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Evaluating Claims for Universals: A Method Analysis Approach

Barris P. Malcolm

University of Connecticut

This article presents method analysis, an approach to the evaluation of claims that a given proposition constitutes a human universal. Method analysis examines the ranges of samples, research designs, and methods of assessing measurement validity and reliability contained in a group of studies, and it compares the number of observed methods to a list of possibilities. Unit weighting and correction for nonconfirming studies are applied. The result is a coefficient with a range between –1 and 1. Method analysis is intended to supplement methods of research integration, including narrative reviews, meta-analyses, and secondary analysis. Reports concerning two propositions are method analyzed: (a) Low selfesteem is associated with substance abuse, and (b) perceptions of parental acceptance or rejection are associated with psychological adjustment.

Key Words: universals • theory testing • research methods • parental acceptance or rejection • substance abuse • self-esteem

Cross-Cultural Research, Vol. 38, No. 4, 319-342 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/1069397104267474


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