This paper reviews the historical construction of developmental psychology up to the moment when a qualitative epistemology re-emerged and discusses the historical links between epistemological principles and methodological guidelines. The role of narrative interviews, taking a qualitative approach in human development, is discussed and an excerpt from a research interview is presented to exemplify the analytical possibilities of the method designated as interpretation of small stories. The qualitative epistemology re-introduced culture in psychological research, emphasizing the role of semiotic mediation in knowledge construction processes and acknowledging discursive practices as important tools to interpreting subjective phenomena.
developmental psychology; qualitative research; narrative interviews; small stories analysis
