Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

(IPA)
Interpretative Phenomenological
Analysis (IPA)
• IPA is the analysis of how individual make sense of their lived
experiences.
• It aims to provide a detailed exploration of these personal lived
experiences as well s a close examination of how participants
make sense of them.
• Meanings of particular experiences, states, events and objects
for participants
 Introduction to IPA
• IPA encompasses dual components:
Phenomenology: impossibility of gaining direct access to
research participants’ life worlds  Aim is to explore the
participant’s experience/perception of the world from his or her
perspective

Interpretation: Implication of the researcher’s own view of the

world  The attempt to report on the participant’s experience
will inevitably be distorted (biased) by the phenomenology of the
researcher (Breakwell, smith, & Wright, 2002)
 Introduction to IPA – continued …
Double hermeneutic
•The researcher is trying to make sense of the participant
trying to make sense of their world (Breakwell, smith, &
Wright, 2002)
 Introduction to IPA – continued …
• In IPA we apply the idiographic phenomenology: Detailed analysis of
elements of the reflective personal and subjective experience of the
world.
Sample size in IPA
1. One’s commitment to the case study level of analysis
2. How one wants to compare/contrast cases
3. The pragmatic restrictions one is under working
 Data Collection in IPA
Purposive homogenous sampling

Recruiting participants who have experienced the phenomenon under

investigation, e.g. suffering from post traumatic stress or having been bullied
(Not random sampling)
Data Collection in IPA
Flexible interview schedule
Semi structured interviews. Constructing an interview schedule.
General Questions
Specific Questions
Examples
Can you tell me what the word aggression means to you?
Can you tell me about any times growing up when you have been
aggressive?
Research Questions suitable for IPA study
Example
• What does jealousy feel like?
• How do people view voluntary childlessness?
• How do parents manage the challenges of living with an
autistic child?
Stages of Analysis
Before starting analysis, remember three key rules
•Sense making with respect to the topic under
investigation
•At the same time, document your own sense making as
researcher
•Look data through psychological lens by applying
psychological theories and concepts
 Analytical steps in IPA (Smith, 2003)
1. Reading and rereading the (verbatim) transcript(s) several
times and making descriptive notes of interesting and
significant responses. This is a record of the researcher’s
associations (an early interpretation).

2. Identification of emergent themes from the transcript and

early notes.

3. Themes were than refined and condensed, examined for

connections between them.

.
Analytical steps in IPA (Smith,
2003)
4. Drawing a summary table comprising the cluster labels together
with their subordinate theme labels (and quotations and references
to where the relevant abstracts may be found in the transcript).
5. Integrating cases and presenting them in a summary table
First stage of analysis
I think the first memory, memory that I have is First significant memory
when I was 6, I can’t remember any thing Divorce
before that . It was when my mom and dad
divorced. I remember the argument and my dad Physical aggression
was hitting my mom, than my mother walked Separation from father
out with me and my brother. And we went to Temporary home
live with my aunt’s home for a short while and
than we moved in with my step father’s Second temporary home
parents for a long while they were splitting up Hospitalization
type of things, I was admitted in hospital for
Mother and brother connection
tonsillitis, I had my tonsils removed. I
remember my mom was always with my Negative comparison to father
brother. My mom used to say that I look like Mother’s dislike of father
my dad so I always thought she did not like
Perception of mother’s dislike
me.
of her
Turning initial notes into themes
I think the first memory, memory that I have is Father absent
when I was 6, I can’t remember any thing
before that . It was when my mom and dad
divorced. I remember the argument and my dad Lack of stability
was hitting my mom, than my mother walked
out with me and my brother. And we went to Family absent
live with my aunt’s home for a short while and
than we moved in with my step father’s
parents for a long while they were splitting up Mother-brother bond
type of things, I was admitted in hospital for
tonsillitis, I had my tonsils removed. I
remember my mom was always with my Family connections
brother. My mom used to say that I look like
my dad so I always thought she did not like
me.
Superordinate themes
Mother’s connection with other
Mother’s preference for cousin
Brother perfect in mother’s eyes
Mother-brother bond
Mother-cousin
Instability
Father absent
Family absent
Lack of stability
Negative comparisons
Negative comparisons to father
Negative self-other physical comparison
Mother’s Rejection
Alienation from mother
Perceived lack of attention
Lack of physical closeness
 References
Smith, J.A. (1996). Beyond the divide between cognition
and discourse: Using interpretative
phenomenological analysis in health psychology.
Psychology & Health, 11, 261-271.
Smith, J.A., Michie, S., Stephenson, M. & Quarrell, O.
(2002). Risk perception and decision making
processes in candidates for the genetic test for
Huntington’s Disease: An interpretative
phenomenological analysis. Journal of Health
Psychology, 7, 131-144.
Smith, J.A. & Osborn, M. (2003). Interpretative
phenomenological analysis. In: J.A. Smith (Ed.)
Qualitative Psychology: A Practical Guide to
Methods. London: Sage.