Qualitative research in psychology: Attitudes of psychology students and academic staff
Qualitative research is experiencing a resurgence within the field of psychology. This study aimed to explore the range of attitudes towards qualitative research in psychology held by students and academics, using the model of attitudes by Eagly and Chaiken as a framework. Twenty-one psychology stud...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
2014
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/7235 |
| _version_ | 1848745311109906432 |
|---|---|
| author | Povee, Kate Roberts, Lynne |
| author_facet | Povee, Kate Roberts, Lynne |
| author_sort | Povee, Kate |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Qualitative research is experiencing a resurgence within the field of psychology. This study aimed to explore the range of attitudes towards qualitative research in psychology held by students and academics, using the model of attitudes by Eagly and Chaiken as a framework. Twenty-one psychology students and academics were interviewed about their attitudes towards qualitative research. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. While qualitative research was described as inherent to the psychology profession and useful for generating rich data, some participants felt that this approach was not well respected or considered as legitimate as quantitative methods. Reflecting common misperceptions about qualitative research, participants also expressed concerns that qualitative research was too subjective and had limited generalisability. Furthermore, some participants felt that they lacked the skills and confidence necessary to conduct qualitative research. Large investments in time and resources were identified as barriers to undertaking qualitative research. Identifying attitudes towards qualitative research provides a basis for future work in dispelling myths, promoting attitudinal change and increasing both the use and teaching of qualitative approaches in psychology. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T06:15:20Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-7235 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T06:15:20Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | John Wiley & Sons Ltd. |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-72352020-07-22T08:27:18Z Qualitative research in psychology: Attitudes of psychology students and academic staff Povee, Kate Roberts, Lynne theoretical and methodological issues teaching of psychology attitudes—beliefs and values research methods and statistics Qualitative research is experiencing a resurgence within the field of psychology. This study aimed to explore the range of attitudes towards qualitative research in psychology held by students and academics, using the model of attitudes by Eagly and Chaiken as a framework. Twenty-one psychology students and academics were interviewed about their attitudes towards qualitative research. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. While qualitative research was described as inherent to the psychology profession and useful for generating rich data, some participants felt that this approach was not well respected or considered as legitimate as quantitative methods. Reflecting common misperceptions about qualitative research, participants also expressed concerns that qualitative research was too subjective and had limited generalisability. Furthermore, some participants felt that they lacked the skills and confidence necessary to conduct qualitative research. Large investments in time and resources were identified as barriers to undertaking qualitative research. Identifying attitudes towards qualitative research provides a basis for future work in dispelling myths, promoting attitudinal change and increasing both the use and teaching of qualitative approaches in psychology. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/7235 10.1111/ajpy.12031 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. fulltext |
| spellingShingle | theoretical and methodological issues teaching of psychology attitudes—beliefs and values research methods and statistics Povee, Kate Roberts, Lynne Qualitative research in psychology: Attitudes of psychology students and academic staff |
| title | Qualitative research in psychology: Attitudes of psychology students and academic staff |
| title_full | Qualitative research in psychology: Attitudes of psychology students and academic staff |
| title_fullStr | Qualitative research in psychology: Attitudes of psychology students and academic staff |
| title_full_unstemmed | Qualitative research in psychology: Attitudes of psychology students and academic staff |
| title_short | Qualitative research in psychology: Attitudes of psychology students and academic staff |
| title_sort | qualitative research in psychology: attitudes of psychology students and academic staff |
| topic | theoretical and methodological issues teaching of psychology attitudes—beliefs and values research methods and statistics |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/7235 |