Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

The present section will establish the rationale for adopting the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach when approaching the more naturalistic research question. IPA is centred on the notion that humans are self- interpreting beings (Taylor, 1985) and thus individuals are engaged in interpreting the objects, people, and scenarios within their lives (Smith & Eatough, 2012). The objective of IPA is the analysis of how individuals make sense of their lived experiences (Smith & Eatough, 2012).

IPA is underpinned by phenomenological and hermeneutic principles. Rather than attempting to produce an objective statement or examine the particular object in comparison to scientific criteria, phenomenology addresses how events appear to individuals and how the particular individual perceives and understands the experience (Smith & Eatough, 2012). However, linked to constructivism is the notion that the individuals reality is mediated depending upon context and consequently challenges the researcher in performing IPA to make sense of the participants interpretation of their life world.

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It is fundamental to acknowledge that in adopting an IPA stance, it is how the reality is perceived and made meaningful by the individual that is of interest. However, in adopting such a double hermeneutic stance, access to the individual‘s experiences is limited by the researcher‘s ability to interpret the participant‘s interpretations, which may be influenced by the researcher‘s own thoughts and conceptions (Brocki & Wearden, 2006; Smith & Eatough, 2012). Thus, IPA emphasises the active and integral role the researcher must adopt in the process (Brocki & Wearden, 2006; Smith & Eatough, 2012), that is to say that the researcher must endeavour to adopt the perspective of the participant when analysing IPA data.

2.11.1.Critique of IPA

Owing to the recent acknowledgment and development of IPA as a research tool there has been little critique of the approach (Braun & Clarke, 2013), despite its wide acceptance across a range of psychology-orientated research areas (Larkin et al., 2006). The debate lacking within the scientific community is likely to be due to the rapid and cooperative development of the discipline with only limited defining concepts (Smith, 2004; Larkin et al., 2006).

The ideographic nature of IPA allows the exploration of personal meanings, which is a key consideration when examining perceptions and rationale for behaviours. The ideographic approach also enables rich data to be achieved and presented in thematic form using small samples however the required detailed and extensive analysis is demanding for the researcher (Larkin et al., 2006). IPA

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is distinct from other qualitative methods (discourse analysis for instance) owing to the phenomenological perspective. The phenomenological foundation of the approach focuses on the experiential claims of the participant which is vital in exploring how attitudes are constructed, how knowledge is gained, and how behaviours are executed.

Proponents of IPA have warned against the risk of the approach being too descriptive (Larkin et al., 2006) and state that greater emphasis must be afforded to the interpretation component (Brocki & Wearden, 2006). Advocates for IPA have commented that the method is attractive owing to accessibility and flexibility to varying research questions (Smith, 2004; Brocki & Wearden, 2006; Larkin et al., 2006). The notion of accessibility, indeed regarded by university research supervisors as one of the least demanding research methods (Madill et al., 2005), may however be a misconception as IPA is criticised for being overly descriptive with insufficient interpretive analysis performed and therefore, despite providing under-researched groups an outlet (Larkin et al., 2006), the potential of IPA is often undermined.

Smith (2004) proposed that the ‗levels of interpretation‘ (p. 44) are a crucial characteristic to effective and meaningful research. Smith (2004) contends that the analysis is grounded within the text yet progresses to deeper interpretive analysis exploring meaning and subsequently to the underpinning psychological analysis. It has previously been stated that researchers often fail to afford focus to higher levels of interpretive and psychological analysis (Smith, 2004; Larkin et al., 2006), Smith (2004) questions what, within an emerging research domain, is

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sufficient level of analysis and contends that the inexperienced researched should endeavour to satisfy the interpretive component through the observations of the use of temporal variations and metaphors within the narrative.

Variations in research methods exist within the IPA literature evidencing the flexibility of the approach, and have resulted in the suggestion that IPA be considered a stance rather than a single research method (Larkin et al., 2006). This is in contrast to the views that rigid guidelines must be adhered to (Braun & Clarke, 2013). Nevertheless in endeavouring to provide a deep interpretive analysis, the guidelines of Smith (Smith & Osborn, 2003; Smith & Eatough, 2012) will be followed. Furthermore the increased flexibility afforded by adopting an IPA approach has been reported as being mistaken for experimental rigour(Larkin et al., 2006). To ensure scientific rigour the guidelines for naturalistic enquiry proposed by Lincoln and Guba (1985) will be adhered.

2.11.2.Stages of IPA analysis

The premise of IPA is that the researcher is attempting to learn something about the participants world view. What is essential to the approach is that, rather than making measurements concerning frequency, it is the meaning that is fundamental and the analysis focus should revolve around understanding the meanings in terms of content and complexity (Smith & Osborn, 2003). The aim of IPA is therefore to measure resonance of themes with regard to depth of meaning. Deep meaning within the narratives is often not present at the superficial level and thus a detailed interpretive approach is required with a ‗sustained engagement with the text‘ (Smith & Osborn, 2003, p. 66).

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Following the ideographical approach, analysis is performed on a case-by- case basis. This works with individual examples prior to making common categorisations. Initially the transcript is read numerous times to become familiar with the account. Using a free textual analysis the researcher then comments on the text with no restrictions. The second phase attempts to make sense of the initial comments and to record emerging themes. This stage challenges the researcher to identify themes that enable theoretical connections to be made both within and between cases.

In connecting the themes, theoretical and thematic clustering enables the presence of emerging themes to be observed. Such clustering is likely to identify themes linking with other concept and the presence of subordinate or hierarchical structure (Smith & Osborn, 2003). Throughout the thematic clustering, the themes are cross referenced with the script to ensure a true capture is being made, for instance ensuring thematic links are reflected in the narrative. Selective supporting quotes are extracted to evidence and ensure that the interpretation is a true representation. Subsequent ordering provides a coherent and hierarchal structure naming and linking the most resonant themes. Themes may be omitted on the basis of lacking resonance of a lacking fit within the emerging thematic structure.

Upon completion of a case, the analysis was then progressed onto a second individual transcript. The previously identified themes guided the analysis however care was taken to be attentive to the emergence of new themes. The aim

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was to ―respect convergences and divergences – recognising ways in which accounts from participants are similar but also different‖ (Smith & Osborn, 2003, p. 73). After the completion of the analysis, a final record of subordinate themes was created, taking care to not excessively emphasise the prevalence of particular themes, rather focus on the richness of the text or the depth of meaning extracted (Smith & Osborn, 2003).