Publication Details
Breen, L., & Darlaston-Jones, D. (2008). Moving Beyond the Enduring Dominance of Positivism in Psychological Research: An Australian Perspective. 43rd Australian Psychological Society Annual Conference.
Abstract
Almost since its inception, the dominant narrative of modern psychology has embraced positivism through its insistence that psychological science is objective, generalisable, and value free (or neutral). Consequently, quantitative research and in particular, experimental designs, are privileged over other forms of enquiry and other epistemologies, methodologies, and methods remain marginalised within the discipline. Alternative epistemologies and methodologies remain predominantly at the margins within psychological research yet have resulted from the growing dissatisfaction with the dominance of positivism. We argue that the enduring hegemony of positivism needs to be opposed to enable psychology to genuinely understand the antecedents of, and provides meaningful sustainable solutions for, complex human issues without being constrained by a narrow focus on method. We discuss how psychology in Australia can move towards embracing methodological and epistemological pluralism and provide a number of suggestions for change across the interrelated areas of accreditation, curriculum, the Australian Psychological Society, and research.
Keywords
Published in Full, research methodology, epistemology, hegemony
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Comments
The Proceedings of 43rd APS annual conference: psychology leading change, 23-27 September 2008, Hobart, Tasmania, edited by Nicholas Voudouris and Vicky Mrowinski, may be accessed from the National Library of Australia here