Imagine you are investigating the effectiveness of a new fitness program.
What type(s) of quantitative and qualitative data would be most helpful in your study? How might you design a data collection plan considering feasibility, potential biases, and ethical considerations?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Title: Creating a Data Plan for New Fitness Program Evaluation.
Thesis Statement: To assess the effectiveness of a new fitness program, a combination of quantitative and qualitative data would be essential to capture both objective outcomes and subjective experiences of participants.
Quantitative Data:
1. Physical Measurements: Body weight, body fat percentage, muscle mass, BMI (Body Mass Index), and other physical metrics to track changes in participants’ physical health.
2. Fitness Assessments: Measurements of cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, flexibility, and endurance levels to evaluate improvements in overall fitness.
3. Attendance and Compliance: Quantifying the number of sessions attended by each participant and adherence to the program to gauge engagement levels.
Qualitative Data:
1. Participant Surveys: Feedback on satisfaction, perceived benefits, challenges faced, and overall experience with the fitness program.
2. Focus Groups: In-depth discussions with participants to explore their motivations, barriers, and personal insights related to the program.
3. Observations: Researcher observations of participant interactions, engagement levels, and overall program dynamics.
Designing the Data Collection Plan:
1. Feasibility: Consider the resources available (time, budget, personnel) and select data collection methods that are practical and manageable within the constraints of the study.
2. Potential Biases: Mitigate biases by ensuring random assignment of participants to treatment and control groups (if applicable), using standardized measurement protocols, and maintaining consistency in data collection procedures.
3. Ethical Considerations:
– Obtain informed consent from participants before data collection.
– Ensure confidentiality and anonymity of participant data.
– Minimize risks and ensure the safety of participants during fitness assessments and program participation.
– Provide debriefing and support services for participants if needed.
4. Data Collection Procedures:
– Conduct pre-program assessments to establish baseline measurements.
– Implement the fitness program with regular monitoring of participants’ progress.
– Collect quantitative data through physical assessments and attendance records.
– Gather qualitative data through surveys, focus groups, and observations.
– Analyze data using statistical methods for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data.
5. Data Analysis and Reporting:
– Compare pre- and post-program measurements to evaluate changes in physical health and fitness levels.
– Analyze survey responses and qualitative data to identify themes and patterns in participants’ experiences.
– Present findings in a comprehensive report outlining the effectiveness of the fitness program based on both quantitative outcomes and qualitative insights.
In conclusion, a well-rounded data collection plan incorporating both quantitative and qualitative measures is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of a new fitness program. By designing a plan that considers feasibility, potential biases, and ethical considerations, researchers can obtain valuable insights into the impact of the program on participants’ physical health and overall well-being.
