PS4557: WHAT CAN QUALITATIVE PSYCHOLOGY TELL US ABOUT HUMANS (2023-2024)

This course is both a broadening and a deepening of the qualitative research that you have learnt about in Level 3. We will look at 4 main methodologies that build on from Thematic Analysis.

For each methodology we will look at the steps involved in carrying it out. We will also look at research articles that have used them, so you will get a firm grasp of which methodology is appropriate for which type of research question. In addition, we will critically evaluate articles in terms of how well the chosen methodology was done.

The main methodologies covered in the course are:

Conversation analysis: this methodology assumes that people are performing actions when they say things. Turn-by-turn talk can be analysed for specific actions, such as ‘repair’ (rectifying someone’s misunderstanding), ‘saying no’ (without actually saying no), ‘summoning’ (without literally asking for it). It is usually done on naturally occurring talk and we will apply it to how couples argue and how people produce gender identities when they talk.

Narrative analysis: this methodology tries to understand people through the stories they tell about themselves. Narrative interviews are usually unstructured and are analysed by looking at particular story features, such as ‘who is the protagonist?’, ‘what type of story is it?’, ‘what is the role of the other characters in the story?’. This methodology is often used for studies on identity development.

Grounded theory: this is a methodology best applied to understanding processes. The aim is to build a theory that is grounded in (i.e., based on) the data that can explain how the process works. For example, grounded theory can be used to explain how the evolving nature of ‘pride’ can contribute to developing, maintaining, and recovering from eating disorders.

Interpretative phenomenological analysis: this is a highly idiographic methodology that aims to understand the experiences of individuals. Sample sizes are usually very small. The data analysis looks similar to Thematic Analysis, except that it is done on one person and the focus is specifically on phenomenology.  For instance, we will look at studies that have used this methodology to understand the experiences of Autistic people.

Please note that some of the research articles include sensitive topics such as grief, self-harm, suicide and eating disorders.

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

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