Personality Disorders - Essay Sample

Introduction

People who suffer from personality disorders tend to be mentally and emotionally unable to process things like other people in society who do not suffer from those conditions (Hayashi et al., 2015). Therefore, the personality disorders have been considered to be a major stressing factor to the lives of the persons affected as well as their caregivers and relatives (Pos et al., 2016). In this regard, the review of the literature demonstrated that various live events can lead to the development of psychological disorders. However, the pieces of the study did not fully illustrate how different life events such as bullying, physical abuse, discrimination, and social and economic wellness can facilitate the development of different types of psychological disorders. The evaluated factors were limited to give an exhaustive view of the psychological disorders to illustrate how live events lead to the prevalence of specific mental challenges.

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Research Question

What is the relationship between different social and environmental factors towards the development of different psychological disorders?

This study will seek to evaluate the influence of the environmental and social factors towards the development of various psychological disorders. Some of the common types of personality disorders that should be investigated since they have not been fully covered include obsessive, avoidant personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, borderline, and dependent personality disorder among others. Besides, the study will seek to evaluate whether certain family behaviors have a role in the development of explosive anger, depression, and attempted suicides. Although these behaviors are common in many families, it is not clear on whether such people are affected by natural traits and genes within the family or due to some social and environmental factors that may be affecting their wellness. Additionally, economic issues such as the cost of living and the economic activities that the family engages in may lead to certain personality disorders.

My study will seek to identify whether there is a relationship between parental upbringing and the personality traits that the children develop. Therefore, when a particular relationship is identified, there is a possibility of generalizing the findings in a larger population hence demonstrating the credibility of the findings. Previous studies have suggested that the developmental traits of a child can be affected by the manner in which the parent handles them. Besides, the parenting styles that seem to be transmitted across the generations depict the increase in particular traits in society. Therefore, the study will closely examine these variables to find any relationship that can be associated with parenting styles. Specifically, the research aims at evaluating the parenting styles that increase the prevalence of social disorders among the children.

Research Design

After a thorough analysis regarding the nature of my study, I chose a correlational research design which will use a quasi-experimental research method. It should be noted that a correlational study is able to investigate two variables independently and establishing findings and conclusions that are validated. Any research requires to follow certain principles to ensure the credibility and reliability of the findings. Therefore, my research design will be exploratory research based on a case study research method. Although a correlational study is not experimental, my investigation will resemble an experiment as a particular environmental factor will be analyzed to investigate what traits are likely to be associated with it. Therefore, I chose this type of research design as it can allow me to investigate the relationship that exists between two psychological variables and the environmental factors. This relationship is expected to be occurring naturally without the influence of external factors. With my initial research ideas, the investigation and an understanding of the current nature of research, I will be able to identify the major environmental and social factors that can influence an individual's personality traits.

The use of correlational research design has gained a lot of significance in the social sciences especially in psychological studies which seek to investigate the relationship between naturally occurring behaviors (Cervone & Pervin, 2019). Therefore, the use of this approach in my study will facilitate a discussion of the important issues and hence the major considerations will be made to suggest the best ways to avert the potential challenges that may affect the application of the study techniques. Besides, the findings obtained from correlational research can be used in the determination of the prevalence as well as the relationships that exist between the variables. The correlational study will be focused on a case study research approach. It should be noted that a case study is a methodology that enables a deep investigation of particular subjects (Cervone & Pervin, 2019). The use of a case study will enable me to investigate the subjects with the individual participants in their natural setting without influencing them or manipulating them. In this regard, I will be able to address the theoretical propositions that are identified as common with the respondents and subjects of study.

The use of a case study will enable me to describe the subjects fully after a detailed observation. This approach will enable me to ensure that I do not harm the participants who are important in facilitating safety among other ethical considerations of a study. Besides, to ensure that the research conforms with ethical norms, I will ensure integrity in everything I undertake. This will include a careful review of issues, openness, and objectivity throughout the study. I have learned that research needs reliability and validity hence, I will ensure that my investigation using a case study can facilitate replicability and generalization of the findings.

Ethical Issues

To ensure the credibility of my research, I will ensure that I follow the ethical considerations where I will give informed consent to all the participants. I will explain to them the details of the study and I will require them to sign them. In cases where minors are involved, their guardians will facilitate the consent on behalf. I will be careful and open when sharing the details of the study to ensure that the participants are treated with fairness without harming them.

Approach to Ethics

My approach to ethics was informed by the review of the pieces of literature that were presented in the course. I have realized that various ethical dilemmas face researchers when conducting their research. This is informed by the fact that while a study can be of benefit to the people, it should not be done in a manner that hurts the participants. Therefore, the studies presented in the course helped me to realize that the success of research is not based on the final results only but mainly on the credibility of the methods that were used. This illustrates the importance of clearly explaining the methodology that will be used to ensure that the readers will give credibility to the application of the findings. Additionally, the pieces of research demonstrated the need to explain how the ethical criteria will be ensured during the research.

References

Cervone, D., & Pervin, L. A. (2019). Personality Theory and Research. New Jersey: John Wiley

Hayashi, Y., Okamoto, Y., Takagaki, K., Okada, G., Toki, S., Inoue, T., Tanabe, H., Kobayakawa, M., & Yamawaki, S. (2015). Direct and indirect influences of childhood abuse on depression symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder. BMC Psychiatry, 15, 244. doi: 10.1186/s12888-015-0636-1

Pos, K., Boyette, L., Meijer, C., Koeter, M., Krabbendam, L., & Haan, L. (2016). The effects of childhood trauma and Five-Factor Model personality traits on exposure to adult live events in patients with psychotic disorders. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 21(6), 462-474. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13546805.2016.1236014