ABSTRACT
Qualitative research tools are fundamental in psychology, from the definition of the field’s subject matter to the clarification of specific constructs, the construction and validation of measuring instruments, the interpretation of research results, and the development of theoretical models. Qualitative methods offer knowledge of what is measured and the meanings of quantitative results. Three historical examples include a 1933 study of poverty by Jahoda, Lazarsfeld, and Zeisel; Kohlberg’s 1958 research on moral reasoning; and Giorgi’s 1970 investigation of serial learning. Contemporary illustrations begin with a purely qualitative analysis that resolved a taxonomic controversy regarding bulimia nervosa psychopathology. Next, the value of qualitative research in test development is exemplified by a study that constructed an instrument to measure the culture in Catholic institutions of higher education. Then, the application of qualitative analysis in interpreting replication failure, complex meditational relationships, and anomalous results is demonstrated in a quantitative study of reading and math outcomes in elementary education. Finally, the potential of qualitative methods for developing mathematical models is examined in modeling student adjustment to graduate school.
