Using Qualitative Methods in Psychology

The field of psychology has been characterized by an interesting schism in the area of research methods. The promotion of the scientific method and the emphasis on experimental methodology helped give psychology an identity as a hard science and legitimacy as a discipline. Yet from the beginning, observations of behavior formed the very basis of the field of psychology. Psychologists such as Freud and Piaget used observational qualitative methods to form their theories –which continue to be major cornerstones of contemporary psychology. Editors Mary Kopala and Lisa A. Suzuki have collected a series of essays that help to consider the philosophical foundations for conducting qualitative research in psychological settings, as well as illustrating the application of those methods. Broad-based and inclusive, Using Qualitative Methods in Psychology examines such topics as multicultural issues, supervision, program evaluation, teaching qualitative research, ethics, and therapeutic settings. Using Qualitative Methods in Psychology will be a crucial addition to the libraries of teachers and researchers interested in psychological research methods writ large, and especially to those interested in qualitative research methods.

Mary Kopala is Professor Emerita at The Graduate Center and Hunter College, City University of New York.  She received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University in 1987 and her Master’s of Education in Counselor Education in 1980 also from Penn State.  During her teaching career which spanned nearly 25 years, she taught master’s students in rehabilitation and school counseling, and doctoral students in counseling and school psychology.  She has worked as a clinician in private practice and at Georgia State University counseling center.  Previous to receiving her Ph.D., she worked with college students at Temple University’s career counseling center, with college and high school students at Drexel University in Special Programs and Upward Bound, with international college students at Penn State, and as a counselor in Penn State’s freshmen orientation program. She coauthored and coedited professional articles, chapters, and books, and she presented at numerous state, regional, and national conferences.  She also served in various administrative capacities, most recently as Executive Officer in Educational Psychology at the Graduate Center.  Since retiring, she has continued to contribute to the profession as a reviewer of articles, book proposals, and health psychology student papers. 

 

Lisa A. Suzuki Is an associate professor in the Department of Applied Psychology at New York University.  She is co-editor with Dr. Joseph Ponterotto of the Handbook of Multicultural Assessment: Clinical, Psychological and Educational Applications now in its third edition.  She is also co-editor of Qualitative Strategies for Ethnocultural Research with Drs. Nagata and Kohn-Wood.  Her main research interests have been in the areas of multicultural assessment and qualitative research methods.