Syncretism of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Paradigms: The Case for Methodological Triangulation.

The nature of human interaction, particularly within the context of family, is necessarily complex due to the multitude of characteristics which influence the individual's intention toward the other, as well as the characteristics and effects of interaction as a function of the co-construction of meaning between interactants. This paper delineates two arguments, philosophical and pragmatic, which demonstrate the usefulness of methodological triangulation in studying human (family) interaction. The philosophical argument specified the modes of logic, inquiry, and explanation used in research and offers a syncretization of these modes. The pragmatic argument specifies the relationship between theory, method, and the object of inquiry and demonstrates how methodological triangulation subsumes alternative perspectives on communication phenomena. (Contains 14 references.) (Author/RS)