Teen Self Help Book Product Research

This is a product-based review of a self-help book for adolescents that discusses the problems facing adolescents and potential solutions to these challenges. The purpose of the book is to help adolescents cope with the common physical and psychological issues they face every day. This study was carried out to find out whether this goal was realized and to find out the effect the book had on adolescents. Many books discussing adolescent issues and potential solutions have been published, but they do not understand the emotions of teenagers. This research also aims to see if the book fully addressed the feeling of teenagers in the implementation of solutions to challenges that teenagers face.

Qualitative and quantitative methodologies were employed, with emphasis on questionnaires, surveys, interviews and focus groups. The interviews were semi-structured while the questionnaires open and closed ended.

Results obtained showed a 73% positive feedback and approval rating hence signifying the aim of the book was meet however not fully.

Product based Research paper on a Teen Self Help Book

Teenage-hood is full of challenges since it is a period where one finds him or herself. Body changes take place as well as sexual maturity. Hormones become a factor in the teenager leading to a mixture of feelings and mood, at times ranging from normal, happy, sad, manic to depressive moods. Several challenges affect teenagers and they can sometimes feel neglected and lost. Teen self-help books have been established to try help teenagers with their challenges. This research report aims at analyzing one such teen self-help book and how it has impacted the readers as well as to show if the aims of the book were meet. The objectives of the research are to get people’s opinion on the book, whether they enjoyed it, if it attained its intended purpose and if they would recommend it to others.

The books main purpose is to help teenagers deal with the common physical and psychological problems that they face daily with an aim of immensely influencing and changing the life of the reader as well as to show how words can be effective and life changing. This research hopes to prove that these aims were meet.

Methodology

The population of interest for this research is teenagers, who have read the book, both male, and female between the age of 13-18 years as well as parents, caregivers, and teachers who deal with teenagers.

Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in this research. The aim of quantitative research is to gather the statistical numbers and support for the research conclusion. It seeks to explore a phenomenon, describe variations and individual experiences. The methods employed include surveys such as the use of questioners, email, mail and internet surveys, and structured observations.

Questioners are a list of survey questions asked to individuals with the aim of getting some information. (Bussiness Dictionary)They can be thought of as a kind of written interview (Mcleod).A questionnaire was used as a technique of gathering data and the target group tasked with filling it. The questionnaire had ten closed ended questions as well as 10 open-ended questions with an inclusion of 6 survey questions. The open-ended questions mainly explored on how the book touched the reader’s life. The questioners were divided into 5 sections

Section 1 contained dichotomous questions whose answers were either yes or no; true or false. These were used to get feedback on the total amount of people who took the survey based on gender. Section 2 contained a Likert response scale, which aimed to measure responses based on an interval with a scale ranging from 1 to 5. 1 being strongly disagreed, 2- disagree, 3- neutral 4-agree and 5 strongly agree. This section had questions that went further to ask the respondent if he or she referred the book to another individual. This helped qualify the responses. A scale of rating was also established in the questioners with 0 being of no help at all and 10 being of maximum help.

The third section contained semantic differentiation questions which were used to gauge the interest, usefulness and impact the book generated. The responses were either very much, somewhat, or either. The fourth section contained Guttmann scaling where the responded simply checked the statement that he or she agrees on. This helped refine the respondent’s answers to the questioners. The fifth section contained a response box, whereby the responded was given the opportunity to respond comment and share their views in their own words.

Telephone and email surveys were mainly used for parents and individuals who are in other states and town willing to participate in this research. A phone call was made to various individuals and asked to complete a small survey whose content mainly included generation of a scale of 1 to 10 on how the book impacted their lives. Internet surveys were also helpful and conducted by posting polls in social media such as Facebook and Twitter. A page for the book was created and survey questions generated with a target audience of teenagers who responded by commenting on the post. This tool proved to be very helpful and cost effective. Email surveys were sent mainly to caregivers and parents who had read the book. Their responses recorded and compiled.

