Final answer:
Qualitative research is aimed at understanding and interpreting human behavior, not necessarily to predict or test theories. It focuses on the meanings behind actions and ensures study validity through operational definitions for consistency and replicability.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the purpose of a qualitative research design is to explain, predict, confirm, and validate results and test existing theories is partially incorrect. Qualitative research mainly seeks to understand and interpret human behavior, social processes, and the complexities of society in depth, which differs from quantitative research which focuses on prediction and numerical data analysis.
Qualitative sociology uses methods like in-depth interviews, focus groups, and content analysis, to explore the meanings behind human actions. Researchers also strive for validity, the accuracy of a given result in measuring what it's designed to measure. To ensure this, they create operational definitions to define concepts in terms of measurable steps, ensuring consistency and replicability in research. A qualitative study's success is less about confirming predictions and more about providing rich, contextualized understanding.