ABSTRACT This paper examines some of the main processes in the evolution of triangulation in qualitative research (QR) and social representations theory (SRT) in social psychology in recent decades. By adopting a cross-historical approach, we seek to outline how SRT can strengthen its epistemological approach by embracing triangulation, and to highlight that an examination of past and current debates on SRT can provide relevant insights for QR in psychology. We show how, progressively over time, in both fields (SRT and QR), discrepancies between data obtained by different methods were no longer considered a threat to scientific validity of the data but as a way to deepen understanding of the phenomenon being studied. Thus, developing systematic triangulation, which combines the various epistemological, theoretical, and methodological backgrounds of different methods (data collection and/or analysis), enables SRT to fulfill its potential even more in contributing to a societal social psychology. Reciprocally, SRT provides a framework in which QR can develop some of its full potential, for example, in the areas of multi-method studies, multidisciplinarity, and engagement with social change.

中文翻译：

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三角测量和社会表征理论的过去和现在：一段交叉的历史

摘要 本文研究了近几十年来社会心理学中定性研究 (QR) 和社会表征理论 (SRT) 中三角测量演变的一些主要过程。通过采用跨历史的方法，我们试图概述 SRT 如何通过采用三角测量来加强其认识论方法，并强调对过去和当前关于 SRT 的辩论的检查可以为心理学中的 QR 提供相关见解。我们展示了随着时间的推移，在两个领域（SRT 和 QR）中，通过不同方法获得的数据之间的差异如何不再被视为对数据科学有效性的威胁，而是作为加深对所研究现象的理解的一种方式。因此，发展系统的三角测量，它结合了各种认识论、理论、不同方法（数据收集和/或分析）的方法论背景，使 SRT 能够在促进社会心理学方面发挥更大的潜力。反过来，SRT 提供了一个框架，使 QR 可以发挥其全部潜力，例如，在多方法研究、多学科和参与社会变革等领域。