Unit 2 Positivist Approaches to Research / Traditional Uses

WilliamsonChp2.pdf pages 25-29

One of Two  major traditions of research in Social Sciences. These philosophies - 'ontologies' (approaches to social inquiry)

Positivist; apply research methods used in natural sciences to the social sciences.

dichotomous with interpretative (ist) tradition of research - differences can be subtle.

Quantitative approaches are linked with Positivism

One of Two styles of reasoning, deductive reasoning associated with the scientific (positivist) approach.

Deductive reasoning = hypothesis testing, argument moves from general principles to particular instances

example;

• premise; over 65 unlikely user of internet
• premise: tom is 75
• conclusion: tom is unlikely user of internet

If premises are true, guarantees truth of conclusion

Positivist Paradigm(a set of interrelated assumptions about the social world which provides a philosophical and conceptual framework for the systematic study of that world) = Quantitative, sometimes qualitative (post-positivists).

Central Themes:

• natural sciences & social sciences sb investigated same way. cause & effects linked. Goal=unification of all sciences
• all scientific knowledge based on experience (empirically observable impressions) , only based on what can be objectively observed and experienced (empiricism).

See the world as a collection of observable events and measurable facts

• experimental design
• survey

Sample - scientifically selected with

• validity (accuracy)
• reliability (extent it measures what it is designed to measure)  
• consistent, stable research with replication.

1. Research Designs = Deductive styles of reasoning, as used in natural sciences
2. deductive or hypothesis begin with theories and models
3. defines variables (age & frequency
4. predicts relationships thru framing of hypotheses 
5. test hypotheses

• Sample is random, 
• quantitative data collected (qualitative may be included
• generalizations made

This search for general laws, central to positivist approach is nomothetic (Pertaining to the search for general laws).

• Clear cut & linear

Aim of deductive(ists) - refute their hypotheses or FALSIFY them

1. putting forward tentative idea, conjecture, hypothesis or set of, forming a theory.
2. tested by collection of observations, experiment. 

• if data NOT consistent with hypotheses? latter is rejected, theory regarded as false.
• if data ARE consistent with hypotheses, theory is supported, corroborated, not proved to be true. 

Both hypotheses and theories are supported by the data (NOT proved).

Post Positivists (like originals) assume reality exists, post believe not easy to discover because of basically flawed human intellectual mechanisms and fundamentally intractable nature of phenomena. 

posts believe reality must be subjected to widest possible critical examination. more natural settings and solicit insider view rather than outsider. Qualitative methods are important - some similarities with interpretative (ist).