Critical realism and qualitative research in psychology

IF 4.6 3区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY Qualitative Research in Psychology Pub Date : 2022-12-16 DOI:10.1080/14780887.2022.2157782

M. Willis

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引用次数: 1

Abstract

ABSTRACT Qualitative researchers wishing to circumnavigate the limitations of positivism, on the one hand, and strong constructionism, on the other, tend to be attracted to critical realism (CR), which offers a middle ground between the two: CR combines ontological realism and epistemological relativism. As a philosophical position for qualitative research, CR has been adopted by researchers utilising diverse data collection and analytic methods. However, there are at least two distinct approaches claiming the CR name: one developed by Joseph Maxwell, with qualitative research specifically in mind, and one developed by Roy Bhaskar and colleagues, as a general philosophy of natural and social sciences. In this paper I compare these two forms of CR on four dimensions, which on the surface they appear to share: (1) what does ‘critical’ mean; (2) epistemological relativism; (3) ontological realism; (4) causality. It is obvious that, below the surface when the details are examined, the two approaches to CR differ considerably on at least the last three dimensions, if not all four. I propose four reasons for preferring Bhaskar’s CR over Maxwell’s CR, arguing the former is more appropriate for qualitative research in psychology.

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批判现实主义与心理学定性研究

希望突破实证主义和强建构主义局限性的质性研究者往往被批判实在论所吸引，因为批判实在论结合了本体论实在论和认识论相对主义，提供了两者之间的中间地带。作为定性研究的一种哲学立场，社会责任被研究者采用了多种数据收集和分析方法。然而，至少有两种截然不同的方法被称为CR:一种是由约瑟夫·麦克斯韦(Joseph Maxwell)提出的，专门针对定性研究;另一种是由罗伊·巴斯卡尔(Roy Bhaskar)及其同事提出的，作为自然科学和社会科学的一般哲学。在本文中，我在四个维度上比较了这两种形式的CR，表面上它们似乎是共享的:(1)“关键”是什么意思;(2)认识论相对主义;(3)本体论实在论;(4)因果关系。很明显，在表面之下，当仔细研究细节时，两种CR方法至少在最后三个维度上有很大的不同，如果不是全部四个维度的话。我提出了四个更喜欢巴斯卡尔的CR而不是麦克斯韦的CR的理由，认为前者更适合心理学的定性研究。

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来源期刊

Qualitative Research in Psychology PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY-

CiteScore

20.00

自引率

0.50%

发文量

期刊介绍： Qualitative Research in Psychology is an international, peer-reviewed journal that publishes high-quality, original research. It aims to become the primary forum for qualitative researchers in all areas of psychology, including cognitive, social, developmental, educational, clinical, health, and forensic psychology. The journal also welcomes psychologically relevant qualitative research from other disciplines. It seeks innovative and pioneering work that advances the field of qualitative research in psychology. The journal has published state-of-the-art debates on various research approaches, methods, and analytic techniques, such as discourse analysis, interpretative phenomenological analysis, visual analyses, and online research. It has also explored the role of qualitative research in fields like psychosocial studies and feminist psychology. Additionally, the journal has provided informative articles on ethics, transcription, interviewee recruitment, and has introduced innovative research techniques like photovoice, autoethnography, template analysis, and psychogeography. While the predominant audience consists of psychology professionals using qualitative research methods in academic, clinical, or occupational settings, the journal has an interdisciplinary focus. It aims to raise awareness of psychology as a social science that encompasses various qualitative approaches. In summary, Qualitative Research in Psychology is a leading forum for qualitative researchers in psychology. It publishes cutting-edge research, explores different research approaches and techniques, and encourages interdisciplinary collaboration.