Can we trust the phenomenological interview? Metaphysical, epistemological, and methodological objections
Simon Høffding, Kristian Moltke Martiny, Andreas Roepstorff
Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences July 10, 2021 DOI: 10.1007/s11097-021-09744-z (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Metaphysics Phenomenology philosophy Epistemology Interpretative phenomenological analysis Philosophy of science Hermeneutic phenomenology Psychoanalysis Lived experience Social science Qualitative research |
| Citations | 45 |
| Key points | Argues that phenomenological interviews are not less reliable or valid than quantitative or experimental methods, and that skepticism about them leads to a problematic 'deep mistrust' that excludes conscious processes from science. |
Abstract
Abstract The paper defends the position that phenomenological interviews can provide a rich source of knowledge and that they are in no principled way less reliable or less valid than quantitative or experimental methods in general. It responds to several skeptic objections such as those raised against introspection, those targeting the unreliability of episodic memory, and those claiming that interviews cannot address the psychological, cognitive and biological correlates of experience. It argues that the skeptic must either heed the methodological and epistemological justification of the phenomenological interview provided, or embrace a more fundamental skepticism, a “deep mistrust”, in which scientific discourse can have no recourse to conscious processes as explananda , with ensuing dire consequences for our conception of science.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From dopamine to salience to psychosis--linking biology, pharmacology and phenomenology of psychosis. | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How do the brain's time and space mediate consciousness and its different dimensions? Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC). | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The phenomenology of deep brain stimulation-induced changes in OCD: an enactive affordance-based model. | 2013 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Editorial: Working with others’ experience Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences December 19, 2022
- Not in the drug, not in the brain: Causality in psychedelic experiences from an enactive perspective Frontiers in Psychology April 3, 2023
- Knowing the Knowing. Non-dual Meditative Practice From an Enactive Perspective. Frontiers in Psychology 2022
- “What’s done is done, the bullet’s left the gun”: Questions on the Application, Origin, and Metaphysics of the «Course-of-Experience Framework» Adaptive Behavior May 20, 2022
- Phenomenology as Experiential Translation: Towards a Semiotic Typology of Descriptive and Expressive Ways of Making Sense of Experience Critical Arts October 1, 2023
and 1 more in the library
Cites 9
- Evolving Enactivism The MIT Press eBooks May 19, 2017
- Anticipating seizure: pre-reflective experience at the center of neuro-phenomenology. Consciousness and Cognition September 1, 2007
- Framing a Phenomenological Mixed Method: From Inspiration to Guidance Frontiers in Psychology March 3, 2021
- Methodological lessons in neurophenomenology: Review of a baseline study and recommendations for research approaches. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2013
- Phenomenology in nursing studies: New perspectives. International Journal of Nursing Studies May 1, 2019
and 4 more in the library