IPA Flashcards
(22 cards)
IPA
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Epistemology
Is concerned with what constitutes knowledge and the methods to measure knowledge - how can we know something
Each methodology will have a different estimological underpinning
IPA Epistemology
Knowledge is constructed through people’s subjective experiences and the researcher’s interpretation of those experiences.
Difference between grounded theory and IPA
Grounded theory doesn’t allow the researcher to be embedded in the analytical process but IPA allows the researcher to insert themselves in it because it is interpretative
Interpretivism
Reality is experienced and understood through individual perspectives.
There is no single objective truth—instead, people make meaning of their world in unique ways.
The researcher is not a neutral observer but is actively involved in interpreting participants’ experiences.
Constructivism
Meaning is co-constructed between the participant and the researcher.
The findings are a result of a “double hermeneutic”:
The participant makes sense of their experience, and the researcher makes sense of the participant’s sense-making.
Key characteristics of IPA - the 3 I’s
Idiographic - It values rich, detailed exploration of personal experiences, often with small samples.
Inductive - rooted in the data
Interrogative - repeatedly ask questions of the data in order to get a final answer
What is IPA
It aims to understand the experience of a phenomenon from a particular perspective within a particular context
Concerned with the lived experience - the participants life world
Concerned with meaning making - how people make sense of a given experience
Interpretive process
What 3 philosophical strands does IPA draw on
Phenomenology
Hermeneutics
Idiography
Phenomenology
Founded by Husserl
A method of studying experience or what is often terms the participants life world
Suspending own prejudgements (bracketing)
Holding your thoughts and feelings about a particular phenomenon in valence
- We acknowledge our biases but keep these separate
- Can look at interpretation and recognise these biases and withdraw them from the data
Hermeneutics
Methodology of interpretation
Access to experience/meaning made available through interpretation
Meaning is co-constructed between the participant and the researcher.
Research suited to IPA
Novel or understudied phenomena - rich understanding of it - opening new research avenues
Important for when interested in exploring a personal account of a given experience
Bringing to light the experiences of marginalised groups / under researched areas
What are the 3 coding levels in IPA
- Descriptive coding
- Linguistic coding
- Conceptual coding
Descriptive coding
Focus on describing what the participant has said
Notes on important statement that make up the participants lifeworld
Linguistic coding
Focus on the meaning of the language used - how it is being said
The ways in which content and meaning have been presented/imparted
Consider pronoun use, repetition of words, use of similes metaphors etc
Conceptual coding
Moving away from things that are being said and start to interpret
Stages of IPA
Criticism of IPA - idiographic
Commitment to ideography means cannot generalise
However,
By focusing on one individual, we can help illuminate the experiences of others
Human experience is complex - inidvual analysis can do justice and bring to light important features
Criticism of IPA - researcher bias
Interpretative nature means analysis is influenced by the researcher’s perspective—requires careful reflexivity.
Strengths of IPA - Rich, in-depth insight
IPA provides a detailed exploration of individuals’ lived experiences, capturing the emotional and cognitive depth of participants’ perspectives.
Strengths of IPA - Flexible yet systematic
Offers a clear structure (stages of analysis) while allowing interpretative creativity, making it suitable for novice and experienced researchers.
Bracketing
It involves a conscious effort by the researcher to set aside their pre-existing knowledge, assumptions, beliefs, and biases about the topic they are studying. This process allows researchers to approach the data with a fresh perspective and avoid being influenced by their own preconceived notions.
helps researchers understand a phenomenon more objectively
