DEVELOPMENTAL CRISIS IN EARLY ADULTHOOD: A ...

for the whole gender, and then within the sample, and then finally on all cases
combined across all three studies. This movement up from individuals to clustered
groups of progressively increasing size promoted an inductive focus in the emerging
model to complement any deductive inferences made from prior theory, and ensured
that the participant’s voices and experiences were retained in the model which was
developed. The processes of clustering and between-case analysis are described in
more detail in the Study 1 Specifics section below.
5.11 Data Display: Matrices and Diagrams
Data displays are employed in a number of ways during analysis and
reporting. Informal displays were used to aid brainstorming and exploratory analysis
(see pp.123-124 in Chapter 7 for examples). Diagrams are used to encapsulate key
relations in single cases of crises (e.g. Appendix F). Diagrams are also used to portray
case clusters (shown on p.75 in this Chapter). Matrices are used to present participant
details, and to present case-ordered data in summary form (see Appendix H). Finally,
a matrix/diagram hybrid is used to summarise the overall model (p.171 in Chapter 9).
Study 1 Method Specifics
Having described those methodological processes that are common across all
three studies, this section of the chapter now presents those points that were specific
to the first empirical study.
5.12 Study 1 Sample
The recruitment processes, case definition and demographic parameters in
Study 1 were as described in sections 5.3 to 5.5 of this chapter. The sample size was
initially set to 20. A purposive form of sampling was employed to seek an even
balance of men and women and a diverse representation of ages within early
adulthood. This involved a stratified sample frame that crossed two age bands with
gender to create four cells. The resulting sample frame is shown in Table VII. The
target was to find five participants in each of the four cells of the sample frame.
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