Moving beyond the enduring dominance of positivism in psychological research: Implications for psychology in Australia
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 ove...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
2010
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3180 |
| _version_ | 1848744160640630784 |
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| author | Breen, Lauren Darlaston-Jones, D. |
| author_facet | Breen, Lauren Darlaston-Jones, D. |
| author_sort | Breen, Lauren |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | 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, ethodologies, and methods remain marginalised within the discipline. We argue that the enduring hegemony of positivism needs to be opposed to enable psychology to genuinely understand the antecedents of, and provide meaningful sustainable solutions for, complex human issues without being constrained by a narrow focus on method. We discuss the ways in which psychology in Australia can move towards embracing a constructionist epistemology that provides the framework for methodological pluralism. We provide a number of suggestions for change across the interrelated areas of accreditation, curriculum, the Australian Psychological Society, and research. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T05:57:03Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-3180 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T05:57:03Z |
| publishDate | 2010 |
| publisher | John Wiley & Sons Ltd. |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-31802017-09-13T16:03:55Z Moving beyond the enduring dominance of positivism in psychological research: Implications for psychology in Australia Breen, Lauren Darlaston-Jones, D. theoretical and methodological issues teaching of psychology social issues theoretical and philosophical psychology discipline issues ethical issues epistemology 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, ethodologies, and methods remain marginalised within the discipline. We argue that the enduring hegemony of positivism needs to be opposed to enable psychology to genuinely understand the antecedents of, and provide meaningful sustainable solutions for, complex human issues without being constrained by a narrow focus on method. We discuss the ways in which psychology in Australia can move towards embracing a constructionist epistemology that provides the framework for methodological pluralism. We provide a number of suggestions for change across the interrelated areas of accreditation, curriculum, the Australian Psychological Society, and research. 2010 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3180 10.1080/00050060903127481 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. restricted |
| spellingShingle | theoretical and methodological issues teaching of psychology social issues theoretical and philosophical psychology discipline issues ethical issues epistemology Breen, Lauren Darlaston-Jones, D. Moving beyond the enduring dominance of positivism in psychological research: Implications for psychology in Australia |
| title | Moving beyond the enduring dominance of positivism in psychological research: Implications for psychology in Australia |
| title_full | Moving beyond the enduring dominance of positivism in psychological research: Implications for psychology in Australia |
| title_fullStr | Moving beyond the enduring dominance of positivism in psychological research: Implications for psychology in Australia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Moving beyond the enduring dominance of positivism in psychological research: Implications for psychology in Australia |
| title_short | Moving beyond the enduring dominance of positivism in psychological research: Implications for psychology in Australia |
| title_sort | moving beyond the enduring dominance of positivism in psychological research: implications for psychology in australia |
| topic | theoretical and methodological issues teaching of psychology social issues theoretical and philosophical psychology discipline issues ethical issues epistemology |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3180 |