Phenomenology in Occupational Therapy Research

Introduction to Qualitative Research and Phenomenology

Methods associated with the qualitative approach have been developed and strengthened over the years, creating a new perspective from which research studies of the latter 20th century are seen, understood, and explained. Compared with the quantitative approach and its methods, qualitative research lends itself to the challenge of analyzing and interpreting phenomena in a more specific and subjective manner. Qualitative methods — such as in-depth interviewing, focus group discussions (FGDs), ethnographic observation, and phenomenology — place a premium on individual experiences and the differences between them. Because of the nature of these methodologies, qualitative research studies are conducted to provide in-depth insights about phenomena, issues, or problems posed by the researcher. Since each case is subjectively analyzed and interpreted, results cannot be generalized to a specific group or population. Instead, qualitative research methods provide a comprehensive scan of themes and concepts that help the researcher understand the research problem.

Phenomenology as a qualitative research methodology first emerged as a philosophical movement in the 20th century. Described from the classical perspective — that is, from its originator Edmund Husserl — phenomenology is a method involving the "suspension of disbelief." By this, Husserl meant that (Carroll et al., 2000, p. 7):

what ordinarily counts as actual is taken up without regard for its actuality… all phenomena are left open to an investigation into what makes them phenomena… what makes them count as real, meaningful objects for ordinary experience… phenomenological description creatively evokes an experience of something in order to guide other investigators toward the same something.

"Guiding other investigators toward the same something" aptly describes the nature of qualitative research methodologies, as each method seeks to provide a more in-depth look at a particular construct or phenomenon. However, what sets phenomenology apart from other methods is that it brings the individual's experience to the center stage of both analysis and interpretation. Furthermore, unlike other methods, it does not confine itself to theoretical frameworks that attempt to provide researchers with a predetermined guide for interpreting insights. Thus, the "researcher's interpretive schema is under suspension," and social phenomena are understood as claimed or experienced by the subject under study (Carroll et al., 2000, p. 8). More akin to the process of grounded theory research, phenomenology uses insights and data as its foundation for developing a broader yet in-depth explanation of a social phenomenon. It exhausts all possible concepts, themes, and insights that can be generated from the individual and their experience in order to arrive at a comprehensive understanding of the social phenomenon being studied.

Phenomenology and the Social Construction of Reality

The individual and their experiences are critical components of an important aspect of phenomenology: the social construction of reality. With phenomenology, an individual's experiences and their understanding of those experiences form the core of knowledge about a particular social phenomenon. One dimension of a given social phenomenon is captured in the individual's relevant personal experiences. Additional personal experiences are then gathered to uncover new dimensions that provide different or extended explanations of the phenomenon. This process continues until the various dimensions are grouped together to form a multi-faceted approach to understanding and interpreting the social phenomenon — with phenomenology itself concluding at the stage where a new dimension is discovered and used to further describe the phenomenon based on individual experience.

Nagel's discussion and assessment of phenomenology as it applies to media advertising (in Carroll et al., 2000) centers on the idea of "different selves" and how these selves relate to different social acts and behaviors. These acts and behaviors, in turn, help explain how advertising is able to capture attention and ultimately motivate the individual consumer to try, buy, and eventually prefer a product or brand over others. Phenomenology serves as a useful starting point for advertising and market researchers seeking to understand an individual's motivation in choosing and purchasing a particular brand. Inevitably, a preferred brand carries specific characteristics with which the individual identifies, or which closely relate to their perception of themselves, or which represent the different selves the individual has developed when making purchase decisions.

Applying Phenomenology to Advertising and Consumer Behavior

Nagel identified these selves based on "because" and "in order to" motivations, which translate into two distinct selves or images: the present self or image of the individual ("because"), and the future self or image — what the individual aspires or wants to become ("in order to") (Carroll et al., 2000, pp. 243–244). From this typology, it becomes clear that phenomenology uncovered these two selves, leading to the understanding that purchase decision-making is influenced by advertising based on how closely the images presented in an advertisement align with the individual's present and aspired future selves.

The social construction of reality, as examined through phenomenology, is equally valuable in the medical field — specifically in occupational therapy. As technically defined by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT, 2004), occupational therapy is:

Conclusion

Phenomenology can also serve as a follow-up to a previously completed study, such as Lequerica et al.'s. To provide an in-depth understanding of the authors' findings, it is best to explore their different dimensions through phenomenology. This would enable researchers to make their recommendations more specific and useful to occupational and physical therapists, as well as to patients undergoing rehabilitation. Experiences from both respondent groups — therapists and patients — would be generated and analyzed to provide a comprehensive scan of all available interpretations, offering the most complete understanding of patient engagement in the rehabilitation process from both perspectives.