This is a 100 year old debate Is often correlated to research methodology

1. Positivistic versus Naturalistic Inquiry:changing the way we think and investigateby Dennis Ondrejka, Ph.D. • This is a 100 year old debate • Is often correlated to research methodology • Is a philosophy on the way we think about human phenomenon & research • Can be integrated within methodology, but philosophically they are very different • Is the foundation for how we design research

2. Assumptions of Positivistic Thinkingpage 1 • Reality is singular, tangible, & and can be dissected • The researcher and those being studied are independent • Time and context-free generalizations are possible • Inquiry is value-free singular reality value free Positivistic thinking independent variables generalizable

3. Assumptions of Positivistic Thinkingpage 2 • There are real causes or at least high probability of a relationship. • We believe we can have independent and dependent variables as separate entities • Validity of a design is very critical to results singular reality value free Positivistic thinking cause & effect validity independent variables generalizable

4. Assumptions of Positivistic Thinkingpage 3 • Reliability is based on how the design is reproducible • Generalizability is related to good internal validity and reliability with comparable samples • Hypothesis testing reliability value-free singular reality hypothesis testing Positivistic thinking cause & effect validity generalizable independent variable

5. Assumptions of Naturalistic Inquirypage 1 • Realities are multiple, pluralistic, and holistic • The researcher cannot really be separated from those being studied and relation-ships are explained • hypotheses are time and context bound - they are only working statements multiple realities naturalistic inquiry hypothesis is a focus area researcher & subject connected

6. Assumptions of Naturalistic Inquirypage 2 • All entities are in a state of mutual simul-taneous shaping • Inquiry is value-bound • Validity is designed into the process • Reliability & general- izable are not concepts of value with this thinking multiple realities inquiry is value bound Naturalistic inquiry researcher & subject connected hypothesis is a focus area thick description

7. Validity Internal and external reliability Hypothesis testing Statistical inferences Independent and dependent variables Variable controls Generalizability Descriptive vividness Methodological congruence Analytical preciseness Theoretical connectedness Heuristic relevance Others Differences in Scientific Rigorpositivistic naturalistic

8. Defining Naturalistic Rigor • Descriptive vividness • narratives are texturized, thick, and full of details • the writer shows connections and level of membership • Methodological congruence • details of exactly how the data is gathered with ethical rigor • Analytical preciseness • the data is transformed across several levels of abstraction • moving raw data to clusters, interpretations, or theory • Theoretical connectedness • ensuring the theoretical schema is clear and related to the data being collected and a lens for analysis • Heuristic relevance • readers must recognize the phenomenon as applicable, meaningful, & recognizable

9. Tools surveys, questionnaires objective assessment & identification Measure the dependent variable Convert to numeric symbols Apply statistical inferences to numbers Large sample sizes help withconfidence levels Tool it is the investigator by interview, focus groups, & observation Data is subjective and objective. It is collected & not measured Themes or clusters are identified and data is sorted in a theme analysis The themes are supported by participants or experts Data Collection Differencepositivistic naturalistic

10. Statistical significance for pre-post treatment Statistical correlations & relationships identified Probability of errors & confidence identified Causal relationships The exploration & description of a phenomenon Identification of linkages, relationships, or interpretations based on theory connections Results are themes, clusters of ideas, or theory constructs Differences in Results positivistic naturalistic

11. 250 nurses were surveyed with an 80% response rate or N=200. Questions were rated using the Likert 5 scale. Question 1 had a mean of 4.2 with a S.D. of 0.5 suggesting the nurses had favorable opinions about continuing education. Compared to a 1994 survey asking the same question, there was a statistical difference that was less favorable (mean 3.1, S.D. 0.7, p<.05) I sat in the classroom as a peripheral member staying as unobtrusive as possible. The instructor came out from behind her desk, sitting on the edge as she opened with a question that brought all eyes in the room to meet her own eyes. She paused - looked at the eyes of the students. The instructor displayed immediacy from the moment she started the class. The Results Desired, Influence Designpositivistic naturalistic

12. Importance of KnowingPositivistic versus Naturalistic Inquiry • If you believe in the holistic view of human interaction and phenomenon, you will never satisfy the positivistic requirements. • If you want to texturize hard data findings, you need another scientific rigor such as naturalistic data. • Even the current science of quantum physics and chaos theory requires a revised thinking - an inquiry that addresses the subjective.