Good Assessing Introduction And Purpose Statements Research Paper Example

The aim of this paper is to assess and evaluate the research paper titled, “A little thanks goes a long way: Explaining why gratitude expressions motivate prosocial behavior,” by Adam Grant, A., & Gino, F. (2010). The assessment and evaluation has been done in light of the excerpt, “A typology of research purposes and its relationship to mixed methods.” The nine research purposes include prediction, addition of knowledge base, measuring change, understanding complex phenomena, testing idea, generating ideas and examining the past. Other purposes include informing constituents and having a personal, social, institutional and organizational impact (Newman et al., 2003; Leech & Onwuegbuzie, 2009).).
The introduction by Grant & Gino (2010) begins by focusing on a general understanding of the essence of gratitude. It observes the feeling that people get when they are thanked for their contribution or participation in various activities. The authors observe that the beneficial effects of gratitude include stronger social relationships, positive experiences and having the ability to overcome stressful circumstances. The authors appreciate the existence of previous works that have been carried out on the same subject of gratitude. This means that while they attempt to create something new, they recognize the role that earlier scholars have played in providing knowledge that forms the basis of their study.
The statement of the problem comes immediately after the introductory statement. From a general observation on the role of gratitude and the previous works of scholars on the same subject, Grant and Gino (2010) narrows their research to a specific issues that defines the purpose of the study. They admit that little research has been done elucidate the role of gratitude in motivating prosocial behavior. The purpose statement has been expressed through a fundamental question, “Through what psychological processes do being thanked lead to higher levels of helping?” (Grant & Gino, 2010).

In this regard, assessment and evaluation of this introduction reveals that the research seeks to achieve the following purposes:

Purpose 1: Addition of knowledge base: Since this is a social science research, it is indubitable that the research sought to add new knowledge to an existing body of knowledge. The intrinsic value of this research cannot be understated. In this regard, Grant and Gino (2010) have attempted to avail research for easy access by their audience.
Purpose 2: A research intended to have a personal, social, institutional and/or organizational impact: This research might have been triggered by the need to create an impact. It may seek to encourage people to be grateful for assistance they get from other people or organizations since appreciation of assistance yields more helping. Thus, being grateful can help institutionalize a culture of helping because people that lend a helping hand find motivation when they are thanked.
Purpose 3: Generating new ideas: The introduction and purpose statements of this research suggest that it might have been intended to explore new ideas. Since the research was based on a social issue, there is a possibility that it was developed with the aim of producing new ideas that can serve as basis for continued research.
Suggestions that can be made in light of the introduction and purpose statements in the work of Grant and Gino (2010) include exploring the background of the study to include the feelings of people when they are not thanked. Do people feel the same way if they are not thanked? To what extent do the feelings change? How does gratitude enhance prosocial behavior from agentic viewpoint?

References

Grant, A. M., & Gino, F. (2010). A little thanks goes a long way: Explaining why gratitude expressions motivate prosocial behavior. Journal of personality and social psychology, 98(6), 946.
Leech, N. L., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2009). A typology of mixed methods research designs. Quality & Quantity, 43(2), 265-275.
Newman, I., Ridenour, C. S., Newman, C., & DeMarco, G. M. P. (2003). A typology of research purposes and its relationship to mixed methods. In A. Tashakkori & C. Teddlie (Eds.), Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral research (pp. 167-188). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.