PSY1013: Introduction to Qualitative Research - Philosophical Foundations and the Qualitative Approach

Practice vocabulary flashcards covering the philosophical foundations of psychological research, including ontology, epistemology, positivism, critical realism, and qualitative research concepts.

Ontology

The branch of philosophy concerned with the study of being or the nature of reality (i.e., 'the study of stuff' and whether a phenomenon is real).

Epistemology

The branch of philosophy concerned with the study of knowledge and how we determine what is true or how we know reality.

Paradigm

The philosophical lens through which researchers interpret data, comprised of their ontological and epistemological assumptions.

Ontological Realism

The ontological stance holding that the universe and external reality exist independently and are real.

Ontological Scepticism

The ontological stance that questions or rejects the reality of phenomena, with extreme sceptics questioning the reality of everything.

Direct Epistemology

An epistemological position asserting that there are no major barriers to producing truthful knowledge because reality can be directly observed, placing emphasis on the object of knowledge rather than the knower.

Correspondence Theory of Knowledge

A direct epistemological view stating that if we can observe reality, we can generate truthful knowledge that corresponds to the world.

Indirect Epistemology

An epistemological position holding that knowledge production is filtered through instruments, theories, and personal biases, asserting that only subjective realities constructed in the mind matter and placing emphasis on the knower.

Positivism

A research paradigm adhering to ontological realism and a direct epistemology, which asserts that the world is real, reality can be objectively observed, and the only true knowledge is scientific knowledge.

Introspection

The careful and systematic observation of one's own inner life, pioneered in early psychology by Wilhelm Wundt and William James.

Nomothetic Approach

A research approach that focuses on populations or large groups of people to explain phenomena through general laws and universal principles.

Idiographic Approach

A research approach that focuses on the individual to understand the unique properties, meanings, and circumstances of a specific person.

Access Consciousness (A-Consciousness)

Mental processes available for reasoning, verbal report, and behavioural control that can be investigated through standard scientific methods in cognitive psychology.

Phenomenal Consciousness (P-Consciousness)

Raw subjective experience—described as 'what it feels like to be me'—which the traditional scientific method is inadequate to study.

Critical Realism

A philosophical perspective holding that a real world exists beyond discourse, but our knowledge of it is socially and culturally constructed, language-dependent, and imperfect.

Phenomenology

The philosophical and methodological approach focused on the scientific study of human experience as it appears directly in consciousness.

Pragmatism

A philosophical stance holding that the value of a thought, action, or belief is determined by its outcome, supporting a pluralistic attitude to select the best methodological tools for a research question.

Naturalistic Research

An approach in qualitative inquiry that aims to study individuals within their everyday, real-world settings rather than in artificial conditions.

Reflexivity

The conscious, active acknowledgement of a researcher's own beliefs, biases, and judgement systems before, during, and after the research process.

Positionality

An individual's worldview combined with the specific stance they adopt regarding a research project and its socio-political context.