Integral Methodological Pluralism (IMP) is:

• An emergent academic type of mixed-methods research based on a Quadrivia analysis (Wilber, 2006) composed by eight complementary methodologies: Phenomenology, Structuralism, Hermeneutics, Ethnomethodology, Autopoiesis, Empiricism, Social Autopoiesis and Systems Analysis.
  
• Based on the AQAL framework, which includes both First- (subjective realm), Second- (Inter-subjective realm), and Third-person (Objective realm) methods of inquiry (Torbert, 2004; Esbjörn-Hargens, 2006; Wilber, 2007).
  
• An integrative multi-disciplinary approach that brings together the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative research in order to compare, validate, confirm, complement, contrast and/or corroborate quantitative results with qualitative findings.
  
  

Figure: AQAL & Integral Methodological Pluralism diagrams (Wilber, 2007) - colors & observations added


My academic research was made while attending my Integral Research classes (2007-2008) as part of my Masters in Integral Psychology at John F. Kennedy University (JFK), and was based on a Quadrivia analysis (Wilber, 2006) of video games using six of the eight zones from Integral Methodological Pluralism (IMP): phenomenology, structuralism, hermeneutics, ethnomethodology, empiricism, and systems analysis.Since my graduation in 2008, I have been continuously engaged in further research and projects related to using video games for catalyzing human development.

The Quadrivia analysys corresponded to the application of six complementary methodologies related to the Integral Methodological Pluralism (IMP), including:

1. Phenomenology:
Experiential accounts from subjective video game “play” experiences, autobiographical inquiry, journals and observations.

2. Structuralism:
Personality Type explorations: Enneagram and Myers-Briggs.
Developmental assessments: Cook-Greuter’s (2008) Sentence Completion Test.

3. Hermeneutics:
Interviews and Discussions with lead integral thinkers - Ken Wilber, David Zeitler, and others - and lead game designers - Daniel Erickson from Bioware (Electronic Arts), one of the most successful video game companies nowadays; among others.

4. Ethnomethodology:
Full 5-day Participant-Observer attendance at one of world’s biggest Game Developers Conference (GDC 2008) with +16,000 participants and +120 expositors (plus a series of subsequent conferences and events).

5. Empiricism:
Empirical Analysis including survey and comparative analysis of 150 people from 3 different groups related to the main topic of the research.

6. Systems Analysis:
Research on educational system as related to video games, Integral Education and Integral Play Theory. Extensive Academic and Media Research.