Applying discursive approaches to health psychology

Area of Science:

• Health Psychology
• Discourse Analysis
• Qualitative Health Research

Background:

• Discursive psychology offers methods to analyze talk as social practice.
• Understanding how descriptions are constructed and their social actions is key.
• Methodological debates exist regarding interview versus naturalistic data in qualitative health research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the contributions of 'macro' and 'micro' discursive research to health psychology.
• To highlight contemporary methodological debates in qualitative health research.
• To illustrate discursive approaches using examples from diet and obesity studies.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of talk as a social practice.
• Employing 'macro' discourse analysis with a Foucauldian focus on subjectivity regulation.
• Utilizing 'micro' Discursive Psychology focusing on sequential organization and naturalistic settings.
• Examining interpretative repertoires for individual agency and cultural context.

Main Results:

• 'Macro' discourse analysis identifies how discourses regulate subjectivities and cultural contexts.
• Interpretative repertoires offer insights into individual agency within talk.
• 'Micro' Discursive Psychology emphasizes sequential organization and analyzes health professionals' interactions in naturalistic settings.
• Both approaches address accountability, with 'micro' focusing more on sequential aspects.

Conclusions:

• Mainstream health psychology often frames diets as individual responsibility.
• Discursive research demonstrates that discourses surrounding diet are collectively produced.
• These discourses are intrinsically linked with broader social practices.