Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis

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Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis

• Lorna Brookes
• GLA 112

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What is Phenomenology?

• A movement which originated about 1905 by Edmund
  Husserl.
• A psychology based on the theory that
  phenomenology determines behaviour.
• A method of inquiry based on the premise that
  reality consists of objects and events as they
  are perceived or understood in human
  consciousness and not of anything independent of
  human consciousness.
• The way in which one perceives and interprets
  events and one's relationship to them, both in
  contrast to one's objective responses to stimuli
  and to any inferred unconscious motivation for
  one's behaviour.

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Phenomenology cont

• We do not experience the physical world as it is
  in its pure or real state, but that the world
  we experience is an interpreted world that has
  been shaped by in-built biological invariants and
  the experience-based psychological beliefs /
  biases.
• Phenomenological Psychology places the emphasis
  on descriptions from research participants.

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What is I.P.A?

• A qualitative method of data collection
  analysis advanced by Jonathon Smith
• The term Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
  is used to signify the combination of
  phenomenology and interpretation. (see
  phenomenology slide)
• Involves a detailed examination of the
  participants world / their own individual
  personal perception their view of the world /
  insider perspective
• I.PA. is not concerned with attempts to produce
  objective statements of events

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Interpretive

• The researcher has to interpret peoples mental
  and emotional states from what they say.
• Meanings attached to fieldwork experiences are
  inevitably framed by the researchers own implicit
  concepts.
• The researcher must remember that they have a
  strong personal response to the data and that
  their findings are quite simply an
  interpretation not a reflection.
• Ultimately thenIPA is an attempt to get as close
  as possible to a participants world using a
  process of interpretative activity.

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The I.P.A. Interview

• Usually fairly homogeneous sample not random/
  representative (one particular community)
• Usually broad and open research question
• No pre-determined hypothesis
• Explore flexibly an area of concern
• Small sample size in detail (individual cases
  studies) not general population refers to a
  particular community
• But remember ones sample will be defined by
  who is prepared to be in it!

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Semi-Structured Interview

• Researcher and participant engage in dialogue
  whereby initial questions are modified in light
  of the participants responses
• Structured interviews limit what the
  respondents can talk about but good for control
  speed
• Semi structured means the interviewer is free to
  probe interesting areas that arise often find
  novel aspects of the subject not predicted by the
  researcher.
• (Personal accounts / diaries also used but
  semi-structured interview probably best)
• Interviews generally last for an hour or more.

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• Some Interview Tips.
• Have an interview schedule (try to learn by
  heart)
• Think about how you might phrase sensitive
  questions / areas
• Use as little prompting as possible
• But good to have gentle prompts
• Think about order of questions
• Start with the general move to more specific if
  necessary
• Questions should be neutral, not leading open,
  not closed
• Avoid technical jargon use participants own
  language
• Interview environment important

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Analysis

• Read re-read the script
• Initial notes left margin
• Emergent themes right margin
• Separate sheet list emergent themes-chronologica
  l ordering
• Then look for connections between them(magnet
  effect)
• Cluster the themes
• Check transcript for evidence (actual words of
  the participant/s)
• Title the clusters appropriately super-ordinate
  themes

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Create table of themes

• List the themes which go with each super-ordinate
  theme.
• Provide key words from particular extract as
  evidence.
• Provide line no. and page no. from the
  transcript.
• During this phase certain themes can be dropped
  if they are not rich in evidence or do not fit in
  well with the emerging structure.

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For 2 or more participants

• 2 approaches -
• 1 Use the themes from 1st transcript to inform
  subsequent analysis or
• 2 Put table from participant 1 to one side and
  start 2nd participant from scratch.
• Note repeating patterns but also acknowledge new
  themes which emerge. In other words you are
  checking for both similarities and differences.
• Once all transcripts analysed a final table
  master table of themes is created. Themes
  selected not purely on the basis of their
  prevalence within the data but the richness of
  the passage also taken into account. Process is
  cyclical!

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