STUDYING A DISCIPLINE

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400 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
Data are collected in order to develop theories; these theories
are not data
Health psychologists collect data and develop theories about the individual, for example
theories about smoking, eating, stress and pain. These theories are then used to tell us
something about the world. However, these theories could also be used as data, and
in the same way that we study the world we could study our theories about the
world. Perhaps this would not tell us about the world per se but about how we see it.
Furthermore, changes in theories could also tell us about the way in which we see the
world has changed. Likewise we could study our methods and our measurement
tools. Do these also tell us something about the changing psychology of the past hundred
years?
Theories concerning different areas of health psychology are
distinct from each other
This book has outlined many theories relating to stress, pain and health behaviours,
but has not examined parallels within these theories. Perhaps there are patterns within
these different theories that reflect ‘umbrella’ changes within health psychology. Perhaps
also these changes indicate consistent shifts in the way psychological theory describes
the individual.
STUDYING A DISCIPLINE
Therefore there are many assumptions underlying the discipline of health psychology.
Acknowledging and understanding these assumptions provides the basis of a more
critical perspective on research. Findings from research are not taken for granted
and theories can be seen within their inherent limitations. However, these assumptions themselves provide a basis for research – research into how a discipline has
changed. In addition, this kind of research can provide insights into how the focus of
that discipline (the individual) has also changed. This approach provides a basis
for a social study of a discipline. In the same way that sociologists study scientists,
biographers study authors and literary theorists study literature, a discipline can also be
studied.
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