Asking perplexity to produce suggestions for the construction of the ALRA (academic-oriented) deliverables

Asking perplexity.ai to produce suggestions for the construction of the ALRA (academic-oriented) deliverables

My question 1: "With regard to the Housing Studies dissertation research theme of "an evaluation of Hong Kong Gen Zers' perceptions of how the Hong Kong housing affordability situation affect their retirement plan", could you suggest three research gaps, and three research objectives, each of which responds to one of the research gaps; and then suggest one academic theory to apply in one of the three research objectives."

The reply: "Here are three research gaps and objectives regarding Hong Kong Gen Z's perceptions of housing affordability and its impact on their retirement plans, followed by an applicable academic theory:

Research Gaps

1. Limited Understanding of Gen Z's Specific Concerns: Current research may not fully capture the unique perspectives and concerns of Gen Z regarding housing affordability and retirement, as much of the existing literature may focus on broader generational cohorts or older populations5.

2. Lack of Consideration for Psychological and Emotional Impacts: The emotional and psychological toll of housing unaffordability on Gen Z's retirement planning is an under-explored area. There is a need to understand how this stress impacts their decision-making and overall well-being5.

3. Insufficient Exploration of Alternative Housing Models: There is limited research on Gen Z's attitudes toward and willingness to adopt alternative housing models (e.g., co-living, micro-apartments) as a strategy to overcome affordability challenges and its subsequent effect on retirement prospects5.

Research Objectives

1. Objective 1: To investigate Hong Kong Gen Z's specific perceptions, concerns, and expectations regarding the impact of current housing affordability on their future retirement plans. This addresses the gap in understanding Gen Z's unique perspective5.

2. Objective 2: To evaluate the psychological and emotional impact of housing unaffordability on Gen Z's retirement planning, including stress levels, mental health, and overall well-being. This aims to address the gap in understanding the psychological toll5.

3. Objective 3: To explore Gen Z's attitudes toward and willingness to adopt alternative housing models as a strategy to overcome housing affordability challenges and the perceived impact on their retirement prospects. This responds to the gap in exploring alternative housing models5.

Applicable Academic Theory

• Planned Behavior Theory (for Objective 3): The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) can be applied to research objective 3, which explores Gen Z's attitudes toward alternative housing models. TPB suggests that behavior is determined by intentions, which are influenced by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. In this context:

  • Attitudes: Gen Z's positive or negative evaluations of alternative housing models (e.g., co-living).

  • Subjective Norms: Their perception of whether important people in their lives (e.g., family, friends) would approve or disapprove of them living in alternative housing.

  • Perceived Behavioral Control: Their belief in their ability to successfully adopt and live in alternative housing, considering factors like availability, cost, and personal preferences.

By applying TPB, the research can gain insights into the factors that drive or hinder Gen Z's acceptance of alternative housing models and how these choices might affect their retirement plans."

My question 2: "Could you also suggest 1 academic theory for objective 2 and another one for objective 1?"

The reply: "Here are suggestions for academic theories applicable to research objectives 1 and 2:

Objective 1: To investigate Hong Kong Gen Z's specific perceptions, concerns, and expectations regarding the impact of current housing affordability on their future retirement plans.

• Prospect Theory: Prospect theory explains how individuals make decisions when facing risk and uncertainty. It suggests that people weigh potential losses and gains differently, placing more emphasis on avoiding losses than acquiring equivalent gains. When applied to Gen Z's perceptions of housing affordability and retirement, prospect theory can help explain:

  • How the perception of potential losses (e.g., not being able to afford a home, having to delay retirement) due to housing unaffordability affects their planning and decision-making.

  • Whether they are more risk-averse or risk-seeking in their retirement planning, based on their assessment of the potential gains and losses associated with different housing and investment strategies.

  • How framing housing affordability as a potential loss (e.g., "you might not be able to retire comfortably") or a potential gain (e.g., "investing in affordable housing now can secure your future") influences their attitudes and behaviors.

Objective 2: To evaluate the psychological and emotional impact of housing unaffordability on Gen Z's retirement planning, including stress levels, mental health, and overall well-being.

• Stress and Coping Theory: This theory examines how individuals respond to stressful situations and the coping mechanisms they employ to manage stress. In the context of housing unaffordability and retirement planning, the stress and coping theory can help in understanding:

• How housing unaffordability acts as a chronic stressor for Gen Z, leading to negative psychological outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and reduced well-being.

• The coping strategies Gen Z employs to deal with this stress, which could include problem-focused coping (e.g., seeking financial advice, adjusting retirement plans) or emotion-focused coping (e.g., seeking social support, using avoidance strategies).

• The effectiveness of different coping strategies in mitigating the negative psychological impacts of housing unaffordability on their retirement planning and overall mental health."

My question 3: "Could you summarize the suggestions in three columns, the first one being on research gaps, the second one being on research objectives and the third column being on the academic theories?"

The reply: "

These gaps and objectives reflect the unique housing affordability challenges faced by Hong Kong Gen Z and align with academic theories to provide a robust framework for the dissertation research theme. The suggestions are consistent with recent housing affordability issues and alternative housing discussions in Hong Kong1235.

Column 1 and 2 together constitutes the research gaps-research objectives table.

With columns 2 and 3, an academic literature review tree can be constructed as follows:

My question 4: "Suggest a research method that makes use of suggested academic theory for research objective 1, and so on for research objective 2 and research objective 3."

The reply: "

Research objective 1. Investigate Hong Kong Gen Z's perceptions and concerns about housing affordability's impact on retirement plans. Prospect Theory. Research Method: Quantitative survey with scenario-based experiments: Use structured questionnaires presenting hypothetical housing affordability and retirement scenarios to capture Gen Z’s risk preferences, loss aversion, and decision-making patterns. Statistical analysis (e.g., regression, choice modeling) can test how framing effects influence their perceptions and plans1234.

Research objective 2. Evaluate psychological and emotional impacts of housing unaffordability on Gen Z's retirement planning. Stress and Coping Theory. Mixed-method approach combining psychometric scales and in-depth interviews: Administer validated stress and coping questionnaires (e.g., Perceived Stress Scale, Brief COPE) to quantify stress levels and coping styles, followed by qualitative interviews to explore emotional experiences and coping narratives in depth. This approach captures both measurable stress indicators and rich personal context.

Research objective 3. 3. Explore Gen Z's attitudes toward alternative housing models and their effect on retirement prospects. Theory of Planned Behavior. Cross-sectional survey with structural equation modeling (SEM): Design a survey measuring attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intentions toward alternative housing. SEM can analyze relationships among TPB constructs to predict willingness to adopt alternative housing and implications for retirement planning.

Based on these information, the following academic literature review tree-b is drawn:

Reference

A list of notes on the agile literature review approach (the academic-oriented type)

A list of notes on the ALRA for housing studies.