Goldenberg/Goldenberg, Family Therapy, 8th

edition © Brooks/Cole Cengage 2013 1

Psychoeducational Models: Teaching Skills to Specific Populations

• Not necessarily theory-driven

• Aimed at how to help families maximize their effectiveness with a specific concern, often severe mental illness

• Schizophrenia as an example • Role of expressed emotion (EE) in family functioning

Goldenberg/Goldenberg, Family Therapy, 8th

edition © Brooks/Cole Cengage 2013 2

Psychoeducational Models: Teaching Skills to Specific Populations

• Works with Single Families or Multiple Family Groups

• Medical Family Therapy • Biopsychosocial model

• Family therapist-physician partnerships

• Family therapist-family partnerships

Goldenberg/Goldenberg, Family Therapy, 8th

edition © Brooks/Cole Cengage 2013 3

Psychoeducational Models: Teaching Skills to Specific Populations

• Relationship Enhancement Programs

• Premarital Education Programs

• Marital Enrichment Programs (Marriage Encounter) • Research-based

• Stepfamily Preparation Programs

Goldenberg/Goldenberg, Family Therapy, 8th

edition © Brooks/Cole Cengage 2013 4

Research on Family Assessment and Therapeutic Outcome

• The Need for Research in Family Therapy Training and Practice • Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies

• Couple and Family Assessment

• Self-report measures • Circumplex model

• Family environment scale

• Observational methods

• McMaster model

• Beaver’s system model

Goldenberg/Goldenberg, Family Therapy, 8th

edition © Brooks/Cole Cengage 2013 5

Research on Family Assessment and Therapeutic Outcome

• Family Therapy Research • Process vs. Outcome Research

• Efficacy vs. Effectiveness Research

• Common Factors

• Evidence-Based Family Therapy

MIXED METHODS RESEARCH IN MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY: A CONTENT ANALYSIS

Laura Eubanks Gambrel and John L. Butler VI Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Considering mixed methods research is gaining reputability in the marriage and family therapy field (Research methods in family therapy, Guilford, 2005), we conducted a mixed methods content analysis to examine the prevalence and quality of published mixed and multimethod research during the past 10 years in eight prominent MFT journals (N = 32). Our purpose was to determine the characteristics of studies that utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods, the themes of the rationales for combining methods, and their respective topics of study. We found 16 mixed methods articles, many of which used surveys and interviews, focused on the process of therapy, and did not discuss their methodology as mixed. We encourage authors of mixed methods studies to explicitly define design types, to establish a clear rationale for the combination of methods, to state how qualitative and quantitative methods and data were mixed, and to use theory effec- tively.

Mixed methods research is quickly gaining in popularity in the social sciences because of its ability to explore complex and multifaceted phenomena from a variety of perspectives (Tashakkori & Teddle, 2003). Researchers no longer need to choose between understanding depth of human experience and generalizability, for mixed methods has the advantage of being able to account for both narratives and standardized data. As such, mixed methods have much to offer the marriage and family therapy (MFT) field because it excels in areas that therapists want to understand: processes of change, evaluations of interventions, and therapeutic relation- ships. Researchers and professionals in MFT have called for an increase in the use of mixed methods by marriage and family therapists (Sprenkle & Piercy, 2005), yet little is known about the scope and application of these methods. Only through understanding the current state of mixed methods research in our field can we seek to improve upon it. A comprehensive content analysis of the extant published literature can inform the profession about ways to improve the uses of mixed methods research in MFT.

Sprenkle and Piercy (2005) argue that a central trend in MFT research is pluralism, espe- cially the embracing of the benefits of both quantitative and qualitative methods. This pluralism could improve the study of change in therapy (Sprenkle & Piercy, 2005), therefore increasing the rigor of research within the field. By having research methods that are applicable to many aspects of human experience and are at the same time accessible by diverse professionals, mixed methods may help close the gap between clinicians and researchers that has grown in MFT (Sprenkle, 2003). The possible benefits of mixed methods research are clear, but the details of its use in family therapy research are unknown.

To promote sound research in this new methodology, we conducted this study as a first step in understanding the current state of mixed methods and multimethod research in the MFT field. Additionally, we hope to illuminate mixed methods methodology to make it more

Laura Gambrel MA, is a Doctoral candidate, and John L. Butler VI, MS, is a Doctoral student, Department of

Human Development, Marriage and Family Therapy Program, Virginia Tech.

This research began in a graduate class and we are grateful for the contributions and feedback from our

professor, Dr. Elizabeth Creamer, and our classmates. We also thank Dr. Megan Dolbin-MacNab for her feedback

on an earlier draft of this manuscript.

Aspects of this research were displayed in a poster presentation at the 26th Annual Graduate Student Assembly

Research Symposium, at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia in March 2010.

Address correspondence to Laura Gambrel, Virginia Tech Family Therapy Center, 840 University City

Boulevard Suite 1 (0515) Blacksburg, VA 24061; E-mail: [email protected]

Journal of Marital and Family Therapy doi: 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2011.00260.x April 2013, Vol. 39, No. 2, 163–181

April 2013 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY 163

accessible to MFT researchers. Multimethod research is an umbrella term for any study including a variety of methodologies, which could be qualitative and quantitative. Hence, all mixed methods studies are multimethod, but not all multimethod research is defined as mixed methods. Because mixed methods research is a new methodology, this terminology is rarely used explicitly in describing the design of a research study (Bryman, 2006; Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007). Therefore, our content analysis included all research studies with a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to categorize them and discuss the methodology used. This content analysis provides a foundation for promoting further rigor in MFT research, an essential need for the future of our profession (Sprenkle, 2003).

LITERATURE REVIEW

Mixed methods research—‘‘the third methodological movement’’ (Tashakkori & Teddle, 2003, p. ix)—has risen amidst the paradigm wars of proponents of either quantitative or quali- tative research. Mixed methods is:

A research design with philosophical assumptions as well as methods of inquiry. As a methodology, it involves philosophical assumptions that guide the direction of the col- lection and analysis of data and the mixture of qualitative and quantitative approaches in many phases in the research process. As a method, it focuses on collecting, analyz- ing, and mixing both quantitative and qualitative data in a single study or series of studies. (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007, p. 5)

Mixed methods approaches have been growing over the last decade (Bryman, 2006; Tashakkori & Teddle, 2003). Leaders in the field of mixed methods are naming it as its own methodology, not just a combination of other methods, because it requires its own theoretical premises, languaging, design, data collection, and data analysis techniques (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007).

