Abstract

Scientific psychologyís positivist roots have led researchers to strive for disinterested objectivity in all phases of the research process. However, scrutiny of a six-stage model of psychological science reveals that subjectivity is unavoidable during certain stages of this process, due to: the ways that people process information and solve problems; and the formal and informal safeguards against fraud and bias implemented by scientists. During some stages of the research process, subjectivity can actually foster knowledge acquisition and theory-building. Thus, it may be time to modify the assumptions underlying psychologyís empirical approach so that subjectivity in psychological science can be used productively, rather than being denigrated or denied