Research Topic and Variables
The subject examined in the “Overwhelmed and powerless: Staff perspectives on mother-infant separations in English prisons” article is the well-being of mothers in jail. Mothers who are separated from their children in prison suffer severe psychological consequences. According to Powell et al. (2020), many women experience depression and show signs of aggression when they are separated from their children. Besides, research indicates that mother-child separation is the primary factor that contributes to prisoner suicide (Powell et al., 2020).
This issue is crucial because it causes thousands of mothers to lose contact with their children and complicates conditions for prison staff. In their study, Powell et al. (2020) surveyed prison personnel who work with this group of mothers. The independent variable of the research is the behavior of prison staff towards mothers and their actions to support the emotional state of the prisoners.
Validity and Reliability
Limited prison conditions increase internal validity by reducing the influence of external factors. Mothers are kept in constant isolation from the outside world, and communication with people is reduced to a group of other prisoners and staff, which increases the purity of the research. Experimenting with two different prisons increases external reliability. This approach represents the reaction of unrelated groups of mothers and reduces the possibility of the psychological influence of one group on the other. Moreover, the study participants were selected from different seniority groups among the staff to reduce the likelihood of the impact of position and social status on the behavior model.
Bias
The article analyzed may be called prejudiced for various reasons. Firstly, the research solely examines the effects of separation on mothers and prison employees. The impacts of separation on children are not addressed in the article, and the possibility of separation positively influencing children’s future is not considered.
For instance, children raised in jail would likely not have a satisfactory quality of life, mental health, or well-being. The article may also be biased, as Powell et al. (2020) imply that mothers would be happier if they were not separated from their children. In prison conditions, where mothers are under constant psychological and possible physical violence, the accuracy of this assumption is questionable.
Reference
Powell, C., Ciclitira, K., & Marzano, L. (2020). Overwhelmed and powerless: Staff perspectives on mother-infant separations in English prisons. Journal of Criminal Psychology, 10(4), 311-328. Web.