📚 Learning Guide
Qualitative Data Analysis Pitfalls
hard

A researcher analyzes interview transcripts and identifies a theme of 'stress management' but fails to consider how cultural backgrounds might influence participants' experiences of stress. Which pitfall of qualitative data analysis is the researcher exemplifying?

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Choose the Best Answer

A

Oversimplification of themes

B

Confirmation bias

C

Lack of reflexivity

D

Misinterpretation of data

Understanding the Answer

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Answer

The researcher is committing the pitfall of ignoring contextual factors, specifically the cultural background that shapes how participants experience and describe stress. By not accounting for cultural norms, values, or communication styles, the analysis risks misinterpreting or oversimplifying the data. This oversight reduces the depth and accuracy of the findings and can lead to false generalizations. For example, a participant from a collectivist culture might view stress as a family issue, whereas the researcher interprets it solely as an individual problem, thereby missing crucial cultural nuance. Recognizing and integrating cultural context is essential for a credible and nuanced qualitative analysis.

Detailed Explanation

The researcher treated all stress experiences as the same, ignoring how culture changes how people feel and cope. Other options are incorrect because Confirmation bias means only looking for data that supports a pre‑set idea; Lack of reflexivity is when a researcher does not examine how their own views affect the study.

Key Concepts

Thematic analysis
Data interpretation errors
Cultural influence
Topic

Qualitative Data Analysis Pitfalls

Difficulty

hard level question

Cognitive Level

understand

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