9-Apr-07 6:00 PM CST

MKPI Research – Why Houston

Brief history:

Previously, the MKP Research Council created a Research Team (the "Team") to evaluate the impact of participation in MKP centers in various areas where MKP has Centers. The Team piloted MKP research in 2003 and consisted of members of the existing MKP-GW Research Team started in 1997 (Ken Maton, Clinton Anderson, and Chris Burke, affiliated with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and non-MKP member Eric Mankowski, affiliated with Portland State University), and Tom Swiesky-Sacchettiof Philadelphia, Jason Seidel of Denver, and Research Council Chair Edward Barton of the Windsor/Detroit Centre and Volunteer Curator of the Changing Men Collections, Michigan State University Libraries.

The Team plans to longitudinally evaluate the impact of participation in MKP on the men who take part in the New Warrior Training Adventure weekend ("the weekend") in 10 to 12 regional centers during the last half of 2006. Based on the recommendation of Curtis Mitchell, Chairman of MKPI, the Team has developed five Data Collection Points ("data-points") that correspond to different levels of men's involvement in MKP, specifically:

• Immediately prior to the weekend
• Immediately after the weekend
• The last week of the post-weekend I-Group facilitation training (or "PIT")
• 12 months after the weekend (short-term follow-up)
• 24 months after the weekend (longitudinal follow-up).

Background:

The first 4 data-points were piloted in 2003. An Informed Consent form was developed and for each of those 4 data-points, the Team developed a separate survey instrument and cover letter. Those 4 surveys were piloted in the Centers of Colorado, Greater Washington, Philadelphia, and Windsor/Detroit. In addition, Chris Burke developed a web-based version of the survey instruments to increase response rates and reduce the labor required to collect, input, and analyze the data. The Research Team is modifying the protocols to provide for this web-based system. While web-based surveys can significantly increase response rates, one cost is that participation is more difficult for men without e-mail or internet access. For men who are not web accessible, hard copies will be provided so that they can participate too.

One of the advantages of the pilot study was that each of the Pilot Centers used minor variations in how the surveys were distributed and the data collected. This resulted in various response rates per Center, likely due, at least partially, to the protocol variations across piloting Centers. Based on these results, the Team is recommending the procedures used by Edward Barton in W/D that generated the highest return rate, outlined below.

Thanks to a grant from the Helen and William Mazer Foundation, a 5th data point of 24 months post NWTA has been added to the piloted data points to obtain more data as to the long term effects of participation In MKP, or lack thereof.

Areas Being Studied:

• The World Bank Social Capital instrument. (Measures of community connection)
• Life Goals and Satisfaction with Life Goals*
• Multi-Cultural Awareness Questionnaire
• An abbreviated version of the Gender Role Conflict Scale*
• Life Satisfaction Scale (Diener et al., 1985)*
• Organizationally Consistent MKP Beliefs*
• Depression (sub-scale from the BSI)*
• Instrument used in the MKP-GW Impact Study

Reasons and Benefits of the MKPI Research Initiative:

To survey men doing the NWTA, PIT, and I-Group participation

• Assess/measure the effectiveness of NWTA
• Assess/measure the effectiveness of PIT
• Assess/measure the effectiveness of I-Groups
• All done using recognized survey instruments
• Measure over time the changes in a man as a result of his participation, or not
• Get a better measure of the demographics of the men who do NWTA and Compare it with other MKP demographic research data
• Obtain data considered reliable and valid in the eyes of out side individuals and foundations as possible funding sources
• To have that reliable data, it is crucial that there are a large number of Centers participating so that we have a large sample size increasing the validity of the data
• The data will be available to Centers to use for seeking local funding as well

What can Houston provide to the MKPI Research Initiative:

1. A large center
2. Numerous NWTAs per year
3. Variety in NWTAs with a Gateway and possibly another Spanish NWTA

Copies of the instruments and suggested protocols are available for any one interested.

Suggestion:

Looking for a man or men who are willing to organize a Center Research Team, such as men who may not be that active in the Center who are academicians, therapists, graduate students, or others who might be interested in this research.

I am here to assist as needed.

Ed Barton
MKPI Research Coordinator
Researech@mkp.org
(517) 336 - 7073

Click a star to rate!

Rating: 0.00 / 5.00 - Not yet rated.
0 ratings