Developing mixed methods research in sport and exercise psychology : potential contributions of a critical realist perspective
Publiceringsår
2022
Upphovspersoner
Ryba, Tatiana V.; Wiltshire, Gareth; North, Julian; Ronkainen, Noora J.
Abstrakt
Notwithstanding diverse opinions and debates about mixing methods, mixed methods research (MMR) is increasingly being used in sport and exercise psychology. In this paper, we describe MMR trends within leading sport and exercise psychology journals and explore critical realism as a possible underpinning framework for conducting MMR. Our meta-study of recent empirical mixed methods studies published in 2017–2019 indicates that eight (36%) of the 22 MMR studies explicitly stated a paradigmatic position (five drew on pragmatism, two switched paradigms between qualitative and quantitative elements of the study, and one was situated in relativist-interpretivism). The remaining 14 (64%) studies did not report their underpinning research philosophical assumptions. Evaluating the merits and limitations of these positions against critical realist assumptions suggests that several paradigmatic disagreements are potentially reconcilable. These include (a) maintaining that ontological and epistemological concerns are important for methodological integrity of a mixed methods study; (b) switching between paradigms in the same study is problematic; and (c) refuting the qualitative-quantitative incommensurability thesis, therefore allowing mixed methods research without compromising philosophical coherence. From a critical realist position, we suggest that both quantitative and qualitative designs are justifiable in a mixed methods study because (1) they help corroborate, refine, or refute plausible explanations of phenomena (epistemological), but (2) with different methodologies utilised to perform different tasks in the same research design related to different psycho-social system features (ontological). We call for a collaborative engagement by researchers across paradigmatic positions to work towards the advancement of methodological pluralism in our research community.
Visa merOrganisationer och upphovspersoner
Publikationstyp
Publikationsform
Artikel
Moderpublikationens typ
Tidning
Artikelstyp
En originalartikel
Målgrupp
VetenskapligKollegialt utvärderad
Kollegialt utvärderadUKM:s publikationstyp
A1 Originalartikel i en vetenskaplig tidskriftPublikationskanalens uppgifter
Förläggare
Volym
20
Nummer
1
Sidor
147-167
ISSN
Publikationsforum
Publikationsforumsnivå
1
Öppen tillgång
Öppen tillgänglighet i förläggarens tjänst
Ja
Öppen tillgång till publikationskanalen
Delvis öppen publikationskanal
Parallellsparad
Ja
Övriga uppgifter
Vetenskapsområden
Gymnastik- och idrottsvetenskap; Psykologi
Nyckelord
[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]
Publiceringsland
Förenta staterna (USA)
Förlagets internationalitet
Internationell
Språk
engelska
Internationell sampublikation
Ja
Sampublikation med ett företag
Nej
DOI
10.1080/1612197X.2020.1827002
Publikationen ingår i undervisnings- och kulturministeriets datainsamling
Ja