Phenomenological Research Needs to be Renewed: Time to Integrate Enactivism as a Flexible Resource

Phenomenology as a qualitative research method has become overly rigid and prescriptive, especially regarding the epoché and reduction. This process paper argues that the emerging paradigm of post-cognitivism and the aligned movement of enactivism—rooted in phenomenology and embodied cognition—offer a flexible alternative. Enactivism treats sense-making as a 5E process (Embodied, Embedded, Enacted, Emotive, and Extended) and can be integrated with existing methods like observation, interviews, and thematic analysis. The authors draw on their enactive study of pain-related meaning co-construction between clinicians and patients to illustrate how this approach moves beyond methodological individualism and captures the dynamic, context-sensitive nature of subjective experience. A sample interview guide, codebook, and rigor components are provided.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Qualitative research approaches under the umbrella of phenomenology are becoming overly prescriptive and dogmatic (e.g., excessive and unnecessary focus on the epoché and reduction). There is a need for phenomenology (as a qualitative research approach) to be renewed and refreshed with opportunities for methodological flexibility. In this process paper, we offer one way this could be achieved. We provide an overview of the emerging paradigm of post-cognitivism and the aligned movement of enactivism which has roots in phenomenology and embodied cognition. We argue that enactivism can be used as a flexible resource by qualitative researchers exploring the unfolding of first-person (subjective) experience and its meanings (i.e., the enactive concept of sense-making). Enactive approaches are commonly tethered to “E-based” theory, such as the idea that sense-making is a 5E process (Embodied, Embedded, Enacted, Emotive, and Extended). We suggest that enactivism and E-based theory can inform phenomenological research in eclectic and non-prescriptive ways, including integration with existing methods such as observation/interviews and thematic analysis with hybrid deductive-inductive coding. Enactivism-informed phenomenological research moves beyond methodological individualism and can inform novel qualitative research exploring the complex, dynamic, and context-sensitive nature of sense-making. We draw from our enactive study that explored the co-construction of pain-related meanings between clinicians and patients, while also offering other ways that enactive theory could be applied. We provide a sample interview guide and codebook, as well as key components of rigor to consider when designing, conducting, and reporting a trustworthy phenomenological study using enactive theory.