RESEARCH METHODS

Sikolohiyang Pilipino - Approaches and Methods

Approaches and methods

Approaches, or lapit, and methods, or pamamaraan, in Filipino Psychology are different from that of
Western Psychology. In Filipino Psychology, the subjects, or participants, called kalahok, are considered
as equal in status to the researcher.
The participants are included in the research as a group, and not as individuals - hence, an umpukan, or
natural cluster, is required to serve as the participants, per se. The researcher is introduced to a natural
cluster by a tulay (bridge), who is a part of the umpukan and is a well-respected man in the community.

INDIGENOUS RESEARCH METHODS GUIDING PRINCIPLES

 Level of relationship between researcher and researched significantly

determines quality of data
 Participants should be treated as equals
 Welfare takes precedence over the data obtained from them
 Method should be chosen on the basis of appropriateness to the population
 Language of the people should be the language of their research

 INDIGENOUS RESEARCH METHODS: PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION TECHNIQUES

 Pakapa-kapa: suppositionless approach
 Pagdalaw-dalaw: informal visiting/”napadaan lang po”
 Pakikisalamuha: interactive research/more direct interaction in the culture bearer’s natural
habitat
 Pakikipanuluyan: “live in” visitor
 Pakikipanirahan: participant dweller
 Pagpisan: one of us participant
 Pakikipamuhay: living with

FIELD RESEARCH METHODS

1. Pakikiramdam
 In this approach, the researcher uses entirely his/her own feelings or emotions to justify if his
participants or kalahok are ready to be part of his research or not. The term damdam literally
means 'inner perception of emotions'.
2. PAKAPA-KAPA

 Implies an exploration into cultural, social or psychological data without the chains of overriding
theoretical framework borrowed from observations outside the focus of investigation.
 Can be related to unobtrusive techniques because the actual procedures for collecting information
may range from observation, documentation, intervention, participation.

3. Panunuluyan
  In this method, the researcher stays in the home of his kalahok or participant while he conducts
the research with consent by the host family, whose head serves as the tulay to an umpukan. The
term tuloy, which is the root word of the term panunuluyan, literally means 'to go in'.

4. Pagdadalaw-dalaw
 In this method, the researcher occasionally visits the house of his host or tulay, as opposed to
staying in the house. The term dalaw literally means 'visit'.

5. Pagtatanung-tanong
 In this method, the researcher undergoes a kind of questioning session with his kalahok or
participants. In this method, however, 'lead questions' (those questions which directly refer to the
topic being studied) are not supposed to be asked, instead the questions to be asked are supposed
to have been derived from the kalahok's answers themselves. The word tanong literally means
'question'.

 Major Characteristics
– Participatory in nature
– Equality of status
– Appropriate and adaptive
– Integrated with other indigenous methods
 Preparation:
– Pagtatanung-tanong is part of everyday casual interaction, researcher must plan very well
for certain conditions, consider convenience and comfort of informants, their language,
norms, values, and background (history, within/between group differences, activities,
policies).
 Procedure of pagtatanung-tanong
– Get to know the people, place, lifestyle
– Greet informants, give credentials (name the go- between)
– Go tell them the purpose of the study
– Give an estimate of the expected length of the session
– Guide questions are used when necessary
– Goodbye and thank you is not abrupt
 Principles of pagtatanung-tanong
– The level of the relationship that exists between the researcher and the informant
significantly influences the quality of data obtained (Santiago-Enriquez Model).
– The language of the respondent is used in the conduct of pagtatanung-tanong.
– The use of pakikiramdam as ‘feeling for another (cultural sensitivity), through this the
researcher knows when to ask or avoid questions, interprets a ‘yes’ for a ‘no’.
– The equality of status is maintained, as it is a dialogue (informant is a kausap or person
spoken with) not an interview.
– The issue of reliability: consistency of response can be checked by repeating the question
in a different way.
– The problem of investigator bias and data contamination can be solved by having more
than one person do the pagtatanung-tanong.
– Repeated sampling from as many informants as possible can produce commonalities of
lexical domain which can then constitute a ‘construct.’
– Familiarity with the language, values, cultural norms, will optimize accuracy and
relevance of interpretations.

6. Pakikipagkwentuhan
 Kuwentuhan is an occasion for exchange of information, ideas, insights, and opinions also itis a
sharing of beliefs, thoughts, and experiences.
 Method
– Oral (pasalita)
– Written (pasulat)
– Transmitted (pasalin-salin) through time
– Request (paki – paghingi ng pahintulot)
 Pakikipagkwentuhan is an informal, free, as well as a social process of exchanging information,
thoughts, and knowledge that is part of human’s daily activities.
 Procedure of pakikipagkwentuhan
– initially make visits (padalaw-dalaw) before living-in the community (panunuluyan)
– introduce yourself to the community
– invite yourself to community gatherings
– initiate a conversation when in a natural cluster
– invest time in story sharing sessions
 Principles of pakikipagkwentuhan
– may pakikipagkapwa sa kwentuhan
– may ‘paki’ ang kalahok sa kwento
– may pakinabang sa kwentuhan libangan linangan ng kaalaman lunas sa karamdaman
– collective orientation (pananaliksik na sama-sama)
– contains the process of validation (pagpapatotoo)
– construction of social reality (pagbubuo)
– cluster as unit of analysis (pagsali sa likas na umpukan)
 Principles of pakikipagkwentuhan
– with a topic to talk about but without a theme (may pakay pero walang paksa)
– worth or value of story produced from the kwentuhan session (kwenta ng kwento)
– Validity: trustworthiness not truth (mapagkakatiwalaan kaysa makatotohanan)
– Reliability: certification not consistency (process of pakikipagkwentuhan-indicator)
(pagpapatotoo, pagpapatibay)