Quantitative research is systematic investigation of directly observable behavior (e.g., how much someone eats, how many cigarettes someone smokes) or indirectly assessed phenomena (e.g., intelligence, love, perceptions) using numeric data. The purpose of quantitative research is to test theories about how phenomena are related. This is accomplished by testing relationships among variables represented with numbers using statistical analysis. Quantitative research methods are based in the belief that there is an objective reality to be discovered and known. In order to investigate and know that world, researchers must remain as distant and objective as possible. Typically, numbers are assigned to participant responses or observations, and those numbers are analyzed with statistical programs like Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Within the field of marriage, family, ...