Phenomenology and Psychological Science

Phenomenological studies of human experience are a vital component of caring professions such as counseling and nursing, and qualitative research has had increasing acceptance in American psychology. At the same time, the debate continues over whether phenomenology is legitimate science, and whether qualitative approaches carry any empirical validity.

Ashworth and Chung's Phenomenology and Psychological Science places phenomenology firmly in the context of psychological tradition. And to dispel the basic misconceptions surrounding this field, the editors and their seven collaborators trace the evolution of phenomenological philosophy (including the work of Sartre and Heidegger) and its parallel impact on psychological science, revealing key points of compatibility:

• The phenomenological roots of mainstream psychology

• Controversies within phenomenology on the nature of consciousness

• Existentialist currents in contemporary psychology

• The value of qualitative methods in science-based practice

• Applications of phenomenology in case conceptualization and therapy

• Possibilities for qualitative-based research

The unique presentation of its subject makes this volume a source of considerable interest for readers involved in theoretical and historical psychology. It will also prove to be important reading for the professional or advanced student concerned with the search for meaning that unites philosophy and psychology.

Auteur

Dr Peter Ashworth is a professor of educational research at Sheffield Hallam University. Throughout his professional life a special concern has been the development of psychological methods based on existential-phenomenological thinking. He chaired the 18th International Human Science Research Conference in 1999. His substantive research has been largely in education and health; he has published four books and over forty research papers. He is currently working on a critique of the 'approaches to study' literature in Higher Education and developing a phenomenological alternative which emphasises the personal life world of the student. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society.

Dr Man Cheung Chung is a Reader of Psychology in the Clinical Psychology Teaching Unit, School of Applied Psychosocial Studies at the University of Plymouth. His research interests include philosophy of psychology and health/clinical psychology. He has published some 100 articles and chapters in the foregoing areas as well as on other diverse topics. In addition to the present book, he has also edited Psychoanalytic Knowledge with Colin Feltham (Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), Psychology of Reasoning with Ken Manktelow (Psychology Press, 2004) and Reconceiving Schizophrenia with Bill Fulford and George Graham (Oxford University Press, forthcoming).

Résumé

There are no books precisely parallel to this one. The main works of the major authors in phenomenological philosophy (but not phenomenological psychology) are in print we mean Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre and Merleau- Ponty. General texts on the phenomenological approach in philosophy including ones which take a historical approach are available. Notable are: H. Spiegelberg (1981) The Phenomenological Movement (3rd edition) The Hague, Martinus Nijhoff. D. Moran (2000) Introduction to Phenomenology London, Routledge. There are several accounts of psychology from a phenomenological viewpoint in print, some of which refer to the philosophical roots. The extent of the reference varies. None fully spells the connections out, and none has a historical perspective. For example: R .S. Valle and S. Halling (1989) Existential-Phenomenological Perspectives in Psychology New York, Plenum Press. E. Spinelli (2005) The Interpreted World: An introduction to phenomenological psychology (2nd edition) London, Sage. H.R. Pollio, T.B. Henley and C.T. Thompson (1997) The Phenomenology of Everyday Life Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. K. Dahlberg, N. Drew, and M. Nyström (2001) Reflective Lifeworld Research Stockholm, Studentlitteratur. There are books in print which are much more concerned with the practicalities of phenomenologically-based research in psychology than with the history and philosophy underlying this. The most used example is probably: C. Moustakas (1994) Phenomenological Research Methods Thousand Oaks, Sage. I would characterize the current book, in contrast to the above, as having phenomenologically-based research in psychology firmly in view, but addressing in detail the historical development of the phenomenological movement in philosophy insofar as it illuminates the inmpact on psychology. So the historical development of phenomenological philosophy and the impact, at each stage, on psychology.Answering as a collateral effect the question, What is phenomenological psychology? It is essential to offer an authoritative account of these matters now because: Qualitative research in psychology has achieved acceptance in Europe (though the acceptance is less in the United States at present), and with qualitative research in general, phenomenologically-based research is widely practiced. The British Psychological Society by whom undergraduate degrees in psychology are accredited (and without this accreditation, students cannot progress to professional training) has just begun to demand qualitative research training as part of the research methods and practical training programme. This book uniquely contains material that would be needed for a thorough background in phenomenological psychology. The British Psychological Society has also just begun to demand a core module in the History and Philosophy of Psychology as part of the advanced undergraduate education of psychology students. This book though not intended as a core elementary text would be right as background reading. In associated, applied areas throughout the world (e.g. health psychology, organizational and industrial psychology, counseling, nursing) phenomenological approaches are well accepted and very widely used. However, the meaning of the approach is often misunderstood often boiling down to a report of, e.g. patients' statements about such-and-such a thing. Experience is not rigorously addressed. This book provides a necessary corrective, and indicates what the options are for phenomenologically-based research, and the basis of these options within the history of phenomenological philosophy.

Contenu
The Meeting Between Phenomenology and Psychology.- to the Place of Phenomenological Thinking in the History of Psychology.- The Value of Phenomenology for Psychology.- Can an Empirical Psychology Be Drawn from Husserl's Phenomenology?.- Did Husserl Change His Mind?.- Husserl Against Heidegger Against Husserl.- The Influence of Heidegger on Sartre's Existential Psychoanalysis.- Medard Boss' Phenomenologically Based Psychopathology.- Contemporary Existentialist Tendencies in Psychology.- Conclusion: Phenomenology and Psychological Science.