Qualitative Research Philosophical Assumptions

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Questions and Answers

What do concepts as abilities indicate about learning a language?

Learning a language relies solely on mental representations of images.

Language learning is only possible through direct translation of words.

The ability to learn languages can be exclusively tied to memorization techniques.

Learning a language is a process that might not depend only on mental representations. (correct)

Which statement accurately describes a principle in theory?

A principle can predict specific events without understanding concepts.

A principle is unrelated to actual theory development.

A principle must always lead to a correct explanation of a phenomenon.

A principle expresses relationships between concepts or constructs. (correct)

What is the role of explanations in a theory?

Explanations provide causes that lead to a decision. (correct)

Explanations are irrelevant to the understanding of a phenomenon.

Explanations are simply the outcome of random decisions.

Explanations serve only as opinions on various phenomena.

Which question does NOT reflect an intelligibility question in the inference mechanism?

Who is responsible? Signup and view all the answers

How do concepts and principles function in a theory?

They both help to predict future events and explain current phenomena. Signup and view all the answers

What does the ontological dimension of philosophical assumptions refer to?

The nature of reality and its characteristics. Signup and view all the answers

In qualitative research, how do researchers approach the epistemological dimension?

By conducting research based on subjective evidence. Signup and view all the answers

What describes the axiological dimension in qualitative research?

The influence of the researcher's values and biases. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the concept of 'concepts as mental representations'?

Mental processes are affected by beliefs and desires represented internally. Signup and view all the answers

What does the representational theory of the mind (RTM) imply about thinking?

Thinking occurs within an internal system of representation. Signup and view all the answers

According to the content, what role do the characteristics of beliefs play in mental processes?

They have a characteristic causal-functional role that distinguishes them from other psychological states. Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect is a focal point when discussing methodology in qualitative research?

The emergence of methods through the researcher's experiences. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement is true regarding the building blocks of theory, as mentioned in the content?

Concepts are abstract objects that represent thoughts. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Philosophical Assumptions

Philosophical assumptions are frameworks in qualitative research that shape the direction of the study
They are based on the researcher's view of the world
Ontological (The nature of reality): Qualitative research embraces the idea of multiple realities and reports on these by exploring multiple forms of evidence based on different perspectives
Epistemological (How researchers know what they know): Researchers try to get as close as possible to the participants, collecting subjective evidence based on individual views
Axiological (The role of values in research): Researchers make their values known in the study and actively report on their values and biases
Methodology (The methods used in the process of research): Qualitative methods are inductive, emerge over time, and are shaped by the researcher's experience in collecting and analyzing data

Concepts

Concepts act as building blocks for thoughts and theories
They are mental representations, abstract objects, and abilities that have a structure and natural language
Concepts as Mental Representations: Concepts are psychological entities and are part of the internal system that drives thinking
Concepts as Abilities: Concepts are peculiar to cognitive agents and are not necessarily exclusive to representative images
Concepts as Abstract Objects: Concepts are the meanings of words and phrases and act as mediators between thought and language

Explanations

Explanations are causes of decisions
There are various types of intelligibility questions that form the inference mechanism:
- What
- Why/Why not
- How to
- What if

Principles

A principle expresses the relationship between two or more concepts or constructs
They help us to understand or explain what is going on around us
They help us predict future events (causal or correlational)
A theory is a related set of concepts and principles about a phenomenon that aims to explain or predict the phenomenon

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Description

This quiz explores the philosophical assumptions foundational to qualitative research. It covers ontological, epistemological, axiological, and methodological aspects, highlighting how they influence the researcher's approach and findings. Participants will engage with key concepts that shape qualitative inquiry.