Positivism/Post Positivism

Positivism has its roots in the scientific revolution of the Enlightenment. Positivism is based on the idea that we can come to know facts about the natural world through our experiences of it. The processes that support this are the logical and analytic classification and systemisation of these experiences. Through this process of empirical analysis, Positivists aim to arrive at descriptions of law-like relationships and mechanisms that govern the world we experience.

Positivists have traditionally claimed that the only authentic knowledge we have of the world is empirical and scientific. This was partly a response to the historical primacy of metaphysics as a way to explain the world. Essentially, Positivism downplays any gap between our experiences of the world and the way the world really is and takes it that we determine objective “facts” through the correct methodological combination of observation and analysis. Data collection methods typically include quantitative measurement, which is supposed to overcome the individual biases of the researcher.

Positivism aspires to high standards of validity and reliability supported by evidence, and has been applied extensively in both physical and social sciences. The advantage of such approaches lies in an iteratively expanding evidence base, and a deep epistemological separation between “the knower” and “what is known” which supports the idea that what has been discovered is “true” and not just the opinion of a researcher. However, the criticism often made of Positivism with regard to human and social sciences (e.g. education, psychology, sociology) is that Positivism is scientistic; which is to say that in pursuit of “hard” science it fails to recognise that many aspects of human experience don’t conform to this way of collecting data. Similarly, it’s hard to guarantee that research design is ever completely free from human bias.

Kivunja & Kuyini (2017) describe the essential features of Positivism as:

• A belief that theory is universal and law-like generalisations can be made across contexts
• The assumption that context is not important
• The belief that truth or knowledge is ‘out there to be discovered’ by research
• The belief that cause and effect are distinguishable and analytically separable
• The belief that results of inquiry can be quantified
• The belief that theory can be used to predict and to control outcomes
• The belief that research should follow the Scientific Method of investigation
• Rests on formulation and testing of hypotheses
• Employs empirical or analytical approaches
• Pursues an objective search for facts
• Believes in ability to observe knowledge
• The researcher’s ultimate aim is to establish a comprehensive universal theory, to account for human and social behaviour
• Application of the scientific method

Many quantitative researchers now identify as Post-Positivist. Post-Positivism retains the idea that truth should be considered objective, but asserts that our experiences of such truths are necessarily imperfect because they are ameliorated by our values and experiences. Post-Positivists are more likely to use mixed methods and triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data, accepting the problematic nature of “objective” truths. A popular form of Post-Positivism is Critical Realism, which lies between Positivism and Interpretivism.

Positivist Methods: Document coding; Experimental & Quasi-experimental design; Isolating & measuring variables; Statistical analysis; Structured interviews; Surveys