Exploring inner experience : the descriptive experience sampling method / Russell T. Hurlburt, Christopher L. Heavy.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hurlburt, Russell T.

Contributor:

Heavy, Christopher L.

Series:

Advances in consciousness research ; v. 64.

Advances in consciousness research ; v. 64

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Introspection.

Physical Description:

xii, 276 p.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Amsterdam ; Philadelphia : John Benjamins Pub., c2006.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Written for the psychologist, philosopher, and layperson interested in consciousness, Exploring Inner Experience provides a comprehensive introduction to the Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES) method for obtaining accurate reports of inner experience. DES uses a beeper to cue participants to pay attention to their experience at precisely defined moments; participants are then interviewed to obtain high-fidelity accounts of their experience at those moments. Exploring Inner Experience shows (a) how DES uncovers previously unknown details of inner experience; (b) how the implications of this method affect our understanding of inner experience and the human condition more generally; (c) how DES avoids the traps that destroyed the introspections of the previous century; (d) why DES reports of inner experience should be considered reliable and valid; and (e) how to use the DES method. This book will be basic reading for all psychologists, philosophers, and students interested in consciousness, as well as anyone who is seriously concerned with understanding the human condition.(Series B).

Contents:

Exploring Inner Experience

Editorial page

Title page

LCC data

Table of contents

Preface

An example

A crisis for psychological science

A note to non-professionals

About this book

One more appeal

Inner experience

Descriptive experience sampling

The ancient history of inner experience

The recent history of inner experience

Another example

Characterizing inner experience

The aim of this book

Amy's inner experience

Sampling day 1

Sampling day 2

Sampling day 3

Sampling day 4

Sampling day 5

Sampling day 6

Sampling day 7

Sampling day 8

Questions and answers

A look ahead

Telling what we know

``Nisbett and Wilson said it couldn't be done''

``Introspectionists can't agree''

``Skinner said that inner experience is impossible to examine''

Differential reinforcement

``Accessing inner experience is easy - just ask''

Conclusion

Note

Psychological science's prescription for accurate reports about inner experience

The return to introspection

The lessons to be learned from the eyewitness identification dilemma

Importance of the task and need for improvement

Fifteen guidelines for the exploration of inner experience

Can introspection be useful?

To beep or not to beep*

The beeper as navigational aid

Discussion

The Descriptive Experience Sampling procedure

Co-investigators

Sampling mechanics

The expositional interview

Extracting the salient characteristics

Between-group characteristics

Transcript of a DES expositional interview

The interview

The result

The question of validity

How to do DES

How to define ``This very moment''

At the moment of the beep

A sampling journal

Being a sampling subject myself.

Observing a sampling interview (of Jack)

Conducting sampling interviews (of Kelly)

Bracketing presuppositions

Reliability and validity of DES

Interobserver reliability of DES1

Results and discussion

Notes

DES compared to other systems

DES and the qualitative research interview

Twelve aspects of the mode of understanding in the qualitative research interview

DES and phenomenological psychology

Summary

Everyday inner experience

Inner speech

Inner seeing (aka images)

Unsymbolized thinking

Feelings

Sensory awareness

Multiple awareness

No inner experience

Comments

Ontological postscript

Implications of inner experience

Form vs. content

Inner experience is important

Inner experience form impacts people

Clarity

Communication and relationships

Postscript

Idiographic science

Idiographic science is rare

Why is idiographic science rare?

Idiographic research is difficult but possible

Truth

Clinical impression is not necessarily truth

Validity is not truth

Epilogue

References

Index

Advances in Consciousness Research.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. [263]-271) and index.

ISBN:

9786612156168

9781282156166

1282156160

9789027293879

9027293872

OCLC:

228136886