ABSTRACT
Everyday problem solving within the interpersonal domain has been identified as propelling cognitive development in adulthood, and may be particularly relevant to women's development. Yet few studies of everyday problem solving in adulthood focus on interpersonal problems, on women, or on the middle adult years. We examined strategies middle-aged women used for real-life interpersonal problems, and contextual variables associated with strategy use. In contrast to research with younger and older women, in which lower-level strategies were favored, strategy use here was fairly evenly split between higher and lower levels. Also in contrast to other research with younger and older women, participants here favored lower-level strategies that were directive, rather than submissive. Thematic analyses showed a high degree of felt emotional distress to be associated with lower-level strategy use, and attempts at controlling emotions and overcoming fundamental attribution errors in judgment to be related to higher-level strategy use.
Subject(s)
Conflict, Psychological , Interpersonal Relations , Problem Solving , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Adult , Female , Humans , Interviews as Topic , Middle Aged , Sampling Studies , United StatesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To provide health services researchers with an overview of the qualitative data analysis process and the role of software within it; to provide a principled approach to choosing among software packages to support qualitative data analysis; to alert researchers to the potential benefits and limitations of such software; and to provide an overview of the developments to be expected in the field in the near future. DATA SOURCES, STUDY DESIGN, METHODS: This article does not include reports of empirical research. CONCLUSIONS: Software for qualitative data analysis can benefit the researcher in terms of speed, consistency, rigor, and access to analytic methods not available by hand. Software, however, is not a replacement for methodological training.
