Benefits of a dual focus methodology utilising IPA and FDA in understanding meaning-making around the experience of psychosis
QMiP Bulletin January 1, 2023 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.53841/bpsqmip.2023.1.35.36 via OpenAlex
Summary
Combining two qualitative methods—Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA)—can more fully capture the experience of psychosis by examining both the subjective, embodied perspective and the role of language and discourse. Although the two methods have conflicting philosophical roots, adopting a critical realist stance allows them to work together. This dual-focus approach yields richer insights and leads to practical recommendations for research and for clinical and counseling psychology.
Study at a glance
| Design | qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Key finding | A dual focus methodology combining IPA and FDA, grounded in critical realism, provides a more comprehensive understanding of the experience of psychosis than either method alone. |
Abstract
A dual focus methodology combining Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA) was utilised to explore both language and the subjective embodied experience of psychosis. Despite arguments that combining IPA and FDA creates epistemological/ontological conflicts due to the dissonant theoretical underpinnings, adoption of a critical realist position permitted an integration of these approaches. A combined methodological approach enabled a more comprehensive understanding of the experience of psychosis, from both a discursive and subjective embodied perspective. Adoption of this binocular approach resulted in recommendations for research methodology and clinical/counselling psychology practice.