Discussion Question

For this discussion you will build upon the work you did in the last module. This week you will search academic databases to look for additional current research on your topic so you can build and refine your problem statement. You should follow the steps below (an example utilizing the steps is provided below also).

Directions

A research problem should:

• answer the 5 “wh” questions of the research (what, who, where, why and when)
• explain purpose of the research
• explain the scope of study
• identify the major variables of the problem

We can break this process into three steps:

Step 1: State the current and ideal situation for your research topic/problem.
You will need to FIND, CITE, AND REFERENCE AT LEAST FOUR SCHOLARLY RESOURCES to back up your claim that the current situation is a problem:

Step 2: State the 5 “wh” questions of your study and name the variables:

Step 3: State the scope and method for your investigative study:

Example:

Step 1: State the current and ideal situation for your research topic/problem:

Adults with disabilities are susceptible to workplace bullying (Bernard, 2017). Presently, there is limited information on the effects that workplace bullying has on people on the autism spectrum. In this review, I use the literature on the effect of bullying on the general workforce population to inform this study.

Bullying that is directed at individuals with disabilities may have significant effects on stress levels and reduce a person’s quality of life. In 2010, Rodriguez-Munoz et al. examined the relationship between workplace bullying and posttraumatic stress disorder in the general population. They found that less than 50% of the study sample met diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder; however, the number of females who met the diagnostic criteria was significantly higher than males. Okechukwu et al. (2014) also found a link between bullying in the workplace and stress and other negative health effects. Additionally, findings from a meta-analysis conducted by Nielsen and Einarsen (2012) showed that there was a strong association between bullying and post-traumatic stress symptoms, and depression and anxiety disorders.

Given the impact that workplace bullying has on the general population and the influx of persons on the autism spectrum aging into adulthood and entering the workforce, it is critical to understand how this population might be victimized at work. This knowledge is necessary to understand how this problem affects those on the autism spectrum and to provide information that can be used to develop interventions to stop the victimization of persons on the autism spectrum.

Step 2: State the purpose of your study (use the 5 “wh” questions):

The purpose of the research is to compare levels of trauma stress between adults on the autism spectrum who have experienced workplace bullying and those who have not experienced workplace bullying.

Step 3: State the scope and method for your investigative study:

To conduct this study, we will administer a trauma stress assessment instrument to a sample of employed adults who identify as being on the autism spectrum.

References

Bernard, A. (2017). Beyond the wheelchair: Workplace bullying and persons with disabilities. Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, 5(3), 41-47.

Nielsen, M. B., & Einarsen, S. (2012). Outcomes of exposure to workplace bullying: A meta-analytic review. Work & Stress, 26(4), 309-332.

Okechukwu, C. A., Souza, K., Davis, K. D., & De Castro, A. B. (2014). Discrimination, harassment, abuse, and bullying in the workplace: Contribution of workplace injustice to occupational health disparities. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 57(5), 573-586.

Rodríguez‐Muñoz, A., Moreno‐Jiménez, B., Sanz Vergel, A. I., & Garrosa Hernández, E. (2010). Post‐traumatic symptoms among victims of workplace bullying: Exploring gender differences and shattered assumptions. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 40(10), 2616-2635.

Assignment

Original Post:

Using the following format and the information you obtained from your library research on your topic, respond to these three items.

Step 1: State the current and ideal situation for your research topic/problem:
You will need to FIND, CITE, AND REFERENCE AT LEAST FOUR SCHOLARLY RESOURCES to back up your claim that the current situation is a problem.

Step 2: State the purpose of your study (use the 5 “wh” questions):

Step 3: State the scope and method for your investigative study:

References

Provide the full APA-style reference for your citations

REMEMBER!

For structured discussion board assignments, you must provide all of the required information. For narrative discussion board assignments, the length of original posts must be at least 10-12 full sentences and the length of responses m