Transcript Lecture 1: Introduction

Qualitative research in
psychology
A distinct research process
Inquiries of knowledge that are outside the
framework prescribed by the scientific method,
as well as assumptions of inferential statistics
Important to review modern philosophies of
science which have set rules for how
psychologists have thought about research for
past 80 years.
Philosophy of science
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Understand why & how philosophy of science is
relevant to psychology
Appreciate the basic issues of hypotheses and
disconfirmation
Be able to assess the relevance of different
models of science to different areas of
psychology
What is the ‘philosophy of science’?
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concerned with the question of how we should
carry out scientific research given our
understanding of the nature of knowledge.
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how most scientists actually work given the social
and practical circumstances of their work.
Reality, Knowledge & Science
Philosophers interested in the relation between
Ontology (the study of what actually exists)
 Epistemology (the study of what knowledge is, what
we can know and what the limits of knowledge are)
 Methodology (the study of the ways in which the
world can be studied).
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Definition
Example in
physical science
Example in
psychology
Ontology
The study of
what actually
exists
Is space infinite?
Is the mind part of
the brain?
Epistemology
The study of
the varieties,
foundations &
limits of what
What are the limits
to our
understanding of
the relationship
between time &
What kind of limits
are there on our
understanding of the
link between the
brain and
consciousness?
we can know
space?
Methodology
The study of
means of
investigating a
phenomenon
How should we
How should we study
study time & space? the effects of drugs
on consciousness?
Ontological assumptions
↓
Epistemological assumptions
↓
Methodological assumptions
What is science?
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Objective testing of theories based on evidence
Public sharing of data
Theories competing with each other
Careful measurements/recording/data analysis
Therefore psychology is a science…?
Key concepts in philosophy of
science
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Positivism
Logical Positivism
Disconfirmation
Paradigms
Anarchy
Social Constructionism
Comte, Ayer and logical positivism
Auguste Comte (1798-1857)
three phases of searching for understanding
theological ; metaphysical ; positive or scientific
Positivism ‘unity of science project’
 process of induction.
 Vienna Circle 1920s - ‘logical positivism’
 emphasis on theories & logical deduction of
hypotheses
Alfred Ayer (1910-89,) Language, Truth and Logic 1936.
a statement can only be true only if
(i) it is a self-evident analytic, deductive truth (e.g.
‘2+2=4’)
(ii) the statement matches reality precisely.
Statements had to be verifiable to be meaningful.
commitment to empiricism, checking ideas against the
world.
not about the process of discovery per se - just
specifying what should be permitted as scientific –
conservative
logical positivist criteria - Psychology borderline
picked up by behaviourism.
Positivism
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Facts
Facts
More facts
Generalise from those facts
= induction
Logical Positivism
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Theory
Verifiability
Tests
Generalise
= deduction
Disconfirmation
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Karl Popper (1902-1994) first major attack on
logical positivism The Logic of Scientific Discovery
(1935 / 1959)
verifiability encouraged confirmation of theories
rather than genuine discovery; consistent
evidence is merely corroboration.
Bold conjectures required by science
Disconfirmation/falsifiability principle:
hypotheses need to be capable of being wrong
Several problems:
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theories and observations are neither
independent nor neutral
science is a practical business - find best answer
rather than the application of logic
Science should proceed in 4 stages:
Formal Stage. theory checked for internal consistency.
2.
Semi-formal Stage. separate propositions which do/do not
have empirical consequences
3.
Comparison Stage. new theory compared with existing
theories If it explains the same/less known facts then new theory
should be abandoned.
4.
Empirical Testing Stage. test hypothesis least likely to be true
- informativeness.
And if prediction not supported? still our best guess
1.
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Criticism: scientists propose ‘auxiliary hypotheses’
What are the implications of Popper’s ideas
for how we think about psychological
research?
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difficulty arises when considering theories rather
than hypotheses
Theories which are internally inconsistent are
incapable of being disconfirmed
Kuhn and revolution: Paradigms
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Thomas Kuhn(1922-96) scientific progress not a purely
rational process: peaceful interludes- normal science
where scientists share a paradigm - punctuated by
violent intellectual revolutions.
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scientists don’t listen to the data
Routine procedures and ideas = paradigm
Normal science
Revolutionary science
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most scientists conservative: do not abandon or
revise theory but dismiss data
when inconsistent data build up and new radical
paradigm is offered there is a revolution
old paradigm is never decisively shown to be
wrong but simply withers away as fewer and
fewer experiments are carried out within its
frame of reference.
What are the implications of Kuhn's ideas for
how we think about psychological research?
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relationship between evidence & theory framed
by paradigm in which research is carried out.
Epistemological Anarchy
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Paul Feyerabend (1924-94) Against Method 1975
No single correct method in science: rejected realism for a form of
relativism
in principle all forms of theories are worthwhile = theoretical pluralism
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Anything that works is fine = epistemological anarchy
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argued theories could not be compared - concept of incommensurabilty
theories give meaning to facts, not vice versa
a form of social constructionism emphasising that the ‘world’ is not singular
but plural.
Scientific inquiry constructs the objects it inquires into, scientific objects are created
by the very practice of investigation itself.
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Implications of Feyerabend’s ideas for how we
think about psychological research?
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demystifies logical positivism. If no single
correct method for doing science for all
problems at all time in all places, then every
research project has to find its own method.
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Incommensurabilty principle forces us to think
about each theory in its own terms.
emphasises the doubts that logical positivism is
studying the real world out there.
Summary
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Many different ideas about science
Psychology uses ‘logical positivism’
…but may not be always the best choice
Qualitative work needs alternative model of science
Philosophies of science clarify why experimental,
scientific psychology adopts the practices that it does,
but also that there are other models which can be
adopted.
Questions to ask
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What model of science is this study using?
Could it have used a different one?
What model of science is best for psychology?
Should different areas of psychology have
different models of science?