Methodological Pathways in Psychological Research: From “Neutrality” to Building Bonds

The relationship construction between the researcher and participants is at the core of the research process. In this paper, we want to discuss how young researchers get access to the empirical field through the process of building bonding construction. Based on the cultural psychology perspective, we use a research project undertaken by young researchers to describe how building bonding construction happens. In that project, young researchers used a qualitative methodological design to study human development under the sign of poverty in a Brazilian community. The results showed that young researchers passed from strangers to invitees as soon as they became part of the community environment. The relationship constructed between researchers and participants challenged neutrality as one of the assumptions taken for granted in the research process. In this vein, the researcher and participants co-construct the investigated reality.