Ecosystemic Psychology Essay

Ecosystemic Psychology Definitions Definition Epistemology Epistemology is the study of the origin, nature and methods, as sound as the limits, of knowledge it is also how things can be known, thus a framework for describing and conceptualizing what is being observed and experienced and it also specifies the nature of the relationship among the researcher (knower) and what can be known (Terre Blanche & Durrheim, 2006, p. 6 Terre Blanche, Durrheim & Painter, 2006, p. 559 Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 2004, p. 507).Theory is a general principle or a collection of interrelated general principles that is empower forward as an explanation of a set of known facts and empirical findings (Reber, 1985). Example If for example the researcher needs to rely on peoples congenital experiences of day to day living in an old age home, the researcher could adopt an interactional epistemological stance and make use of interviewing as a method of enquiry. This is reflective of the interpretive approach , which aims to explain the subjective reasons and meanings that lie behind social action (Terre Blanche & Durrheim, 2006, p. 7). Thus, epistemologically the observer needs to be empathetic and subjective in his/her approach.TheoryThe theory of psychosocial development by Erikson (1963) holds that psychosexual growth and psychosocial growth take place together and that at each stage of lifespan we face the task of establishing equilibrium amid ourselves and our social world (cited in Corey, 2009, p. 66). For example, very early in life the infant learns to trust or mistrust. If a baby has a careless parent, that does not meet the babies basic needs the baby can easily develop mistrust.ModelA model is an ideal, a standard, an example set up as worthy of imitation or copying (Reber, 1985).Banduras social learning theory is well known in the discipline of psychology. Bandura did an experiment with a Bobo Doll in which he used a live model of observational learning where children obse rved adults acting violently toward the doll. In the end the children imitated similar behaviour toward the Bobo Doll (http//psychology.about.com/od/ developmentalpsychology/a/sociall earning.htm).TechniqueA technique is a fairly specific, learned procedure or set of procedures for accomplishing some specific goal (Reber, 1985).Systematic sampling is an example of a technique. In systematic sampling a fixed distance between elements is calculated (Durrheim & Painter, 2006, p. 135). For example blow out of a sampling frame of 1000, the interval will be calculated as follow 1000/100 = 10. Thus every 10th element will be selected until there is a sample of 100.