Research Initiatives & The Peer Research Laboratory

1. Redefining Self-Help Research

Research on self-help has taken a new turn. Several Community Psychology scholars have argued that classical controlled-experiment methodology is often inappropriate for studying self-help, and that new approaches are needed.

In their paper “Researching Self-Help Mutual Aid Groups and Organizations: Many Roads, One Journey” (1994), Keith Humphreys and Julian Rappaport pointed out that many “controlled” studies on self-help in the 1980s were actually studies of groups established by researchers, where participants were randomly assigned. They argue that controlled studies of this type examine professionally controlled support groups rather than true self-help, because they leave out the most definitive element of the movement: self-determination.

Humphreys and Rappaport suggest that researchers do better to study self-help as it occurs naturally, placing emphasis on the qualitative features of participation. Relevant research areas include:

• Changes in friendship networks and social support.
• Shifts in identity, self-esteem, and personal narratives.
• Transformations in worldview and mutual responsibility.

These studies provide “thick” descriptions of groups in their local situations, leading to a richer understanding of the cultural aspects of mutual aid.

Participatory Action Research (PAR)

Similarly, in “Participatory Action Research as a Strategy for Studying Self-Help Groups Internationally” (1995), Thomasina Borkman and Marsha Schubert write that researchers need not claim the artificial “objectivity” of controlled clinical trials. The random-assignment method, used to avoid self-selection, is a distortion here because participation in self-help groups is inherently self-selective.

Borkman and Schubert cite the work of M. Chesler (1991) on Participatory Action Research (PAR), where researchers and the community under study participate jointly. In this framework, members are involved in:

1. Formulating project designs and key research questions.
2. Joint data collection and defining which factors to analyze.
3. Sharing equal control of the project or calling in researchers as consultants.

This collaborative structure balances the power between researchers and participants, resulting in findings that are directly useful to the groups themselves while contributing to broader social science.

2. The Peer Research Laboratory

Associated directly with the National Self-Help Clearinghouse, the Peer Research Laboratory applies the major principles of mutual aid to the educational system. We believe that peer support is just as relevant in school classrooms as it is in community support groups.

Core Educational Principles

• Strengths-Based Approach: Rather than focusing on deficits, we emphasize students’ assets and skills, encouraging them to help themselves by helping others.
• Community Ethos: When helping others within the school setting becomes the norm, it creates a shared community value of cooperation, caring, and hope.
• Students as Prosumers: In schools, teachers teach, but students do the learning. In peer work, students are “prosumers”—both the producers and consumers of education. When children teach children, the overall productivity of the school increases.
• The Helper Principle: Giving help is the best way of being helped. Studies show that low-achieving students dramatically improve their own grades and self-confidence by tutoring others.

Laboratory Activities

To put these principles into practice, the Peer Research Laboratory:

• Develops and implements demonstration programs in schools.
• Conducts staff development and professional training activities.
• Carries out systematic research on the effectiveness of peer approaches.
• Provides technical assistance and consultation to school administrators.
• Publishes academic papers, policy briefs, and research reports.
• Maintains a specialized library of research and training materials.