Qualitative Psychological Research and Individualized/Collaborative Psychological Assessment: Implications of Their Similarities for Promoting a Life-World Orientation

This article describes similarities of qualitative psychological research and individualized/collaborative psychological assessment. These similarities remind us of what we often take for granted: their grounding in a human-science psychology that grants priority to the life world. Reflection on that grounding encourages more thorough attention to the assumptions underlying our practices, which in turn may encourage us to extend those practices more broadly and consistently. Holding humanistic values is not in itself sufficient. Themes include empiricality, holistic interpretive evolution of understandings, rigor in analysis and representation, life-world validity, and practical usefulness. This article encourages bridging natural-science and human-science endeavors. It reminds us of the importance of the contexts in which clients and research participants find themselves, and underscores the inherent moral challenges as well as the possibilities for constructive action in both qualitative research and individualized assessment. It urges that, when the human order (rather than the natural order) is of concern, we practice with systematic attention to the lived worlds of our clients and research participants.