discursive psychology

A form of discourse analysis developed by Edwards and Potter (1992), but see
also Potter and Wetherell (1987). It has a range of influences, including social
studies of science (Gilbert and Mulkay 1984), CONVERSATION ANALYSIS,
ETHNOMETHODOLOGY, rhetorical social psychology (Billig 1987) and writings of
philosophers like Wittgenstein. It was set up as a means of critiquing ways
that traditional psychology understands, topics like ATTITUDES, ACCOUNTS and
memory. When analysing interview data, Potter and Edwards noted that
many interview respondents produce inconsistent or variable versions or
accounts and that rather than the analyst attempting to discount such
inconsistencies or identify the correct one, an alternative was to treat such
inconsistencies within the context of their occurrence to show how people
handle interactional contingencies, argue points or tailor their talk to specific
rhetorical uses. Discursive psychology therefore focuses on close qualitative
analyses of spoken interactions (interviews, FOCUS GROUPS or naturally
occurring
conversations within real-world situations like counselling, helplines or dispute
resolution), viewing talk as social action. Edwards (2005: 260) writes,
Rather than people having memories, script knowledge, attitudes, and so
on, that they carry around in their heads and produce on cue (or in RESEARCH
INTERVIEWS), people are shown to formulate or work up the nature of events,
actions, and their own accountability through ways of talking. These ways
of talking are both constructive and action oriented. They are constructive
in the sense that they offer a particular version of things when there are
indefinitely many potential versions, some of which may be available and
alive in the setting.