Mixed methods studies are distinguished from multimethod studies in that there is a point in mixed methods research when qualitative and quantitative data are mixed, merged, connected, or embedded (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007). The combining of qualitative and quantitative in this way leads to new information that would not be gained if these results were to remain distinct (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007). Multimethod studies may include a variety of procedures, but do not mix the qualitative and quantitative data (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007). For example, researchers may want to discover how families feel about their therapists. Researchers could first ask participants open-ended questions during focus groups and then follow with a quantitative survey of a larger sample. In order for this study to be considered mixed methods, it would require collecting and analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data, and also mixing during one of four phases: design (e.g., authors specifically stating that they are using a mixed methods design and structure it that way); data collection (e.g., selecting questions for the survey based on focus group results); data analysis and results (e.g., transforming focus group themes into quantitative data, or a table showing the interaction between quantitative means and exemplary quotes from the focus groups); or the interpretation stage (e.g., developing theory related to the convergence or divergence of the survey and focus group findings). If the themes from the focus groups and the data from the surveys were collected, analyzed, and interpreted separately, the study would be consid- ered multimethod.

According to Creswell and Plano Clark (2007), there are four main designs of mixed methods research: triangulation, exploratory, explanatory, and embedded. Triangulation designs, which can be represented with the notation (QUAN + QUAL), are the most common and usually give equal priority to qualitative and quantitative methods, which are used concurrently. An example of a triangulation study would be a survey with both closed- and open-ended questions that were analyzed deductively and inductively, and then these results were merged to corroborate them. Exploratory designs (QUAL fi quan) are sequential, emphasize qualitative methods, and con- nect qualitative and quantitative data. They could be used for instrument development. Explana- tory designs (QUAN fi qual) are also sequential and connect quantitative and qualitative data,

164 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY April 2013

but give priority to quantitative methods. A common example of this type of design would be to connect quantitative data with findings from a focus group to more fully understand the quantita- tive results. Embedded designs, which can be represented as QUAN (qual) or QUAL (quan), are most frequently used in the medical field, specifically for experimental research, although they are noted as being hard to distinguish from the other mixed methods designs (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007). Often they are multiphase studies and give greater weight to quantitative methods. One example would be a clinical trial of a new medicine to treat depression, accompanied by focus groups and semi-structured interviews throughout the trial and at follow-up to understand participants’ experiences of the drug treatment in addition to empirical outcomes.

There may be many good reasons to use a mixed methods design for research, including triangulation, answering different questions, gaining a more complete understanding of phe- nomena, or validating results (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007). Mixed methods may also be used when a purpose of the study cannot be met or a problem cannot be answered by qualitative or quantitative methods alone (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007; Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2004). While there are many benefits to this method, it can also be costly, time consuming, and it requires expertise in both inductive and deductive methods, all of which are obstacles to imple- menting quality mixed methods studies (Hanson, Creswell, Piano Clark, Petska, & Creswell, 2005; Plano Clark, Huddleston-Casas, Churchill, Green, & Garrett, 2008). Marriage and family therapists in university settings report that it is important that research designs be practical and not overly time-consuming or complex (McWey et al., 2002), which could contribute to researchers’ hesitancy to use mixed methods. However, well-planned mixed methods designs can diminish the impact of some of the problems with the complexities of mixed methods research (Plano Clark et al., 2008).

Beyond practical and logistical barriers, theoretical and epistemological views can also prevent researchers from combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2004). Methodologists may object to the idea that true mixed methods research is possible because of underlying conflicts between inductive and deductive researcher world- views. This objection has been a barrier to the development of mixed methods, as there are people in all fields who do not see how these methods can be combined without undermining their epistemology (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007).

One answer to this dilemma is pragmatism, in which mixed methods research is rooted. Greene and Caracelli (2003) argue that qualitative and quantitative methods have been falsely dichotomized. To see a new way of knowing, one must step out of an either ⁄ or mentality, which traps people into seeing false categories of data, design, and research. Instead, the pragmatic approach is to use research methods as appropriate to answer research questions. This approach allows the mixing of quantitative and qualitative methodologies without contradicting a philo- sophical presupposition because it rejects the premise that qualitative and quxantitative are inher- ently incompatible (Greene & Caracelli, 2003; Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2004). The pragmatic approach may be especially appealing to MFT researchers because of the desire to conduct research with clinical and real-world applicability (Tashakkori & Teddle, 2003). Also, family ther- apists are becoming increasingly accepting of diverse research methodologies (Piercy & Benson, 2005; Sprenkle & Piercy, 2005); hence, MFT may have less resistance to mixed methods than other fields.

However, in the past, there has been little application of multimethod research in MFT. In a content analysis of 199 articles from three popular MFT journals from 1994 to 1999, researchers found that only 8% (n = 16) used both qualitative and quantitative methodologies (Hawley, Bailey, & Pennick, 2000). It is unclear which of these articles would be considered mixed methods, thus further investigation is warranted. Additionally, authors in a mixed meth- ods content analysis of family science research in four well-known journals from 1996 to 2005 found that out of 2,142 articles, only 19 (<1%) met the criteria for mixed methods (Plano Clark et al., 2008). In a related field, researchers examined four journals in school psychology research from 2001 to 2004 and found that 13.7% of studies were mixed methods (Powell, Mihalas, Onwuegbuzie, Suldo, & Daley, 2008). Mixed methods research is able to contribute to a deeper understanding of a phenomenon than mulitmethod research alone, yet little is known about the extent of mixed methods versus multimethod research in MFT. From these results, it

April 2013 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY 165

is likely that mixed methods research is being underutilized in our field; thus, a comprehensive study into existent published research is necessary to determine whether this assumption is correct and to provide a basis for recommendations and future research.

STUDY SCOPE AND PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to conduct a content analysis investigating the combined use of qualitative and quantitative methods in MFT empirical literature, including published mixed methods and multimethod studies. We used a triangulation mixed methods design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007) for this content analysis, with pragmatism as our guiding theoretical frame- work. A triangulation mixed methods design is used to ‘‘validate or expand quantitative results with qualitative data’’ (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007, p. 62). We collected both quantitative and qualitative data concurrently to bring together the strengths of both forms of research by converging results and findings.1

As previously stated, a mixed methods research study cannot only utilize both qualitative and quantitative methods, but must also combine them in meaningful ways. In this study, mix- ing of quantitative and qualitative data occurred at all stages of research, including the design, data collection, data analysis and results, and data interpretation phases (see Appendix A). In the analysis and results phase, a mixing table demonstrates the interrelationship between quali- tative themes and research design type. Because of the emphasis on quantitative methods and the concurrent design, this study has the following notation: QUAN + qual (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007). To analyze the nature of MFT research using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, we pose the following questions: Quantitative: What are the characteristics of mixed methods and multimethod studies in MFT literature? Qualitative: What are the topics of research and rationales for using both quantitative and qualitative methods in mixed methods and multimethod studies in MFT literature? Mixed: How do the characteristics of mixed methods and multimethod studies in MFT litera- ture relate with their topics and rationales?

