Alternative Methodologies for Research Work with Children: Parallel Distributed Processing as a New Possibility or Another Dead End

• Published in: Quality & quantity Vol. 41; no. 2; pp. 319 - 332
• Main Author: Tanner, R. E. S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Nature B.V 01.04.2007
• Subjects: Alternative Approaches; Behavior; Bias; Children; Children & youth; Distributed processing; Mathematics; Methodology; Observation; Qualitative analysis; Qualitative Methods; Qualitative research; Research Methodology; Research methods; Researcher Subject Relations; Social sciences; Studies
• ISSN: 0033-5177; 1573-7845
• DOI: 10.1007/s11135-007-9096-0

Children's behaviour cannot be accurately assessed by observation and experiment which restrict what is regarded as data because the inputs are both innumerable and constantly changing. The social sciences have not yet developed any method for covering multiple factors, much less social and psychological environments which are never static.Parallel Distributed Processing assumes that the mind is instantaneously processing inputs, but so far has not developed a methodology outside the confines of definition and mathematics and a limited range of physical movements. Quantitative assessments of children's behaviour are both costly and ephemeral and more attention should be paid to developing qualitative methodologies which would involve wider ranges of behaviour as they instantaneously occur.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]