Clinical and experimental practice in psychology: kinds of inferences (original) (raw)
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This short article is a précis of the author's (2005a) abductive theory of scientific method. This theory of method assembles a complex of specific strategies and methods of relevance to psychology that are employed in the detection of empirical phenomena and the subsequent construction of explanatory theories. A characterization of the nature of phenomena is given, and the process of their detection is briefly described in terms of a multistage model of data analysis. The construction of explanatory theories is shown to involve their generation through abductive, or explanatory, reasoning, their development through analogical modeling, and their fuller appraisal in terms of judgments of the best of competing explanations. The nature and limits of this theory of method are discussed in the light of relevant developments in scientific methodology. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 64:1–4, 2008.
An Abductive Theory of Scientific Method
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A broad theory of scientific method is sketched that has particular relevance for the behavioral sciences. This theory of method assembles a complex of specific strategies and methods that are used in the detection of empirical phenomena and the subsequent construction of explanatory theories. A characterization of the nature of phenomena is given, and the process of their detection is briefly described in terms of a multistage model of data analysis. The construction of explanatory theories is shown to involve their generation through abductive, or explanatory, reasoning, their development through analogical modeling, and their fuller appraisal in terms of judgments of the best of competing explanations. The nature and limits of this theory of method are discussed in the light of relevant developments in scientific methodology.
Bronislaw Malinowski, who held the first chair in social anthropology at the London School of Economics (see Nerlich & Clarke, 1996, chap. 11.2). His central goal was to study language and culture from the point of view of the natives themselves (see Malinowski, 1918: 2). One can see that "his plea for the social anthropologist to come down from the verandah and mix with the natives" (Bryman, 1988: 45) does not necessarily entail respect for the natives! A quite separate development in ethnography started with the work of Franz Boas, the founder of American cultural anthropology (see Toren, 1996: 102). Later on the advocates of an ethnography of speaking and ethnomethodology borrowed ideas from both British and American ethnolinguistics. This chapter will not deal with the ethnographical roots of qualitative methods, but focus instead on the origins of qualitative methods in psychology and the controversy surrounding their use in socio-psychological traditions.
Outline of Theoretical Psychology
Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2018
Palgrave Studies in the Theory and History of Psychology publishes scholarly books that use historical and theoretical methods to critically examine the historical development and contemporary status of psychological concepts, methods, research, theories, and interventions. The books in the series are characterised by an emphasis on the concrete particulars of psychologists' scientific and professional practices, together with a critical examination of the assumptions that attend their use. These examinations are anchored in clear, accessible descriptions of what psychologists do and believe about their activities. All the books in the series share the general goal of advancing the scientific and professional practices of psychology and psychologists, even as they offer probing and detailed questioning and critical reconstructions of these practices.
The Abductive Theory of Method: Scientific Inquiry and Clinical Practice
Behaviour Change, 2016
Clinical reasoning is one of the central components of psychological assessment. The identification of a client's psychological difficulties and the subsequent depiction of their onset, development, and interrelationships enables clinicians to plan treatment in a systematic and effective manner. In an article (Ward, Vertue, & Haig, 1999), we outlined the abductive theory of method (ATOM) and argued that it offered a useful framework for highlighting and integrating the major phases of psychological assessment. These phases involve detecting clinical phenomena, postulating psychological mechanisms, developing a case formulation, and evaluating a case formulation. In this article we present a revised version of the adaptation of ATOM and elaborate on the related clinical dimensions of assessment.