Structured observation method was not fully employed however used in a bid to get a general perspective on how the book was doing and how many copies were circulating in the general population.

Qualitative research method was employed to examine the reason for a conclusion and decision as well as the how of that conclusion was made. (Taylor). The methods used include in-depth interviews on a one on one basis and the formation of focus groups to explore people’s ideas attitudes and a general notion of the book.

The personal interviews were done on specific days at a popular location frequented by teenagers. The interviews were semi-structured to give the interviewee room to explain themselves and discuss fully at the same time allowing the interviewer to follow a format. It consisted of an informal setup with a willing individual from the sampled group, followed by an interaction, getting their general view of the book and engaging them on a one on one basis on how the book has helped them, impacted their lives and changes they have made after reading the book. The responses were immediately noted down and any query for clarity done. Interviews with parents and caregivers were focused on how the book has helped them understand their teenagers and if it has had an impact on them as well.

A call to set up a focus group was made to the target group and several participants availed themselves. The focus group mainly centred on teenagers and none was done for parents and caregivers. Four groups were formed each consisting of 6-8 individuals. The participants were encouraged to air their views and speak out. The subject matters for the focus group included; how the book has impacted their lives, the changes that they have made, did the book explain how words change lives and was the book life changing, and an enquiry on the solutions the book provides conducted. The participants briefly discussed the solutions provided and asked if the solutions addressed the feelings of teenagers and if they were realistic and manageable. A discussion on the various solution of teenage problems was also conducted.

Results

A total of 210 individuals were participants in the research. Out of this, 115 were ladies/girls while 95 comprised of men/boys. Teenagers of age group 13-18 consisted of 90% of participants with only 10 % being parents and caregivers. 70% of the teenagers were fellow schoolmates, 22 % local area residents from other institutions, 8% non-local residents from other states.

In terms of the methods used, 65 % of the research was done using surveys mainly focusing on questionnaires and electronic surveys such as email and social media polling. Interviews both personal and focus group took up 34 % while only 1 % was for structured observation.

Only 1.5 % of the questionnaires were null and void. The Likert response scale showed 73% of the participants agreed with the question “The book has highly had an impact on my life”. Out of these respondents, 70% said yes to referring the book to others. 50% of the participants answered the response box more than half of them requesting for more from the writer with a small fraction disliking the book. The social media polls answering the question, “Did the book have an impact on your life” got an 80 % yes response, 17 % saying no while 3 % were uncertain.

On the personal interviews, all respondents applauded the book for being more than just a book but a self-help book and ‘coach’. More than half of the respondents said the book had a great impact in their lives and that it helped them change. 72 % of the respondents gave the book a positive rating with 28 % giving a negative rating because they wanted more from the book.

Discussion

On an analysis of the results, in general, the book had a profound great effect on the participants. They learnt a new skill and solutions on how to deal with teenage challenges and manage tough.

The study showed a positive feedback about the book signifying that the aims of the book were effectively meet and the author managed to fulfill the intended vision of; ‘writing a book like no other, a book that has an immense impact on teenagers, providing realistic solutions while at the same time considering the feelings of teenagers’ the respondents declared that; the book had a great impact on their lives. The relatively high number of participants proved that the book is relatively common slowly gaining ground. It received a total 73% positive feedback.

. Conclusion

The study proved that the book was indeed helpful. A high approval rating showed that a large population appreciated the book and that the solutions and recommendations were appropriate. The use of questionnaires was relatively cost effective however had some limitations as the responses lacked validity and there was no way of qualifying the responses and proving that indeed the responses were true. (S. Ackroyd). The small number of personal interviews hindered a wider view of exploration of the subject matter since personal interviews proved effective.

Teenagers face many challenges as they grow, they became rebellious at times since no one fully understands them. The self-help book aimed at helping teenagers with their challenges and impacting their lives positively. The importance of the study was to show if the book had an impact on the readers and if the solutions provided work and are if they are effective.

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