COMPARING TWO METHODS
FOR EXPLORING CONSCIOUSNESS:
DESCRIPTIVE EXPERIENCE SAMPLING AND
MICRO-PHENOMENOLOGICAL INTERVIEWS

Julian L. Bass-Krueger1ORCID logo, Elisa G. Wiedemann2 and Ema Demšar3ORCID logo

1University of Vienna
  Vienna, Austria
2Central European University
  Vienna, Austria
3Monash University
  Melbourne, Australia

INDECS 22(1), 84-106, 2024
DOI 10.7906/indecs.22.1.5
Full text available in pdf pdf icon format.
 

Received: 11th March 2023.
Accepted: 21st February 2024.
Regular article

ABSTRACT

Methods are arising in first-person research aimed for deeper understanding of lived experience. Here we compare two of the most frequently used methods – Descriptive Experience Sampling and the micro phenomenological interview. Both look at short episodes of experience. Both have safeguards to limit biases and distortions from first-person reporting. But these methods are still different in terms of how they deal with memory, questioning, and analysis.
We report on an exploratory study that used both methods in the context of a common task. Four participants were interviewed about their experience of a mental imagery task using both methods. Descriptive Experience Sampling results focused more on fine-grained details of visual experiences. micro phenomenological interview results focused more on how experience extended over time, and how participants engaged with the task. These differences in results demonstrate how the applied methods differ in their focus and scope, and present a direction for future comparison, investigation and potential integration of first-person methods.

KEY WORDS
empirical phenomenology, descriptive experience sampling, micro-phenomenological interviews

CLASSIFICATION
APA:2260
JEL:I12


This is the official web site of the Scientific Journal INDECS.
Questions, comments and suggestions please send to: indecs@indecs.eu
Last modified: 20 June 2016.