Apa style as epistemology for the constitution of the psychological field: a thematic analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71112/n6083e42Keywords:
epistemology, American Psychological Association, educational research, psychology, standardsAbstract
The academic writing style promoted by the American Psychological Association in its Publication Manual has had an increasing influence on social and human research. This manner of communication is not neutral, but rather encapsulates an epistemology of the American psychological field. This present documentary article with a qualitative approach seeks to understand how this epistemology, through its standards, articulates with the configuration of the psychological field. The objective was to understand the implications of such articulation. The descriptive-interpretive method was followed, which revealed five explanatory themes of the phenomenon: application of standards, common standards, quantitative standards, qualitative standards, and mixed standards. The findings inform that these standards are ground and elevate empirical psychological knowledge. The implication of the writing suggests that the writing style proposed by the APA reinforces the construction of the psychological field, promoting a structural psychologization of research activity in general.
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