Subjects or participants?

Nov 8, 2021·
Dubois, D.
,
Cance, C.
Matt Coler
Matt Coler
· 1 min read
Abstract
“There is no hermetic separation between it (the world) and the observer, as postulated by positivism, and with it, all the old doctrines for which the Universe and Humanity come to juxtapose themselves as two more or less distinct entities… For there is no disembodied observation of any physical action, no more than there is intelligence without an organ or a man without a body.” (Wallon, 1959, our translation)
Type
Publication
In D. Dubois, C. Cance, M. Coler, & A. Paté (Eds.), Sensory Experiences (pp. 403-437)

Publication Type: Book Chapter

This chapter critically examines the terminology and conceptual frameworks used in experimental research, particularly the distinction between treating people as ‘subjects’ versus ‘participants’. The authors challenge positivist approaches that create artificial separation between researchers and those being researched.

Drawing on the quote from Wallon (1959), the chapter argues for a more integrated understanding of human experience in sensory research—one that acknowledges that “there is no disembodied observation of any physical action, no more than there is intelligence without an organ or a man without a body.”

The chapter appears in the volume “Sensory Experiences” published by John Benjamins Publishing Company, exploring methodological and ethical considerations in studying human sensory experiences.

Ethics Research Design HCI
Matt Coler
Authors
Matt Coler
Associate Professor of Speech Technology