METHODS

Search Criteria This study parallels content analyses about the use of mixed methods in other social sci-

ence fields (Hanson et al., 2005; Plano Clark et al., 2008). We located and identified mixed methods and multimethod empirical articles by searching eight popular and respected journals in the MFT field. Those journals included American Journal of Family Therapy (AJFT), Con- temporary Family Therapy (CFT), Family Process (FP), Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy (JCRT), Journal of Family Psychotherapy (JFP), Journal of Family Therapy (JFT), Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (JMFT), and Journal of Systemic Therapies (JST). As is common practice, we limited our search to include articles that were published during the past 10 years (January 1999 to November 2009). Per the search criteria suggestion of Creswell and Plano Clark (2007) and similar to Plano Clark et al. (2008), we searched titles and abstracts for the following logic operators and search terms: Mixed method* OR multimeth- od OR [(quantitative OR survey OR experimental OR questionnaire) AND (qualitative OR ethnography OR focus group OR interview)]. The latter search term expanded upon Plano Clark et al. (2008) search parameters ‘‘[(quantitative OR survey) AND (qualitative OR inter- view)]’’ (p. 1547) to capture articles with other common quantitative and qualitative research designs. We conducted our search using the psychology and sociology compilation of EB- SCOhost databases, which includes, among others, the Family and Society Studies World- wide, PsycINFO, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and Academic Search Complete databases.

To categorize studies as mixed methods, we used the following criteria: 1. must collect both quantitative and qualitative data; 2. must analyze both quantitative and qualitative data; and

166 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY April 2013

3. data ‘‘need to be ‘mixed’ in some way so that together they form a more complete picture of the problem than they do when standing alone’’ (Creswell and Plano Clark’s (2007), p. 7).

The use of both deductive quantitative methods and inductive qualitative approaches was key to inclusion in this study as ‘‘the basic premise of the definition is that the combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches provides a better understanding of research problems than either approach alone’’ (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007, pp. 8–9). The mixing component of the categorizing criteria was operationalized as ‘‘merging or converging the two datasets by actually bringing them together; connecting the two datasets by having one build on the other; or embedding one dataset within the other so that one type of data provides a supportive role for the other’’ (p. 7). Mixing can occur at any of the following four phases of research: design, data collection, data analysis (often in results section), and data interpretation (often in discus- sion section). We determined that articles would need to mix data in half of the research phases (at least two of four) to be considered mixed methods studies. If the article did not meet this level of mixing, but still had both quantitative and qualitative data analysis and collection, then it was categorized as multimethod.

Article Selection Our initial search of keywords produced the following hits in these journals: AJFT (8),

CFT (8), FP (15), JCRT (7), JFP (12), JFT (3), JMFT (18), and JST (0), for a total of 71 arti- cles that satisfied the search criteria. However, as is often the case with keyword inquiries in search engines, there were a number of article hits that were false positives. For instance, 36 articles were excluded outright as they mentioned the words quantitative, survey, experimental, questionnaire, qualitative, ethnography, focus group, or interview, but did not actually incorpo- rate quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis. From this pool, three articles were excluded as they did not meet the inclusion criteria, including articles that were purely the- oretical in nature or part of a series of studies. As our unit of analysis was a single article, we excluded two studies that utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods in a single research study, but then discussed this research in two separate articles. Although having a series of arti- cles does meet Creswell and Plano Clark’s (2007) definition of mixed methods research, the excluded articles lacked sufficient information about the mixing of both qualitative and quanti- tative aspects of their research and therefore could not be used in our analyses. Finally, no arti- cles were located from JST, and no articles met inclusion criteria from JFT, which left 32 empirical articles in six journals for the final analysis (see Appendix B).

Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Analyses For our quantitative analysis, we developed a coding scheme informed by previous mixed

methods literature (Hanson et al., 2005; Plano Clark et al., 2008). We used quantitative meth- ods to count and calculate descriptive characteristics of the articles. Concurrent with this data collection, our qualitative analysis explored emergent themes of the topics being researched in MFT and the stated rationales for using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Our mixing of quantitative and qualitative methods and data is evident throughout our research process, from design to discussion.

To begin this process, we used a coin toss to randomly assign articles to each researcher to analyze. This process produced an unequal distribution of articles, so we used a random num- ber generator to facilitate equal distribution for analysis. We are trained at the doctoral-level in quantitative and qualitative methodologies, in mixed methods, and in coding data. We then took an article at the beginning, coded it independently, and compared and contrasted discrep- ancies until consensus on all codes was established; this served as a content analysis reliability check. Our quantitative coding included determining the priority (which method was used more heavily quantitative, qualitative, or equal), timing (order of quantitative and qualitative data collection, either sequential or concurrent), mixed methods design type, theoretical framework, sample size and procedure, timing of mixing quantitative and qualitative data, the qualitative and quantitative research procedures, and the population studied in each article. Our qualita- tive coding examined the topic of the article and explicit rationale stated by the authors for

April 2013 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY 167

using both qualitative and quantitative methods for their research. Our qualitative analysis fol- lowed the work of Rossman and Rallis (2003) where text was inductively coded on a molar level, and then categorical themes were created to organize these codes.

Our study included quantitative, qualitative, and mixed analyses. We used Microsoft Excel� to tabulate and analyze our quantitative outputs, allowing the coding rubric to emerge along with the data. Qualitative analysis included coding of themes in the topics of study as well as the authors’ rationale for using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Mixed analyses included merging the quantitative and qualitative data during the analysis and interpretation.

RESULTS AND FINDINGS

As part of our quantitative analysis, we found that 16 of the studies met the criteria for mixed methods research that we established, and 16 studies were multimethod. Figure 1 shows the breakdown of mixed and multimethod research by journal and number of articles. We also found that multimethod studies have a larger sample size for quantitative data (Mean = 96, median = 38) compared with mixed methods studies (M = 35, median= 36). The same holds true for qualitative data comparing multimethod (M = 83, median = 22) to mixed methods (M = 23, median = 15) studies. In terms of research methods, all mixed methods articles used surveys for quantitative data collection (n = 16), and a variety of qualitative procedures, with the most popular approaches being semi-structured interviews (n = 11) and the rest using open-ended survey items (n = 5). Multimethod studies were more varied in their qualitative methods including interviews (n = 9), focus groups (n = 4), and opened survey items (n = 3). For quantitative data collection, multimethod studies used quasi-experimental, program evalua- tion, and survey design, with survey again being the most popular (n = 13).

