First‐person access to decision‐making using micro‐phenomenological self‐inquiry

Abstract

Micro‐phenomenology is a method for improving first‐person reports of experience. Usually, micro‐phenomenology is conducted using a second‐person interviewer who guides someone investigating an experience. This has the advantage that the interviews can be done with untrained subjects. However, it is possible to perform micro‐phenomenological self‐inquiry, a form of self‐interview technique, without a second‐person interviewer. This has several advantages, such as being more time and cost effective. Questionable, however, is the possibility for untrained subjects to enquire into their own experience using micro‐phenomenology. The present study aims to test the reliability of micro‐phenomenological self‐inquiry with untrained subjects using a guiding document. We replicated an experimental design that has previously been employed to test whether micro‐phenomenology increases the reliability of reports. The experiment did not replicate. Reasons for this may be: (1) a methodological weakness of the previous study; (2) that the way the self‐inquiry format employed as part of the present study was ineffective; or (3) that micro‐phenomenological self‐inquiry requires training. These specific possibilities and the idea of testing the reliability of micro‐phenomenological reports in general are discussed. We conclude that the self‐inquiry format is not sufficient for conducing micro‐phenomenological studies and that training is required.

The phenomenology of attentional control: a first-person approach to contemplative science and the issue of free will

“…A typical example of this is a study done by Nisbett and Wilson ( Nisbett and Wilson, 1977 ), which showed that we often make mistakes when we investigate our own decision making process, and the criticism of introspection continues today ( Schwitzgebel, 2008 ; Smithies, 2013 ). Some research exists, showing that introspection may become more reliable when it is done methodologically through for instance micro-phenomenology ( Petitmengin et al, 2013 ; Sparby et al, 2021 ), Although micro-phenomenology is mostly conducted by guiding others to investigate their experience systematically, it may also be done in a way where a person investigates their own experience ( Sparby et al, 2020b ; Sparby, 2023 ) and methodical advancements like relying on a cultivation of the sense of certainty may improve the reliability of reports ( Sparby et al, 2020a ). Still, the empirical evidence that it is possible to improve the reliability of reports is scarce.…”