Download Shifting to Local Contexts: Understanding Qualitative Research in Psychology and more Slides Research Methodology in PDF only on Docsity! Placing Qualitative Research Of specific relevance to psychology; Pluralisation of life worlds “growing individualisation of ways of living & biographical patterns” Diversity of millieus, lifestyles, subcultures Docsity.com • Era of grand narratives/theories over in favour of local, situated, temporal … • Confronted with new social contexts & perspectives: failure of traditional methodologies due to differentiation of object(s of study) Docsity.com • Can an objective conception of reality truly exist? "How do you know what is real?" • Most psychology research paradigms and methods deny the existence of an alternative symbolic universe. Docsity.com Classic lab experiment vs. methods more suited to real-life environments. • Methods: overall design of an investigation, the basic plan or strategy of the research and the logic behind it • Techniques: the ways in which we obtain indices of human behaviour and thought Choices shaped by general research questions and theoretical framework. Docsity.com Natural Science model & Hermeneutic model • Hermeneutics, interpretation, the art of the technique of reading - treats persons and societies as texts. Aimed at the search for meaning, favours qualitative analysis that generates knowledge of particulars: non-positivist philosophies of science. • The Natural Science model - seeks causality, favours quantitative forms of analysis that generate universal knowledge: positivist philosophy of science. Docsity.com Qualitative research • An array of alternative approaches, don’t build accounts directly or only from quantitative data (See Table 2.2) Realist : Increase number of ‘confounding’ variables to mimic real world – ecological validity Social Constructionist: Science is knowledge which creates as well as describes the world • Methodological pluralism, a multi-method approach. The researcher reserves the right to design the research as it evolves, building flexibility into the design. Docsity.com Advantages of quantitative methods • numbers enable greater precision in measurement • well established statistical methods for analysing data • quantitative measurements faciliate comparison • fit in well with hypothetico-deductive approaches • sampling theory can be used to estimate how well findings generalise Docsity.com Advantages of qualitative methods • use ordinary language • data from open questions and observation yielding verbal description • enable individual to be studied in depth/detail • avoid simplifications imposed by quantification • data usually vivid and easy to grasp • good for hypothesis generation and for exploratory discovery oriented research • gives more freedom to participant Docsity.com Good for research • that delves in depth into complexities and processes • on little known phenomena or innovative systems • that seeks to explore where and why policy and local knowledge are at odds • on informal and unstructured linkages and processes in organisations • on real as opposed to stated organisational goals • that cannot be done experimentally for ethical or practical reasons • for which relevant variables have yet to be identified Docsity.com Do justice to object of study Importance of context setting participant’s frame of reference Conduct research where all contextual variables are operating Docsity.com Developments • attention to the role of language • attention to the ways in which accounts can be studied to construct a picture of the world; • recognising that different discourses paint different pictures; • the importance of reflexivity in the account that researchers give of their work Return to Oral; Local; Particular; Timely. Not just about correct methodologies or interpretation practices & policy: Qualitative research linked to specific attitude on part of researcher. Docsity.com