Discussion of the theoretical or philosophical underpinnings of mixed methods research methodology was largely absent from the articles. No authors made explicit references to the philosophical roots of mixed methods research methodology in pragmatism, nor did any authors explicitly discuss the theoretical conflicts in combining qualitative and quantitative methods. Timing for mixing of quantitative and qualitative was split with a total of 15 concur- rent designs and 17 sequential designs, with no real trends for mixed versus multimethod stud- ies. No mixed methods studies had equal weighting, with an even split between quantitative (n = 8) and qualitative (n = 8) being given priority. Multimethod studies favored quantitative methods (n = 9), then qualitative (n = 4) and finally equal (n = 3). Triangulation was the favored type of mixed methods design (n = 7), followed by explanatory (n = 6), and explor- atory (n = 3), with no embedded designs being used. Over the years, there appears to be a slight trend of increased multimethod and mixed methods studies (e.g., two articles published in 1999 and six in 2007).

The Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (JMFT) held the highest number of mixed methods articles (n = 6) in our sample, comprising 37.5% of mixed methods articles. It also held the highest number of multimethod articles (n = 4) and total number of articles having the combined usage of quantitative and qualitative methods (n = 10). Family Process (FP) fol- lowed with the next highest number of total articles (n = 7), divided into multimethod (n = 5)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

AJFT CFT FP JCRT JFP JMFT Journal

N um

be r

of A

rt ic

le s

Multi Mixed

Figure 1. Mixed and multimethod studies by journal.

168 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY April 2013

and mixed methods (n = 2). This result is not surprising as JMFT and FP have been recognized as top-tier journals in the field, and consequently, would be expected to utilize cutting edge designs and methodologies. Additionally, these journals emphasize empirical research, which would make them more likely to include studies combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

The unit of analysis studied in the articles included a total of eighteen studying individuals, eleven studying couples, and three studying families. The unit of analysis by article for mixed methods studies was individual (n = 7), couple (n = 8), and family (n = 1), whereas multi- method studies had individual (n = 11), couple (n = 3), and family (n = 2).

Qualitative analyses were completed regarding the topics of studies and the stated rationale of utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods. Topics of studies were organized into eight categories:

1. Family therapy education and training; 2. Model or program evaluation; 3. Couples relationships; 4. Process of therapy–client perspectives; 5. Practice of family therapy–therapist perspectives; 6. Family functioning; 7. Women and gender issues; 8. International issues. Topic categories were related to mixed methods and multimethod studies (see Table 1),

with some topics being emphasized more in certain types of studies. Family therapy education and training included topics of MFT graduate school choice, technology in MFT training, and how family therapists are being trained to work with children. The category of model or pro- gram evaluation included efficacy research into solution-focused brief therapy and evaluation of an empathy training program. Couples relationship topics investigated married and unmarried partnerships, not the process of couples therapy. This included how religion and ethnicity affect intimacy in marriage and how couples balance work and family life. The next category, process of therapy from a client’s perspective, included client feedback about change processes and the experience of therapy, such as how clients in couple therapy viewed their own change. The practice of family therapy from therapist perspectives included studies about how therapists use creativity in their own practice and whether or not family was involved in therapy. Overall, the topics in this theme examined how therapists in clinical settings are actually doing therapy.

The category of family functioning was related to the investigation of family dynamics out- side of therapy, including: intergenerational relationships, and family processes that contribute to Schizophrenia. The women and gender issues theme included topics about feminist theory and women’s beliefs about female circumcision. International issues focused on the impact on individuals, families, and couples of larger, national issues including: the impact on a family of a member being kidnapped in Colombia, and marital stress under the threat of forced reloca-

Table 1 Relationship of Topic Categories to Type of Study

Mixed methods Multimethod Both

Topic category

Process of therapy—client perspectives

International issues Women and gender issues Model and program evaluation

Practice of family therapy—therapist perspectives Family functioning Couples relationships Family therapy education and training

Note. Topics could be coded in more than one category.

April 2013 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY 169

tion in Golan Heights, between Israel and Syria. The most popular theme was related to MFT education (n = 8) followed by couples relationships at (n = 7). These results can be seen in Figure 2. No patterns seemed to emerge based on topics or categories and type of mixed meth- ods design. Also, there were no trends for various topics over time. See Appendix C for a com- plete list of articles’ codes of study topics, arranged by theme.

Rationale statements for why authors used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods were organized into five categories: greater understanding and more information (n = 7), qualitative methods to expand or support quantitative methods (n = 5), to triangulate and confirm findings (n = 3), none given (n = 16), and other (n = 1). Greater understanding and more information included purpose statements such as: to gain ‘‘richer understanding of the family variables’’ (Klever, 2003, p. 434). Qualitative findings that expand or support quanti- tative data included: ‘‘provide a more in-depth understanding of the results of the quantitative analyses’’ (Heller & Wood, p. 245). The category, triangulate and confirm findings, included rationales about complementing results and having more trustworthy findings. No rationale given—none—emerged as the most popular category and was used to code articles that did not explicitly state the reasons why the research included both qualitative and quantitative methods. To clarify, many of these articles had purpose statements, but these statements did not include a rationale for using a mixed or multimethod design. The popularity of rationale statement cat- egories is shown in Figure 3. See Appendix D for a complete list of articles’ codes for ratio- nales, arranged by category.

Of mixed methods articles, 31% (n = 5) had no stated rationale and 69% (n = 11) of multimethod articles had no stated rationale for using both quantitative and qualitative meth- ods. Hence, the majority of mixed methods articles have an explicit rationale for using both methods. There is no trend for use of explicit rationale overtime. Rationales for using both qualitative and quantitative data, when compared to study design, are shown in Table 2.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Education & Training

Couples Process of therapy-

Client

Practice of therapy- Therapist

Family Functioning

Women & Gender Issues

Int'l Issues Model/Prog Evaluation

Study Topic

N um

be r

of C

od es

Figure 2. Number of study topic codes in each category.

