through evidence. They involve specific hypotheses that can be subjected to empirical scrutiny. Researcher should endeavor to use rigorous methods, such as controlled experiments or systematic observations, to gather data that either supports or refutes these hypotheses. In contrast, common sense explanations may lack testability and falsifiability, as they often rely on personal opinions or intuitive reasoning. Belief-based explanations, such as religious or metaphysical claims, may not be subject to empirical testing and therefore cannot be easily falsified.

Scientific explanations are built upon existing scientific knowledge and theories. They should generally be consistent with well-established principles, laws, and theories in the relevant scientific field. Scientific explanations undergo scrutiny and evaluation by the scientific community, and they are refined or revised based on new evidence or better theoretical frameworks. Peer-review is a form of scrutiny that most journals focus on proposed articles before publishing. Common sense explanations may not always align with established scientific knowledge or may be influenced by personal biases or cultural norms, while belief-based explanations that are derived from religious or philosophical frameworks that are not necessarily grounded in scientific understanding.

Lastly, scientific explanations aim to be universal in their applicability, providing a coherent understanding of natural phenomena that is not dependent on personal beliefs, cultural backgrounds, or subjective experiences. Scientific principles and theories are expected to hold true across different contexts and cultures, providing a common framework for understanding the natural world. Common sense explanations may vary across individuals and cultures, reflecting subjective perspectives or cultural biases. Belief-based explanations are often influenced by specific religious or philosophical frameworks that may vary widely among different groups or individuals.

Scientific methods of inquiry can assist me in investigating the value of combining Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) with psychedelic-assisted therapy in several ways. Firstly, I could conduct a systematic review of existing scientific literature to examine studies, research articles, and meta-analyses that explore the effects and outcomes of CFT and psychedelic-assisted therapy. This would help me understand the existing knowledge base, identify research gaps, and inform your investigation.

Secondly, if I were to conduct my own research, I could develop a research design that integrates scientific methods to study the combined intervention. This may involve designing a randomized controlled trial (RCT), defining specific outcome measures, and identifying appropriate control groups or comparison conditions. Even thinking through this process would be helpful in understanding the types of studies I would examine in a literature review.

Within that research, data collection, intervention implementation, subsequent data analysis, and interpretation become an integral part of the scientific process. This could include using standardized measurement tools and assessments to collect data on relevant variables. It would be important to measure changes in symptoms of depression, levels of compassion, self-compassion, or other relevant psychological factors. I would seek to employ appropriate statistical techniques to analyze the collected data. This may involve comparing pre- and post-intervention scores, conducting within-group and between-group analyses, and examining correlations between variables. Statistical analysis will help determine the effectiveness, efficacy, and potential synergistic effects of combining CFT and psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Finally, interpreting the results of the analysis and drawing conclusions based on the findings. It would be appropriate to consider the limitations of the study and discuss implications for the field of psychology and the use of CFT and PAT.

References

Gilbert, P. (2005). Compassion: Conceptualisations, Research And Use In Psychotherapy. New York, NY: Routledge.

Pots, Wendy & Chakhssi, Farid. (2022). Psilocybin-Assisted Compassion Focused Therapy for Depression. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi-org.libauth.purdueglobal.edu/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.812930