Mixed Methods Approach to Describe Social Interaction During a Group Intervention for Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Frontiers in Psychology

article

Carlota Alcover¹  Eulàlia Arias-Pujol¹  Ma. Ángeles Mairena²  Marcela Mezzatesta²  Neus Elias²  María Díez-Juan²  Gemma Balañá²  Mireia González-Rodríguez²  Jairo Rodríguez-Medina⁴  M. Teresa Anguera⁵ 

[1] Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sports Sciences, Ramon Llull University;Children and Adolescent Mental Health Research Group, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu;Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology Department of Hospital Sant Joan de Déu of Barcelona;Center for Transdisciplinary Research in Education, University of Valladolid;Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona

关键词: Qual-Quan integration;    mixed methods;    systematic observation;    polar coordinate;    social skills interventions;    ASD;    group;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01158

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Over the last 20 years, researchers have been mixing qualitative and quantitative approaches, but mixed methods research represents a new movement that arose in response to the currents of qualitative and quantitative research, considered separately. Little has been published on the use of polar coordinate analysis in psychotherapy. This type of analysis can provide detailed information and integrate the qualitative-quantitative analysis. Even less has been published on the analysis of ASD children’s behavior. The main aim of this study was to implement this mixed methods methodology to analyze patterns of social behaviors in a group of adolescents with ASD during a group social competence intervention program. Moreover, we wanted to see whether an observational scale could be combined fruitfully with polar coordinate analysis and to investigate whether typical ASD behaviors show similar interrelations (prospective and retrospective sequentialities) as behaviors observed in psychotherapy. We used an adaptation from the Social Skills Training Program (UC Davis, California). We observed that each participant took a unique course, increasing or decreasing the number and quality of their social behaviors. In accordance with previous literature, results suggest some increment in the amount of appropriate social conduct. We did not detect a generalized progress pattern but agreed that there were changes between the beginning and end of the intervention. Therefore, we consider that observational methodology is useful in the field of psychotherapy and ASD, offering detailed information about changes and development that cannot be obtained with other traditional measures, such as questionnaires.

【 授权许可】

CC BY