0

2 4

6 8

10

12 14

16 18

Understanding Qual Supports Quan

Triangulate None Other

Rationale

N um

be r

of A

rt ic

le s

Figure 3. Number of articles per category of rationale statement.

170 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY April 2013

DISCUSSION

The purpose of this study was to understand how mixed methods and multimethod research was utilized in published MFT research studies in the last 10 years. Our main finding is that there is a lack of mixed methods research in MFT overall. Of an estimated 2,400 published articles (excluding media reviews) in eight journals in the last 10 years, 32 (approxi- mately 1.3%) studies were published that used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, with only 16 (approximately 0.6%) that met the definition of mixed methods research supplied by Creswell and Plano Clark (2007). Hence, researchers may be missing an opportu- nity to implement an innovative methodology that is consistent with the complex nature of MFT research. When mixed methods research is performed well, quantitative and qualitative methods can reinforce each other, giving a fuller picture of a phenomenon. For example, Olson and Russell (2004) gained insight into how quantitative measures of change intersect with cli- ents’ own experiences of therapy by asking clients about their scores on measures of client out- comes. Klever (2009), drawing on Bowen theory, investigated family functioning with interviews and survey data in a longitudinal study and presented material with clear mixing tables in his results section. In an innovative design, Wynne et al. (2006) presented case vign- ettes along with quantitative measures of family functioning to enhance the understanding of genetic and environmental interactions in regards to Schizophrenia.

Furthermore, we discovered that no authors, in mixed or multimethod studies, discussed explicit theories about how to combine qualitative and quantitative methods. Hence, no one discussed the possible objection that some researchers make of the theoretical conflicts with using deductive and inductive methods of inquiry. The exclusion of theory in social sciences has been noted as problematic (Shoemaker, Tankard, & Lasorsa, 2004), which is particularly the case for mixed methods as a new methodology (Plano Clark et al., 2008). Clinical theoreti- cal frameworks were also limited as has been found to be true of family therapy research in general (Hawley & Geske, 2000), not just multimethod research.

Related to this finding, many articles also lacked overt rationales for using both qual- itative and quantitative methods. More mixed methods articles had rationale statements, and over half of multimethod studies did not have a rationale. For those who did include rationales, the most common reasons for using both qualitative and quantitative methods were for increased understanding of phenomena and to use qualitative methods to support and expand quantitative results. This means that most family therapy researchers were using both methods to gain a more complete and in-depth sense of the results, which implies seek- ing complementary findings. However, divergent results can often contribute to understanding complex phenomena, just as Al-Krenawi and Wiesel-Lev (1999) found women were more

Table 2 Rationale Category Organized by Study Design

Rationale category

Number of articles per study design

TotalExplanatory Exploratory Triangulation Multimethod

Greater understanding and more information

2 1 2 3 8

Qual will expand ⁄ support quant

2 0 1 1 4

Triangulate, confirm findings

0 0 2 1 3

None 2 1 2 11 16 Other-greater flexibility 0 1 0 0 1 Total 6 3 7 16 32

April 2013 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY 171

likely to discuss their negative views toward female circumcision in quantitative measures than in interviews.

We also discovered that the mixed methods articles in our sample all used survey measures for quantitative data and interviews and surveys for qualitative investigation. This lack of vari- ety shows limitations in the research that is currently published in MFT journals. Because much may be gained by the ability to show cause and effect in experimental research and the in-depth understanding of ethnography or additional contributions of focus groups, we recommend more diversity of methods. Another weakness was that some researchers had limited or poorly executed qualitative data collection and analyses, an area that should be improved upon for quality mixed methods research to be possible. For example, Carson, Becker, Vance, and Forth (2003) and Hertlein and Lambert-Shute (2007) collected qualitative data through open-ended questions in on-line surveys. This type of data collection does not allow for the in-depth under- standing of personal experience that is characteristic of qualitative inquiry. None of our articles used embedded designs, which was not surprising because of the potential challenges with such a design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007). However, as the use of mixed methods continues to grow, MFT researchers could benefit from incorporating this design in future research because of its ability to add participant voices to experimental research. Research on therapy model effectiveness is lacking in the MFT field as a whole (Hawley et al., 2000); it is therefore encour- aging to see many authors of multimethod studies focusing on this area. Mixed methods research was shown to be used for incorporating client perspectives into process of change research, which is also a beneficial addition to MFT research.

All the studies in our sample that focused on the process of therapy from the client per- spective were mixed methods, and all but one of both topics of couples relationships and family functioning was also mixed methods. Mixed methods articles had almost twice as many rela- tional units of analysis—couples and families—than did multimethod studies. Hence, a strength of MFT mixed methods research is that it is being used to study systems. Finally, we found that the most researched topics in multimethod and mixed methods research in MFT are mar- riage and family therapy education and couples research. Hawley and collegues (2000) found that couples, and training and supervision are the first and third most prevalent categories in MFT research, respectively. Thus, this finding might be more a product of prevalence of research in the entire field, rather than just multimethod and mixed methods studies.

CONCLUSION

Limitations Despite the valuable information about MFT research gained from this study, there are

several shortcoming associated with this research. For instance, this search of multimethod and mixed methods studies in the MFT literature cannot be considered exhaustive. Our choice of first- and second-tier journal articles focused mostly on U.S.-based journals (with the exception of Journal of Family Therapy, based in the United Kingdom). There are several international journals which could have been considered for the study. Additionally, we did not examine MFT research published in journals in related fields, such as psychology or social work. Future research may also examine how other fields are using mixed methods research to study family systems to further broaden insights into weaknesses and strengths of this methodology.

Additionally, as mixed methods research is a new methodology, there are many areas that are not yet standardized, making our analyses difficult. For example, as there were not explicit guidelines set forth in mixed methods literature as to the timing of mixing (i.e., mixing in each of the four phases of research), this was left up to our interpretation. It may be that other scholars would have different definitions of mixed versus multimethod research, thus marking another reason for the necessity of standardization.

Finally, although we had an extensive search, our relatively small sample size limited our ability to carry out quantitative analyses. We are confident that our search criteria was appro- priate for this study, but we acknowledge that studies that did not discuss both their qualitative and quantitative methods in their abstracts or use words typically associated with them were

172 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY April 2013

not included in our analyses (e.g., Hertlein & Piercy, 2008).2 If we expanded our search criteria to a longer time period, we may have encountered more articles, but then the results would have been less relevant to modern researchers. Also, it is possible that our decision to analyze only published research may give a skewed impression of the limited use of mixed methods research, as many studies may exist that used this methodology but were not accepted for publication. However, a brief look at the JMFT editorial annual report for 2007–2008 shows that of 110 submitted research manuscripts, only five—less than 5%—were classified as mixed methods (Chenail & Cronin, 2008), which parallels our findings for published mixed methods research.

