This article presents an overview of philosophy of science and research paradigms. The philosophy of science parameters of ontology, epistemology, axiology, rhetorical structure, and methodology are ...discussed across the research paradigms of positivism, postpositivism, constructivism-interpretivism, and the critical-ideological perspective. Counseling researchers are urged to locate their inquiry approaches within identifiable research paradigms, and examples of "locating" 2 popular inquiry approaches-consensual qualitative research and grounded theory-are provided. Examples of how counseling research would proceed from varying paradigms are explored, and a call is made for expanding the training students receive in philosophy of science and qualitative approaches to inquiry.
This article reviews the current and emerging status of qualitative research in psychology. The particular value of diverse philosophical paradigms and varied inquiry approaches to the advancement of ...psychology generally, and multicultural psychology specifically, is emphasized. Three specific qualitative inquiry approaches anchored in diverse philosophical research paradigms are highlighted: consensual qualitative research, grounded theory, and participatory action research. The article concludes by highlighting important ethical considerations in multicultural qualitative research.
In this reply to Young and Collins (2018), the author responds to 3 primary concerns raised about integrating psychobiography into mainstream psychology: appropriate historical context and ...historiographic research methods, avoiding deterministic conclusions and the role of psychobiography in theory testing, and ethical concerns related to lack of informed consent of the identified subject. The author appreciates the thoughtful comments of Young and Collins and hopes that discussion and debate about psychobiography will continue in the literature.
The origins, cross-disciplinary evolution, and definition of "thick description" are reviewed. Despite its frequent use in the qualitative literature, the concept of "thick description" is often ...confusing to researchers at all levels. The roots of this confusion are explored and examples of "thick description" are provided. The article closes with guidelines for presenting "thick description" in written reports.
The present article addresses issues in reliability assessment that are often neglected in psychological research such as acceptable levels of internal consistency for research purposes, factors ...affecting the magnitude of coefficient alpha (α), and considerations for interpreting α within the research context. A new reliability matrix anchored in classical test theory is introduced to help researchers judge adequacy of internal consistency coefficients with research measures. Guidelines and cautions in applying the matrix are provided.
By nature of their interests and professional training, counsellors are ideally equipped to conduct psychobiographical research. This article positions the counselling field in the broad specialty ...area of psychobiography, highlights the preparedness of counsellors to conduct psychobiographical research, and emphasizes the benefits of this research endeavor to counsellors themselves and to the counselling profession. A ten-step guide to conducting and publishing psychobiography is presented.
The present article introduces the topic and research area of careerography, an adaptation of psychobiography to the field of career psychology. A brief historical overview of psychobiography is ...provided, and the reciprocal value of linking psychobiographical research methods to theory development in career psychology is emphasized. Best practices in psychobiography are highlighted, and a six-step sequential guide to conducting careerography is presented inclusive of (1) selecting one’s historical subject, (2) ethical considerations and bracketing bias, (3) identifying initial research questions, (4) choosing anchoring career theories, (5) engaging the iterative research process, and (6) writing the careerography report.
Psychobiography has played a critical role in the history of psychology, yet training in psychobiographical methods is limited in professional psychology programs. The present article reviews the ...history of psychobiography and highlights the many benefits of incorporating psychobiography into the health service psychology curriculum. Among the benefits of teaching psychobiography are: anchoring students in their professional identity and history; learning diverse theories of psychology in applied and interesting ways; promoting interdisciplinary learning and ethical awareness; enhancing clinical skill development; promoting methodological pluralism; and enhancing multicultural, social justice, and multilingual competence. Diverse models for incorporating psychobiography in the health service psychology curriculum are presented.
Despite psychobiography's long-standing history in the field of psychology, there has been relatively little discussion of ethical issues and guidelines in psychobiographical research. The Ethics ...Code of the American Psychological Association (APA) does not address psychobiography. The present article highlights the value of psychobiography to psychology, reviews the history and current status of psychobiography in the field, examines the relevance of existing APA General Principles and Ethical Standards to psychobiographical research, and introduces a best practice ethical decision-making model to assist psychologists working in psychobiography. Given the potential impact of psychologists' evaluative judgments on other professionals and the lay public, it is emphasized that psychologists and other mental health professionals have a high standard of ethical vigilance in conducting and reporting psychobiography.
Psychobiography has been a mainstay in psychology since Freud's (1910/1957) influential psychoanalytic profile of the creative genius, Leonardo da Vinci. Recent evidence indicates that interest and ...momentum in psychobiographical research is on the increase across multiple psychology specialties. However, there has been little in the way of recent methodological and ethical guidelines to direct best practices in psychobiography. This article serves two primary purposes. First, it reviews briefly the history and current status of psychobiography in psychology, and highlights select challenges in conducting psychobiography, namely, reductionism, limits of single theory application, and crossing cultures and time in understanding historical subjects. Second, eight best practices for psychobiographical research centered on methodology are presented and address: the researcher's horizon of understanding; accurate and balanced assessment; specifying the operating research paradigm; theoretical specificity and flexibility; embedding the study in proper socio-cultural-historical context; understanding iteration and triangulation in data collection and analysis; thick description and verisimilitude; and considering alternate explanations during interpretation. An online supplement to this article presents additional best practices in the area of ethics and preparing psychobiographies for publication in a variety of outlets.
