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The recent widespread rejection of conventional theory and method has led to the evolution of different ways of gathering and analyzing data. This accessible textbook introduces key research methods that challenge psychology's traditional preoccupation with `scientific' experiments. The book provides a well-structured guide to methods, containing a range of qualitative approaches (for example, semi-structured interviews, grounded theory, discourse analysis) alongside a reworking of quantitative methods to suit contemporary psychological research. A number of chapters are also explicitly concerned with research as a dynamic interactive process. The internationally respected contributors steer the reader through the main stag
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RETHINKING METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY RETHINKING METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY by Jonathan A. Smith, Rom Harre and Luk Van Langenhove Edited SAGE Publications London • Thousand Oaks • New Delhi Editorial arrangement and Chapter I © Jonathan A. Smith, Rom Harre and Luk Van Langenhove 1995 Chapter 2 © Jonathan A. Smith 1995 Chapter 3 © Kathy Charmaz 1995 Chapter 4 © Ken Plummer 1995 Chapter 5 © Paul Drew 1995 Chapter 6 © Jonathan Potter and Margaret Wetherell 1995 Chapter 7 © Daniel C. O'Connell and Sabine Kowal 1995 Chapter 8 © Krysia Yardley 1995 Chapter 9 © Peter Reason and John Heron 1995 Chapter 1 0 © James T. Lamiell 1995 Chapter 1 1 © Jonathan A. Smith 1995 Chapter 12 © Rex Stainton Rogers 1995 First published 1995. Reprinted 1996 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing from the Publishers. SAGE Publications Ltd 6 Bonhill Street London EC2A 4PU SAGE Publications Inc 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, California 91320 SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd 32, M-Block Market Greater Kailash - I New Delhi 1 1 0 048 British Library Cataloguing in Publication data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 0 8039 7732 8 ISBN 0 8039 7733 6 pbk Library of Congress catalog card number 95-070199 Typeset by Mayhew Typesetting, Rhayader, Powys Printed in Great Britain by The Cromwell Press Ltd, Broughton Gifford, Melksham, Wiltshire Contents Notes on Contributors vii Introduction Jonathan A. Smith, Rom Harre and Luk Van Langenhove PART I THE SEARCH FOR MEANINGS 2 Semi-Structured Interviewing and Qualitative Analysis Jonathan A. Smith 9 9 3 Grounded Theory Kathy Charmaz 27 4 Life Story Research Ken Plummer 50 PART II DISCOURSE AS TOPIC 64 5 Conversation Analysis Paul Drew 64 6 Discourse Analysis Jonathan Potter and Margaret Wetherell 80 7 Basic Principles of Transcription Daniel C. O 'Connell and Sabine Kowal 93 PART III RESEARCH AS DYNAMIC INTERACTION 1 06 8 Role Play Krysia Yardley 1 06 9 Co-operative Inquiry Peter Reason and John Heron 1 22 PART IV USING NUMBERS DIFFERENTLY 143 10 Rethinking the Role of Quantitative Methods in Psychology James T. Lamiell 143 1 1 Repertory Grids: an Interactive, Case-Study Perspective Jonathan A. Smith 1 62 1 2 Q Methodology Rex Stainton Rogers 1 78 References 1 93 Index 208 Notes on Contributors Kathy Charmaz is Professor and Chair of the Sociology Department at Sonoma State University in California. She is the author of Good Days, Bad Days: The Self in Chronic Illness and Time (1991) and