Research Implications This study highlights a dearth of published MFT multimethod and mixed methods

research. To increase rigorous use of mixed methods research, we have several recommenda- tions for the MFT researcher. Currently, there is little consensus for a common language for terminology and methods in the mixed methods field, which can lead to misunderstandings among researchers. Therefore, we suggest MFT researchers adopt the standardized language of mixed methods design types and purpose statements as discussed by Creswell and Plano Clark (2007) to minimize confusion. We also encourage researchers to specifically use the terms mixed methods and multimethod in titles, abstracts, and methods sections for further clarity. Addition- ally, we suggest that authors in the field of MFT focus on a variety of quantitative and qualita- tive methods, instead of almost exclusively on survey data. Diversifying methods, especially when mixing deductive and inductive approaches, will broaden and strengthen the conclusions that are reached.

Moreover, we recommend that researchers make explicit decisions about how they will mix the data before they start their study. We argue that mixing purposefully by establishing and fol- lowing through with a mixing plan is an essential component of mixed methods studies, differen- tiating them from multimethod studies. Stating how and when mixing will occur is also important as these mixing statements will inform researchers that mixing was intentional from the design stage rather than as an afterthought, as well as make it easier to replicate the study. Researchers should clearly state their rationale for using and mixing quantitative and qualitative methods, as this is one of the evaluation criteria proposed by Creswell and Plano Clark (2007).

Finally, we suggest that future studies have a model or theory to guide their research, as detailed in Shoemaker et al. (2004). A theoretical perspective would inform both the process and the outcome of research, providing valuable insight into the nature of the results. Having a theoretical background might provide a practical framework for ideas and make linkages between quantitative results and qualitative findings.

In this study, we have collected and presented quantitative, qualitative, and mixed analyses of published articles that have the combined use of quantitative and qualitative approaches in MFT empirical literature. In an effort to be transparent and pragmatic, we provide the follow- ing summary of this mixed methods content analysis, which could serve as a template for clari- fying future mixed methods studies:

1. Citation: Gambrel, L. E., & Butler, J. L., VI (2011). Mixed methods research in mar- riage and family therapy: A content analysis.

2. Unit of Analysis: Artifacts (individual journal articles). 3. Sample Size (Quan and Qual): 32. 4. Sampling Method: Purposive. 5. Explicit Theory: Pragmatism. 6. Timing: Concurrent. 7. Weighting: Quantitative emphasis. 8. Mixing: Merge the data. 9. Timing of Mixing: All stages. 10. Quan Research Design: Content analysis. 11. Qual Research Design: Content analysis. 12. Rationale for Quan ⁄ Qual Collection: Triangulate and confirm findings.

April 2013 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY 173

13. Mixed Methods Research Design: Triangulation. 14. Mixed Methods Design Notation: QUAN + qual3. Overall, mixed methods research has the potential to contribute much to the MFT field,

but it is currently being underutilized. Marriage and family therapists need solid research to remain viable in today’s world of evidence-based practice. Integrated research designs and methods like mixed methods can make the MFT field particularly competitive. We encourage MFT researchers to consider using this new methodology intentionally, explicitly, and properly to investigate the complex questions that characterize our field.

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NOTES

1Purpose statement adapted from Creswell and Plano Clark (2007), p. 99. 2We are appreciative of an anonymous reviewer for this contribution. 3Adapted from Creswell and Plano Clark (2007), p. 85.

APPENDIX A

Triangulation Mixed Methods Design4

Collection

Analysis

Results

Convergence

Interpretation

• Structured content analysis

• MS Excel© • Percentages

and count occurrences

• QUAN emphasis • qual included in

mixing tables

• Themes and narratives-content analysis

• MS Excel© • Note memos and

emergent themes

• Unequal weighting- supplementary qual

Compare and contrast QUAN

with qual

qual

qual

qualQUAN

QUAN

QUAN + qual

• Converge data • Expand QUAN

results with qual findings

• Combining data sets in discussion and implications

QUAN

4 Appreciation expressed to Sharon J. Butler for help with figure illustration.

176 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY April 2013

A P P E N D IX

B

M u lt im

et h o d a n d M ix ed

M et h o d s A rt ic le s in

M F T

S tu d y

C o d e

T it le

D es ig n

N o ta ti o n

A l- K re n a w i a n d W ie se l- L ev

(1 9 9 9 )

F P 1

A tt it u d es

to w a rd

a n d p er ce iv ed

p sy ch o so ci a l im

p a ct

o f

fe m a le

ci rc u m ci si o n

a s

p ra ct ic ed

a m o n g

th e

B ed o u in -A

ra b s o f th e N eg ev

M u lt im

et h o d

—

A n g er a a n d L o n g (2 0 0 6 )

JC R T 1

Q u a li ta ti v e a n d q u a n ti ta ti v e ev a lu a ti o n s o f a n em

p a -

th y

tr a in in g

p ro g ra m

fo r co u p le s in

m a rr ia g e a n d

ro m a n ti c re la ti o n sh ip s

M u lt im

et h o d

—

B lo w

et a l. (2 0 0 9 )

JM F T 1

C h a n g e p ro ce ss es

in co u p le

th er a p y : A n

in te n si v e

ca se

a n a ly si s o f o n e co u p le

u si n g a co m m o n fa ct o rs

le n s

T ri a n g u la ti o n

Q U A L +

q u a n

C a rs o n et

a l. (2 0 0 3 )

C F T 1

T h e ro le

o f cr ea ti v it y in

m a rr ia g e a n d fa m il y th er a p y

p ra ct ic e:

A n a ti o n a l o n li n e st u d y

M u lt im

et h o d

—

C h eu n g (2 0 0 8 )

JC R T 2

R es il ie n ce

o f

o ld er

im m ig ra n t

co u p le s

lo n g -t er m

m a ri ta l sa ti sf a ct io n a s a p ro te ct iv e fa ct o r

T ri a n g u la ti o n

q u a n +

Q U A L

C la y et

a l. (2 0 0 7 )

F P 2

B la ck

w o m en

a n d W h it e w o m en : D o p er ce p ti o n s o f

ch il d h o o d fa m il y en v ir o n m en t d iff er ?

