Abstract
A seven-paradigm developmental model of social science is presented (behaviorism, gestalt sociologism, empirical positivism, multi-method eclecticism, postmodern interpretivism, cooperative ecological inquiry, and developmental action inquiry). Charles Alexander's research is interpreted as bridging aspects of several paradigms, using third-person empirical positivist experiments to demonstrate the effects of a first-person research/practice called Transcendental Meditiation. The author suggests the possibility of complementing current research on TM with explicit double- and triple-loop research on the second- and third-person practices within the TM movement.
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Torbert, W.R. A Developmental Approach to Social Science: A Model for Analyzing Charles Alexander's Scientific Contributions. Journal of Adult Development 7, 255–267 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009515512330
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009515512330