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HypothesesIn the case of Sartre’s study it is difficult to find any trace of explicithypotheses or theses that were formulated in advance. In the example that wehave dealt with, he analyzes and describes the behaviour of human beings; hedoes not attempt to test specific hypotheses. In contrast, hypotheses, or at thevery least, clearly defined goals, are always to be found in empiricalinvestigations of looking behaviour. One such hypothesis, for example, statesthat excessive eye contact is anxiety provoking.Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.zaObservationTo reach his goal, Sartre uses an imaginary example which involves the readeras a participant. What he presents resembles a natural, spontaneous, and chancesituation. The quantitative researcher, on the other hand, constructs a situationin which eye contact may be measured by means of pre-structured instrumentssuch as watches, questionnaires, electronic instrumentation, and so on. Nothingis left to chance, and the context within which the observation occurs is strictlycontrolled.In conclusion: In addition to the differences in approach between qualitativeand quantitative researchers that have been illustrated in the precedingexamples, it is also possible to demonstrate yet another typical differencebetween qualitative and quantitative research by means of the same set ofexamples. Generally, it may be observed that qualitative research tends to bereported in a more fluid, rich, and redundant style. Research reports ofquantitative investigations, on the other hand, tend to be written in a rigorous,parsimonious, and impersonal style. Stated differently, qualitative researchreports are often written in a more gripping style. From a linguistic point ofview, quantitative reports are probably written in a barren style — if thesequalitative remarks may be justified!IMPLICATIONSAs we indicated earlier, the examples reported above are situated at differentpositions on the respective continua. There can be no doubt whatsoever that thequalitative investigation can be classified as scientific research. In fact, aninvestigation such as that by Sartre may justifiably be regarded as one of themilestones in the field of interpersonal perception. Even intuitively — if wewere to be a trifle phenomenological — it is clear that such a study cannotpossibly be confused with art, as for example in literature, although art formsare frequently employed in investigations such as these as part of the data thatis used.In spite of the fact that both the qualitative and quantitative approaches areregarded as scientific, it is also the case that they operate at different levels.167