M u lt im

et h o d

—

C u n a n a n a n d M cC

o ll u m

(2 0 0 6 )

JF P 1

W h a t w o rk s w h en

le a rn in g S o lu ti o n -F o cu se d

B ri ef

T h er a p y : A

q u a li ta ti v e st u d y o f tr a in ee s’ ex p er ie n ce s

M u lt im

et h o d

—

G o o d ri ch

a n d S il v er st ei n (2 0 0 5 )

F P 3

N o w y o u se e it , n o w y o u d o n o t: F em

in is t tr a in in g in

fa m il y th er a p y

M u lt im

et h o d

—

H el le r a n d W o o d (2 0 0 0 )

JM F T 2

T h e in fl u en ce

o f re li g io u s a n d et h n ic

d iff er en ce s o n

m a ri ta l in ti m a cy : In te rm

a rr ia g e v er su s in tr a m a rr ia g e

E x p la n a to ry

Q U A N

fi q u a l

H en d ri x et

a l. (2 0 0 1 )

C F T 2

Im p a ct

o f co -t h er a p y te a m s o n cl ie n t o u tc o m es

a n d

th er a p is t tr a in in g in

m a rr ia g e a n d fa m il y th er a p y

M u lt im

et h o d

—

H er tl ei n a n d L a m b er t- S h u te

(2 0 0 7 )

JM F T 3

F a ct o rs

in fl u en ci n g st u d en t se le ct io n o f m a rr ia g e a n d

fa m il y th er a p y g ra d u a te

p ro g ra m s

T ri a n g u la ti o n

Q U A N

+ q u a l

April 2013 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY 177

A p p en d ix

B ( C o n ti n u ed )

S tu d y

C o d e

T it le

D es ig n

N o ta ti o n

H er tl ei n

et a l.

(2 0 0 9 )

JF P 2

T h e jo u rn a l- re a d in g h a b it s o f p ra ct ic in g M F T s

E x p lo ra to ry

Q U A L

fi q u a n

K le v er

(2 0 0 3 )

C F T 3

In te rg en er a ti o n a l fu si o n a n d n u cl ea r fa m il y fu n c-

ti o n in g

E x p la n a to ry

Q U A N

fi q u a l

K le v er

(2 0 0 9 )

C F T 4

T h e

p ri m a ry

tr ia n g le

a n d

v a ri a ti o n

in n u cl ea r

fa m il y fu n ct io n in g

E x p la n a to ry

Q U A N

fi q u a l

K le v er

(2 0 0 9 )

JM F T 4

G o a l d ir ec ti o n a n d eff

ec ti v en es s, em

o ti o n a l m a tu -

ri ty , a n d n u cl ea r fa m il y fu n ct io n in g

E x p la n a to ry

Q U A N

fi q u a l

L im

a n d H er n a n -

d ez

(2 0 0 7 )

C F T 5

T h e W eb Q u es t:

A n

il lu st ra ti o n

o f in st ru ct io n a l

te ch n o lo g y im

p le m en ta ti o n in

M F T tr a in in g

M u lt im

et h o d

—

M a rs h a ll

a n d

S o lo m o n (2 0 0 4 )

F P 4

P ro v id er

co n ta ct

w it h

fa m il ie s

o f

a d u lt s

w it h

se v er e m en ta l il ln es s: T a k in g a cl o se r lo o k

E x p la n a to ry

Q U A N

fi q u a l

M a to s

et a l.

(2 0 0 6 )

F P 5

A d a p ta ti o n o f p a re n t– ch il d in te ra ct io n th er a p y fo r

P u er to

R ic a n fa m il ie s: A

p re li m in a ry

st u d y

M u lt im

et h o d

—

M il le r

a n d

S li v e

(2 0 0 4 )

JM F T 5

B re a k in g

d o w n

th e

b a rr ie rs

to cl in ic a l se rv ic e

d el iv er y : W a lk -i n fa m il y th er a p y

M u lt im

et h o d

—

M il le r

et a l.

(2 0 0 9 )

JM F T 6

U si n g m o ck

tr ia ls

to te a ch

st u d en ts

fo re n si c co re

co m p et en ci es

in m a rr ia g e a n d fa m il y th er a p y

M u lt im

et h o d

—

M o li n a

et a l.

(2 0 0 5 )

JF P 3

K id n a p p in g : It s

eff ec ts

o n

th e

b el ie fs

a n d

th e

st ru ct u re

o f re la ti o n sh ip s in

a g ro u p o f fa m il ie s in

A n ti o q u ia

M u lt im

et h o d

—

O ls o n

a n d

R u s-

se ll (2 0 0 4 )

C F T 6

U n d er st a n d in g ch a n g e in

co n jo in t p sy ch o th er a p y :

In v it in g cl ie n ts

to co m m en t u p o n th e v a li d it y o f

st a n d a rd iz ed

ch a n g e sc o re s

E x p lo ra to ry

q u a n

fi Q U A L

Q u ic k a n d G iz zo

(2 0 0 7 )

JF P 4

T h e ‘‘ d o in g w h a t w o rk s’ ’ g ro u p : A

q u a n ti ta ti v e

a n d

q u a li ta ti v e

a n a ly si s

o f

S o lu ti o n -F o cu se d

G ro u p T h er a p y

M u lt im

et h o d

—

178 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY April 2013

A p p en d ix

B ( C o n ti n u ed )

S tu d y

C o d e

T it le

D es ig n

N o ta ti o n

R u ss el l

et a l.

(2 0 0 7 )

JM F T 7

R es p o n d in g to

re m ed ia ti o n a n d g a te k ee p in g ch a l-

le n g es

in su p er v is io n

E x p la n a to ry

Q U A N

fi q u a l

S ch a ch t

et a l.

(2 0 0 9 )

JM F T 8

D o m es ti c v io le n ce

a ss es sm

en t p ro ce d u re s a m o n g

co u p le

th er a p is ts

M u lt im

et h o d

—

S h a m a i a n d

L ev

(1 9 9 9 )

JM F T 9

M a ri ta l q u a li ty

a m o n g co u p le s li v in g

u n d er

th e

th re a t o f fo rc ed

re lo ca ti o n : T h e ca se

o f fa m il ie s in

th e G o la n H ei g h ts

M u lt im

et h o d

—

S h ie ld s

a n d

R o u ss ea u (2 0 0 4 )

F P 6

A p il o t st u d y o f a n in te rv en ti o n fo r b re a st

ca n ce r

su rv iv o rs

a n d th ei r sp o u se s

M u lt im

et h o d

—

S o ri a n d S p re n k le

(2 0 0 4 )

JM F T 1 0

T ra in in g fa m il y th er a p is ts

to w o rk

w it h ch il d re n

a n d fa m il ie s: A

m o d ifi ed

D el p h i st u d y

E x p lo ra to ry

Q U A L

fi q u a n

W a rd

(2 0 0 7 )

JC R T 3

C li en ts ’ p er ce p ti o n s o f th e th er a p eu ti c p ro ce ss : A

co m m o n fa ct o rs

a p p ro a ch

T ri a n g u la ti o n

Q U A N

+ q u a l

W y n n e

et a l.

