science

Lived experience

Lived experience is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lived experience rather than just read about it. In short: In qualitative phenomenological research, lived experience (German: Erlebnis) "took on the connotation of ‘lived’ non-conceptualized, and sometimes ineffable experience, akin to the stream of qualia of some theorists of consiousness[, which] can be contrasted with [experience, (German: Erfahrung)], which denotes more ordinary perception of interpreted fact." It is a category of qualitative research together with tho…

Key takeaways

Lived experience belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lived experience to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lived experience from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In qualitative phenomenological research, lived experience (German: Erlebnis) "took on the connotation of ‘lived’ non-conceptualized, and sometimes ineffable experience, akin to the stream of qualia of some theorists of consiousness[, which] can be contrasted with [experience, (German: Erfahrung)], which denotes more ordinary perception of interpreted fact." It is a category of qualitative research together with those that focus on society and culture and those that focus on language and communication. The term has been increasingly used in qualitative research as a form of evidence and source of knowledge.

Phenomenology In phenomenological research, lived experiences are the main object of study, but the goal of such research is not to understand individuals' lived experiences as facts, but to determine the understandable meaning of such experiences. In addition, lived experience is not about reflecting on an experience while living through it but is recollective, with a given experience being reflected on after it has passed or been lived through.

Philosophy In the philosophy of Wilhelm Dilthey, the human sciences are based on lived experience, which makes them fundamentally different from the natural sciences, which are considered to be based on scientific experiences. The concept can also be approached from the view that since every experience has both objective and subjective components, it is important for a researcher to understand all aspects of it. Feminist epistemologies situate knowing in the lived experiences of each person. Because each person has a unique standpoint that is shaped by their lived experiences and identities, they have different understandings of how the world works, and what is "true" for one person may not be for another. While one standpoint does not have more value than another, feminist philosophers argue that people from marginalized groups tend to have their knowledge discredited, and their lived experiences become undervalued. As such, they believe efforts should be made to highlight and uplift their voices.

Academia In academia, lived experiences can be seen as valuable sources of information. Instead of hiding behind ideals of neutrality, educators are encouraged to be vulnerable and center their humanity, embracing the differences between lived experiences and what they bring to new ways of knowing.The public involvement of people with lived experiences in research is now well recognised by institutions, particularly in the U.K. . There are many different types of involvement spanning from consultative roles to embedded partnerships . Peer researcher is an approach wherein researchers blend academic training, knowledge and skill with relevant personal experiences, knowledge and skill. The peer element is in reference to the shared lived experiences a researcher has with the topic and participants of a study. Recognising lived experiences as important forms of knowledge in academic research can also serve to decolonize traditional bodies of knowledge, centering the perspectives of people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences thereby expanding what we consider truth and thus respect different ways of knowing.. This shift owes much to survivor researchers and disability rights activists striving for social and epistemic justice . Similarly, critical disability theory argues that researchers should take the lived experience of people with norm-breaking functionality into account in their studies, further expanding the knowledge that can be gained from diverse perspectives.

In Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/CFS In the context of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), the use of lived experience has become increasingly prominent in research and healthcare. Due to the absence of definitive biomarkers or effective treatments, patient perspectives are incorporated to improve relevance and patient-centeredness. Initiatives such as the DecodeME study and the Solve M.E. Lived Experience Taskforce involve patients in research design and policy development. Qualitative studies have shown that integrating lived experience can enhance understanding of the condition’s social and psychological impacts.

Criticism In August 2018, while the use of the term as something separate from the broader "experience" counterpart in English was growing in Anglo-centric social policy and allied disciplines, the use was criticized as "unaccompanied by discussion of what [the term] may mean or imply." However, in October 2018, there was an attempt to anglicize the delineation by defining the latter as an imagined, vicarious experience in the Theoretical Models and Processes of Literacy Educational Psychology reference work.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lived experience

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lived experience claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lived experience before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lived experience ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lived experience

In research: Lived experience appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lived experience in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lived experience is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Phenomenological methodology, Qualitative research, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lived experience outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Lived experience in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lived experience means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lived experience out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lived experience in simple terms?

Why does Lived experience matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lived experience?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lived experience.