Research on Difficult Family Topics: Helping New and Experienced Researchers Cope with Research on Loss

Abstract

In this article we highlight some problems to which new researchers, their academic advisors, and experienced researchers who are embarking on research on loss need to attend. We discuss: (a) personal issues that often play a role in selection of a research topic and that often make it difficult to work with it objectively, (b) problems obtaining official and Institutional Review Board permission to do such research, (c) emotional problems that researchers and interviewers experience doing work on loss, and (d) emotional problems of participants. We include examples from research on adjustment to divorce and to natural and violent deaths as illustrations. HELPING NEW AND EXPERIENCED RESEARCHERS COPE WITH RESEARCH ON LOSS* Research methodology texts focus on making participants in surveys comfortable in interview situation, but what is often slighted is researcher's reaction to his or her own work, particularly when research topic is one that elicits strong emotional reactions. Clinicians are trained to examine these issues and impact they have on their work with patients, but researchers are less commonly exposed to such training. The emotional responses to what Gelles (1978) has called family can make data collection and analysis-and even process of obtaining permission to do research-more difficult than for research on less sensitive topics. This is particularly true in research focusing on loss, such as death of loved ones by natural or violent means, divorce, responses to natural disasters, homelessness, and unemployment (Simos, 1979; Weiss, 1993). This article is aimed at new researchers who may be unaware of magnitude of these issues as they start a research project on such topics, as well as instructors who teach and guide them. In addition, more experienced researchers who may have built up defenses in dealing with these issues need to keep such tendencies in mind in understanding their own reactions, in supervising professional interviewers, and in working with office staff of large research projects. This article explores some of personal and interpersonal issues that can be particularly problematic in research involving loss. These topics include personal issues that often propel a research topic choice; how topics dealing with loss can make obtaining permission to do research more diffcult; anxieties research on loss can raise in researchers, interviewers, and office staff; and issues that need to be addressed to help participants in discussing such powerful topics. Our focus is on collection of data through structured and semistructured interviews, research techniques in which it may seem less apparent that such issues need to be addressed (but see Sprague & Zimmerman, 1993 and Stange & Zyzanski, 1989, who maintain that there is an artificial dichotomy between such techniques and qualitative approaches). Although issues involved transcend these research topics, we shall primarily use our own experience in research on violent death victims, bereavement in natural and violent death, and divorce to illustrate many of issues we shall be discussing (Kellerman et al., 1993; Kitson with Holmes, 1992; Kitson & Zyzanski, 1987). PERSONAL ISSUES AND RESEARCH TOPIC CHOICES The background and experience of researcher often dictate types of research questions that attract him or her. The passion, concern, personal investment, and previous experiences that drive a topic choice may also, consciously or unconsciously, make it difficult for researcher to do work. This especially true if he or she is not aware of thest connections or is insufficiently self-critical of what Harding (1987, p. 9) has called the unexamined beliefs and behaviors of social scientists themselves. Feminists highlight difference between objectivism, or detachment from respondents, and objectivity, ability to be objective, report accurately, and see evidence contrary to hypotheses proposed (Eichler, 1988; Harding, 1987; Reinharz with Davidman, 1992; Thompson, 1992). …