(2 0 0 6 )

F P 7

G en o ty p e– en v ir o n m en t in te ra ct io n in

th e S ch iz o -

p h re n ia

sp ec tr u m : Q u a li ta ti v e o b se rv a ti o n s

T ri a n g u la ti o n

Q U A L +

q u a n

Y a rh o u se

et a l.

(2 0 0 3 )

A JF

T 1

In ta ct

m a rr ia g es

in w h ic h o n e p a rt n er

d is -i d en ti -

fi es

w it h ex p er ie n ce s o f sa m e- se x a tt ra ct io n

T ri a n g u la ti o n

Q U A L +

q u a n

Z im

m er m a n

et a l. (2 0 0 3 )

A JF

T 2

In ti m a te

p a rt n er sh ip : F o u n d a ti o n to

th e su cc es sf u l

b a la n ce

o f fa m il y a n d w o rk

T ri a n g u la ti o n

Q U A L +

q u a n

N o te . C o d e d er iv ed

fr o m

jo u rn a l ti tl e a n d fr eq u en cy

o f a rt ic le s w it h in

jo u rn a l; A JF

T =

A m er ic a n Jo u rn a l o f F a m il y T h er a p y ; C F T =

C o n te m p o ra ry

F a m il y

T h er a p y ; F P =

F a m il y

P ro ce ss ; JC

R T =

Jo u rn a l o f

C o u p le

& R el a ti o n sh ip

T h er a p y ; JF

P =

Jo u rn a l o f

F a m il y

P sy ch o th er a p y ;

JM F T =

Jo u rn a l o f M a ri ta l a n d F a m il y T h er a p y .

April 2013 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY 179

APPENDIX C

Codes of Articles’ Study Topics, Arranged by Topic Theme

1. Family therapy education and training JMFT3: graduate MFT school choice (MM) CFT2: co-therapy; MFT training (Multi) JMFT10: clinical training—children and families; therapist skill ⁄ comfort level; play

therapy (MM) CFT5: WebQuest technique in MFT training (Multi) FP3: feminist training in COAMFT programs (Multi) JFP1: trainee perspective; family therapy training; SFBT (Multi) JMFT6: forensic competency training (Multi) JMFT7: supervision challenges; remediation and gatekeeping of students (MM)

2. Model and program evaluation JFP4: efficacy of SFBT (Multi) FP5: cultural, PCIT efficacy (Multi) JCRT1: empathy training; program evaluation (Multi) JMFT5: clinical availability (Multi) FP6: treatment techniques; breast cancer; spouses (Multi)

3. Couples relationships AJFT1: coping, same-sex attraction, and marital satisfaction (MM) AJFT2: family ⁄ work balance, dual earners, marital relationship (MM) JMFT4: marriage relationships, differentiation (MM) JCRT2: immigration; marital satisfaction; acculturation (MM) JMFT2: religion; ethnicity; intimacy in marriage (MM) JMFT9: marital stress, international turmoil (Multi) CFT4: adult child family ⁄ marriage relationships; triangles; nuclear family functioning (MM)

4. Process of therapy—client perspectives CFT6: change in couples therapy (MM) JMFT1: change in couples therapy (MM) JCRT3: common factors; client perspective; therapeutic experience (MM)

5. Practice of family therapy—therapist perspectives CFT1: creativity in MFT practice (multi) FP4: family involvement in agency, individuals with mental illness (MM) JMFT8: domestic violence screening (Multi) JFP2: clinical journal reading; bridge gap between clinicians and researchers (MM)

6. Family functioning CFT4: adult child family ⁄ marriage relationships; triangles; nuclear family functioning (MM) FP7: nature versus nurture, Schizophrenia and family (MM) JFP3: family impact of kidnapping, international ⁄ cultural issue (Multi) CFT3: nuclear family functioning; intergenerational fusion (MM)

7. Women and gender issues FP1: female circumcision, international ⁄ cultural issue (Multi) FP2: childhood family; ethnicity; women studies (Multi) FP3: feminist training in COAMFT programs (Multi)

8. International issues JFP3: family impact of kidnapping, international ⁄ cultural issue (Multi) FP1: female circumcision, international ⁄ cultural issue (Multi) JM1. FT9: marital stress, international turmoil (Multi)

Note. MM = mixed method; Multi = multimethod.

180 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY April 2013

APPENDIX D

Codes of Article’s Rationales for Using Qualitative and Quantitative Methods, Arranged by Rationale Category

1. Greater understanding and more information JMFT9: Greater understanding of dynamics (Multi) FP2: Explanation ⁄ understanding (Multi) JMFT7: Expand and clarify (MM) CFT2: Ground findings, and strengthen understanding of complexity (Multi) CFT3: Deeper understanding of the family (MM) JMFT1: To gather sufficient evidence (MM) JCRT2: Richer understanding of couples (MM)

2. Qualitative will expand ⁄ support quantitative JMFT2: Richer understanding of the quantitative results (MM) JMFT3: Further understanding of quantitative data (MM) CFT4: Elaborate on quantitative, thick description (MM) JFP3: Qualitative to support quantitative findings and lead to new ideas (Multi) CFT6: Corroborate and confirm quantitative, give context and description to

quantitative (MM) 3. Triangulate, confirm findings

JCRT1: Minimize weaknesses in both quantitative and qualitative; more trustworthy findings (Multi)

AJFT2: Triangulation, add depth and complement findings (MM) FP7: Confirm and expand, leading to new ideas (MM)

4. None provided JMFT5: None (Multi) JMFT6: None (Multi) JMFT8: None (Multi) JFP4: None (Multi) JFP1: None (Multi) FP3: None (Multi) FP5: None (Multi) FP6: None (Multi) FP1: None (Multi) CFT1: None (Multi) JCRT3: None (MM) FP4: None (MM) JFP2: None (MM) AJFT1: None (MM) JMFT4: None (MM) CFT5: None (Multi)

5. Other JMFT10: Exploratory nature of the study, flexibility (MM)

Note. MM = mixed method; Multi = multimethod.

April 2013 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY 181

Research