Quantitative vs. Qualitative Experimental Laboratory-like control Logical Positivism Field research Ethnography or phenomenology Constructivist Both are empirical!

Reductionistic vs. Constructivistic Seeks facts and causes apart from individual states How is experience shaped by the world? Seeks to understand a phenomenon from within an individual’s state of being How is the world experienced?

Role of Measurement Creates variables that are amenable to statistical analysis External, easily verifiable Uses discourse as data, long descriptive text using people’s own words and dialogues. Seeks techniques to explore a phenomenon from “under the skin” of another

Deductive vs. Inductive Variables are conceived a priori Research question/Hypothesis comes first No preconceived assumptions/ suspend your beliefs Patterns emerged from the collected data after the fact

Interventions vs. Naturalistic Interventions are seen as a way of discovery Manipulate the environment and measure changes Sensitive to the effects of the research(er) on the population studied Try to develop trust in the population being studied

Role of the Researcher Researcher’s judgement essential before and after Researcher should be “absent” during experiment Researcher “becomes the instrument” Tries to suspend any predispostions and assume it is being experienced for the “first time”

Reduction vs. Holist Truth is to be found incrementally, one small “tweak” after another Science has always found out about phenomena little at a time Humanistic perspective urges a holist approach When we reduce people to variables, we lose the larger understandings possible

Science vs. Art Quantitative Approach Once you understand the basic rules, anyone can do it. Qualitative Approach Takes a lot of practice to do it well.