Antipositivism vs. Positivism — What's the Difference?

Views social reality as constructed by individuals.

Utilizes quantitative methods to explore social phenomena.

Advocates for qualitative research methods.

Views social reality as an external, measurable entity.

Emphasizes the importance of subjective experiences in understanding social phenomena.

Aims for predictive modeling and control of social phenomena.

Prioritizes depth of understanding over generalizability.

Believes knowledge should be based on objective, observable facts.

Focuses on the context and culture shaping human behavior.

Emphasizes the replicability and objectivity of findings.

In social science, antipositivism (also interpretivism, negativism or antinaturalism) is a theoretical stance that proposes that the social realm cannot be studied with the methods of investigation utilized within the natural sciences, and that investigation of the social realm requires a different epistemology. Fundamental to that antipositivist epistemology is the belief that the concepts and language that researchers use in their research shape their perceptions of the social world they are investigating and defining.Interpretivism (anti-positivism) developed among researchers dissatisfied with post-positivism, the theories of which they considered too general and ill-suited to reflect the nuance and variability found in human interaction.

Positivism is a philosophical theory that holds that all genuine knowledge is either positive—a posteriori and exclusively derived from experience of natural phenomena and their properties and relations—or true by definition, that is, analytic and tautological. Thus, information derived from sensory experience, as interpreted through reason and logic, forms the exclusive source of all certain knowledge.Verified data (positive facts) received from the senses are known as empirical evidence; thus positivism is based on empiricism.Sociological positivism holds that society, like the physical world, operates according to general laws.

(social science) The view that the social realm may not be subject to the same methods of investigation as the natural world.

A doctrine contending that sense perceptions are the only admissible basis of human knowledge and precise thought.

The application of this doctrine in logic, epistemology, and ethics.

The system of Auguste Comte designed to supersede theology and metaphysics and depending on a hierarchy of the sciences, beginning with mathematics and culminating in sociology.

Any of several doctrines or viewpoints, often similar to Comte's, that stress attention to actual practice over consideration of what is ideal

The state or quality of being positive.

(philosophy) A doctrine that states that the only authentic knowledge is scientific knowledge, and that such knowledge can only come from positive affirmation of theories through strict scientific method, refusing every form of metaphysics.

(legal) A school of thought in jurisprudence in which the law is seen as separated from moral values; i.e. the law is posited by lawmakers (humans).

A system of philosophy originated by M. Auguste Comte, which deals only with positives. It excludes from philosophy everything but the natural phenomena or properties of knowable things, together with their invariable relations of coexistence and succession, as occurring in time and space. Such relations are denominated laws, which are to be discovered by observation, experiment, and comparison. This philosophy holds all inquiry into causes, both efficient and final, to be useless and unprofitable.

The form of empiricism that bases all knowledge on perceptual experience (not on intuition or revelation)

A quality or state characterized by certainty or acceptance or affirmation

Qualitative methods allow antipositivists to explore the depth and complexity of social phenomena from the perspective of those experiencing them.

Positivism focuses on observable, measurable phenomena and relies on quantitative methods to generate objective knowledge, contrasting with antipositivism's emphasis on subjective experiences and context.

The main goal of positivism is to establish general laws and patterns in social behavior through objective measurement and analysis.

Neither approach is inherently superior; the choice depends on the research question, the nature of the phenomenon being studied, and the researcher’s objectives.

Antipositivists see social reality as constructed by individuals, fluid, and changeable based on context and interpretation.

Antipositivism is a philosophical approach that emphasizes understanding social phenomena through subjective experiences, context, and qualitative methods.

Yes, mixed-methods research often combines elements of both, using qualitative insights to enrich quantitative findings and vice versa.

Studies aiming to identify broad patterns, causations, or generalizable findings in social phenomena are well-suited for positivist approaches.

Antipositivism prioritizes understanding the meaning behind data, considering the context and subjective experiences, while positivism focuses on quantifiable evidence and generalizability.

While positivist approaches are valuable for many research questions, they may not fully capture the complexities of human behavior and social phenomena that require understanding of context and subjective experience.

Challenges include maintaining objectivity, ensuring depth over breadth in data collection, and the difficulty of generalizing findings from qualitative analyses.

Ethical considerations include respecting participants' perspectives, ensuring informed consent, and handling sensitive data with care.

Positivism has contributed to the emphasis on empirical evidence and scientific methods in the study of social phenomena, fostering a systematic and objective analysis approach.