LIHS Mini Master Class

Transcription

1 Alexandru Nicusor Matei 2013 CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) Maureen Twiddy

2 Aims of IPA Objectives To introduce (some) key issues Consider issues of sampling, data collection and analysis Key points about IPA

3 A bit of context What matters to us? What does it mean to experience x or y? How might we describe our relationships to people, events, processes that are important to us? How do couples negotiate recovery from stroke? What does egg donation mean to the donor? What is participants experiences of taking part in this trial?

4 IPA is.making sense of experience A meaning focussed, qualitative method, which is committed to understanding the 1 st person perspective from the 3 rd person position.

5 We are looking into their stories

6 Perspective, context and interpretation are important

7 Theoretical Underpinnings of IPA Underpinned by phenomenology a philosophical approach to the study of experience Hermeneutic theory of interpretation (Heidegger) Double hermeneutic researcher trying to make sense of the participant making sense of their world (Smith and Osborne 2003) Ideographic focus on the particular rather than the general

8 Design and planning Broad research questions Small purposive sample First person accounts Semi-structured interviews /diaries etc Benefits from articulate and forthcoming interviewees!

9 Data analysis not a recipe! Processes: Moves from particular to shared experiences Descriptive to interpretative Principles Psychological focus on understanding participants perspective

10 Analysis A initial notes (in bold) Line by line coding resolution Communication as fragile Not want to change At odds with health profs confrontational? transcript Peter: Yes. The only thing we ve got to, the only resolution we ve come to and this is informal and ongoing, cos initially I really felt I was treading on egg-shells when talking to Sonya about the future, I know we want to continue as close as we can to the lifestyle we ve had, by picking up with things as best we can. I mean we went to the Shetlands [...] Now we d like top do the Islands, and er, so as far as we re concerned that s still on the cards. And I think that this is where we are so our outlook for the future is very alien to the people here! Alien - a breed apart? What does Alien mean here?

11 Analysis A initial notes (in bold) Line by line coding fragile Not want to change At odds with health profs confrontatio nal? transcript Peter: Yes. The only thing we ve got to, the only resolution we ve come to and this is informal and ongoing, cos initially I really felt I was treading on egg-shells when talking to Sonya about the future, I know we want to continue as close as we can to the lifestyle we ve had, by picking up with things as best we can. I mean we went to the Shetlands [and want to go back] so as far as we re concerned that s still on the cards. And I think that this is where we are so our outlook for the future is very alien to the people here! Conceptual coding Relationship strain Preserving past lives Battling together /united.

12 Find a way of organising your data!

13 Overview of stages Reading and re-reading Immersion in data - Initial notes Close line by line analysis Development of dialogue between data and psychological knowledge Develop Emergent themes (compile extracts) Connecting /clustering themes Table of themes with quotes for 1 st transcript

14 Text Barbara: I was really frightened, I never told anybody other than Sandra, Annie: it was a journal of every day, I wrote down exactly how I was feeling. All the things I couldn t say out loud, that I couldn t tell anybody. Peter: I was treading on egg-shells when talking to Sonya about the future. Barbara: He says it is a problem, I don t; think it is ( ) I ve tried to persuade him Veronica: But together we started walking, and we saw this was something we could still do together Initial notes made at step 1 Sharing fears the journal Treading on egg shells Persuasion attempts Learning together how things are now category Dealing with it elsewhere Dealing with it elsewhere Keeping thoughts hidden Impasse Collaborative working Theme (sub) Failing to engage with spouse Failing to engage with spouse Failing to engage with spouse Tried and failed Successful negotiation Master Superordinate Theme Negotiation Negotiation Negotiation Negotiation Negotiation

15 Master table first two themes for Sonya and Peter 1. Entering an altered world Grief & Mourning Adapting and changing Negotiating physical (in)dependence Loss of self/identity 2. Getting back to normal Preserving and restoring past lives Life on hold Doing the best we can Battling together

16 Conclusion In order to engage with other peoples experiences we need to identify and reflect on our own experiences, preconceptions and assumptions. We need to be able to engage and carefully attend to the personal accounts of others We don t directly access their experiences from these accounts but they reveal to us something about the person s relationship with that phenomenon. A person is embedded in their social world and their experiences are interpreted in the context of these ongoing relationships.

17 Further Information Langride, D. (2007). Phenomenological Psychology: theory, research and method. Harlow, Pearson. Moran, D (2000) Introduction to Phenomenology. Routledge. Shaw, R.L. (2010). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. In M. Forrester (Ed.) Doing qualitative research in psychology. London: Sage. Smith, JA, Flowers, P, Larkin, M (2009) Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory, Method, Research. London: Sage. Smith, J.A. & Eatough, V. (2006) Interpretative phenomenological analysis. In Breakwell, G.M, Hammond, S., Fife-Schaw, C., & Smith, J.A. (Eds.) Research Methods in Psychology. 3rd Edition. London: Sage. Smith, J.A. & Osborn, M. (2003) Interpretative phenomenological analysis. In J.A. Smith (Ed) Qualitative Psychology: a practical guide to research methods. London: Sage. Smith, JA. (2011) We could be diving for pearls : the value of the gem in experiential qualitative psychology. Qualitative Methods in Psychology Bulletin, 12, 6-15 IPA Website :