Research Methods In Family Therapy [Hardcover]

Douglas H. Sprenkle; Sidney M. Moon. (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2, 1996 | ISBN-10: 1572301112 | ISBN-13: 978-1572301115

This volume introduces the reader to the wide variety of key social science research methodologies suited to investigations in family therapy. In user-friendly chapters structured to maximize clarity of presentation and to facilitate comparison among models, leading family therapy researchers describe the assumptions and historical development of each methodology. Chapters then provide a step-by-=step guide to designing research using the method, illustrated by one or more concrete examples. The method's strengths and weaknesses, its ethical implications, and its relevance to clinical practice are also discussed. An indispensable resource for family therapists, psychologists and counsellors, as well as graduate students in these areas. The book's comprehensive coverage of research methods will also benefit researchers, instructors and students in social work, education and other social science disciplines. The book also serves as a primary text in research courses in family therapy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Research Methods in Family Therapy is like a long-overdue summit meeting of ambassadors of all the conceptual powers in the field that will influence the directions family therapy research will go in the next couple of decades. While clearly focused on family therapy, almost all the material presented here is equally relevant to the understanding and application of investigative methods for individual therapy as well. This is a critical and technical tour de force for the field." --Alan S. Gurman, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin Medical School

"This wonderful volume is the most ambitious project to date focused on bringing the full range of qualitative and quantitative research methods relevant for family researchers under one 'roof.' The book is quite simply a tour de force, a tribute not only to how rich a field family therapy research has become, but also to the extraordinary skills of the editors. Sprenkle and Moon have brought together a group of committed and highly articulate researchers, and have provided them with the necessary structure to ensure that each and every author will teach as well as inform. In this way, family therapy research is truly brought alive and made fully accessible for both aspiring and experienced researchers." --Peter Steinglass, MD, Executive Director, Ackerman Institute for Family Therapy

"This is far more than a handbook that merely lists or describes family therapy research methods. The specific methods are skillfully placed in their conceptual and historical contexts. And the content is pitched at a level that will provide an invaluable overview for graduate students and at the same time covers a variety of topics in a manner that will be remarkably fresh and informative for the most experienced researcher. Qualitative, constructionist, and naturalistic approaches are included together with state-of-the-art discussions of hard-nosed empirical and statistical methodologies. This volume should be on the desk of every family therapist who wants to expand and document the scope of the family therapy field." --Lyman C. Wynne, MD, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

About the Author

Douglas H. Sprenkle, Ph.D., is Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Purdue University. He was Editor of the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy from 1990-1996. He has received several major professional honors including the Osborne Award for excellence in teaching from the National Council on Family Relations and the Distinguished Contribution to Family Therapy Award from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Dr. Sprenkle has served on the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education and is an Approved Supervisor and Fellow in AAMFT. This is his fourth book.

Sidney M. Moon, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology and Research at Purdue University and the director of research for the Gifted Education Resource Institute. She is also a clinical member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy and has her own part-time private practice. She has taught graduate-level courses in social science research methodology in which she emphasizes a balance between qualitative, quantitative, and mixed approaches. For the past five years, she has been an active promoter and developer of multimethodological approaches to family therapy research. Her research interests include the development and evaluation of school programs for gifted and talented children and for gifted children with other exceptionalities such as attention deficit disorder, and family therapy with families of the gifted.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 514 pages
• Publisher: Guilford Press (August 2, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572301112
• ISBN-13: 978-1572301115
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,064,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)