Showing papers on "Nomothetic and idiographic published in 2021"
TL;DR: Both nomothetic and idiographic accounts of personality may support applications such as design of intelligent systems and products that adapt to the individual, and availability of big data on the individual will revive idiographic perspectives.
41 citations
TL;DR: Findings echo previous findings suggesting that clients are willing to complete intensive data collection and are interested in the output, whereas therapists may be less open to idiographic methods.
Abstract: Introduction: Idiographic, or individual-level, methodology has been touted for its potential clinical utility. Empirically modeling relationships between symptoms for a single individual may offer...
30 citations
TL;DR: The authors situates the current discussion of reproducibility and replicability taking place across the sciences within geographers' enduring discussion of nomothetic and idiographic approaches, and discuss the role of geographers in this discussion.
Abstract: This article situates the current discussion of reproducibility and replicability taking place across the sciences within geographers’ enduring discussion of nomothetic and idiographic approaches, ...
19 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the frequency of cognitive impairment using the normative and idiographic approaches was compared and examined how these indexes related to observed functioning, perceived functioning, and depression severity in adults with Major Depressive Disorder.
Abstract: Objective Traditional neuropsychological assessment methods identify a subpopulation of individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) who demonstrate cognitive functioning below population norms. An even larger proportion of those with MDD self-report problems with cognition that interfere with daily roles and responsibilities. We aim to test whether an intraindividual deviation of cognitive functioning relative to premorbid estimates (idiographic impairment) may better characterize challenges for functional recovery in MDD. Method Adult participants with MDD (N = 111) who completed a baseline neuropsychological assessment battery for a cognitive remediation trial were used in analyses. We compared the frequency of cognitive impairment using the normative and idiographic approaches and examined how these indexes related to observed functioning, perceived functioning, and depression severity. Results While only 25% of the sample would be classified as cognitively impaired on a composite measure according to normative comparison standards, 62.2% of this group were classified as idiographically impaired using a conservative cut-off of at least 1 SD deviation below premorbid estimates. Idiographic cognitive impairment shared a stronger inverse relationship with perceived functional competence than normative cognitive impairment. Depressive symptoms did not significantly correlate with both normative and idiographic impairment. Conclusions In MDD, reliance on assessment of contemporary cognitive functioning might underestimate rates of those who could be considered cognitively impaired. Consideration of idiographic impairment may help explain gaps between normatively defined cognitive ability with subjective complaints and disability in MDD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
16 citations
15 citations
TL;DR: The articles in this Special Issue document contributions to developmental science through theory-predicated and methodologically rigorous and innovative research framed by the Specificity Principle.
11 citations
01 Jan 2021
TL;DR: This article showed that conclusions drawn from cross-sectional group-level data may not capture the dynamic processes that unfold with the group level data, and showed that such conclusions may not represent the dynamic process that unfolds with the individual level data.
Abstract: Recent findings in the field of learning analytics have brought to our attention that conclusions drawn from cross-sectional group-level data may not capture the dynamic processes that unfold withi ...
8 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined person-centered relationships between active social media use and depression symptoms by using a publicly available experience sampling dataset (Aalbers Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 148: 1454-1462, 2019).
Abstract: Disentangling the impact of social media use on well-being is a priority for psychological research. Numerous studies suggest that active social media use (ASMU) enhances well-being, whereas passive social media use (PSMU) undermines it. However, such research has conducted group-level analyses, potentially obscuring individual differences. We examined person-centered relationships between SMU and depression symptoms by using a publicly available experience sampling dataset (Aalbers Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 148: 1454–1462, 2019) Dutch undergraduate students (N = 125) reported PSMU, ASMU, and depression symptoms 7 times daily for 14 days. We (a) visualized interindividual variability in temporal associations between social media use and individual depression symptoms, (b) compared the aggregate network model to idiographic models, and (c) determined the distribution of person-specific temporal associations. Overall, we found that associations between social media use and depression symptoms differed substantially from individual to individual in both strength and kind. In addition, PSMU and ASMU were very weakly to weakly associated with depression symptoms for most individuals. Studying idiographic relationships between social media use and depression may help us (1) determine which individuals are most at risk of experiencing elevated depression symptoms after using social media and (2) personalize therapeutic treatments to alleviate symptoms.
7 citations
TL;DR: An idiographic approach to examine personality and psychopathology processes at the individual level provides a novel conceptualization of personality-psychopathology overlap, bringing the focus beyond mostly static, between-person models to more dynamic, individual-level models.
Abstract: Objective While the overlap between personality and psychopathology is well documented, few studies examine how the two overlap at a lower, moment-to-moment level. We took an idiographic approach to examine personality and psychopathology processes at the individual level. Doing so offers a unique perspective by incorporating both dynamic time and structural analysis, two components that are traditionally examined separately when investigating the overlap between personality and psychopathology. Method Two experience sample studies measured personality states and personality problems up to four-times a day over a two-week period (Study 1 N = 349, observations = 11,124; Study 2 N = 161, observations = 8,261). Results For some, personality states and personality problems are deeply intertwined, mirroring existing between-person findings. But for others the two are separate, indicating it is possible to separate personality (states) from a person's problems. Between-person differences in levels of depression had no association with the idiographic structure, indicating that between-person constructs operate separately from within-person processes. Finally, situations that are more likely to bring out personality problems did not alter the association between personality states and personality problems. Conclusions This method provides a novel conceptualization of personality-psychopathology overlap, bringing the focus beyond mostly static, between-person models to more dynamic, individual-level models.
6 citations
TL;DR: Personality is a study of persons. However, persons exist within contexts, and personality coherence emerges from persons in contexts as mentioned in this paper. But persons and environments bidirectionally influence each other.
Abstract: Personality is a study of persons. However, persons exist within contexts, and personality coherence emerges from persons in contexts. But persons and environments bidirectionally influence each ot...
6 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the possibility that idiographic parameters reflect an individual's biology and can be identified from task-free neuroimaging measures, such as the resting-state EEG spectrum.
TL;DR: The Session Wants and Needs Outcome Measure (SWAN-OM) as discussed by the authors aims to capture in-session goals and focuses on being user-centric, elements critical to the success of single-session and brief interventions which typically are asset based and solution-focused.
Abstract: Single-session, brief interventions in therapy for young people make up a large proportion of service provision, including in digital mental health settings. Current nomothetic mental health measures are not specifically designed to capture the benefit or 'change' directly related to these brief interventions. As a consequence, we set out to design an outcome measure to concretely demonstrate the value of single-session interventions. The Session Wants and Needs Outcome Measure (SWAN-OM) aims to capture in-session goals and focuses on being user-centric, elements critical to the success of single-session and brief interventions which typically are asset-based and solution-focused. We describe the 4-stage process that was followed to develop this measure: (I) classical item generation and development, (II) content and (III) face validity pilot testing, and (IV) a user-experience approach with young people using framework analysis. This final stage was critical to ensure the integration of this outcome tool into a web-based digital therapy setting, a context which adds another layer of design complexity to item and measure development. This iterative methodology was used to overcome the challenges encountered and to place the needs of the young people and service practitioners at the centre of the design process, thus ensuring measure usability. To end, we highlight the main lessons learnt from engaging in this design process. Specifically, the needs of a measure for single-session interventions are considered, before outlining the learning associated with integrating the measure into a digital mental health platform. Both of these areas are emerging fields and, as such, this study contributes to our understanding of how an idiographic patient outcome theory driven measure can be created for use in a web-based digital mental health therapy service.
TL;DR: This article argued that the 45th president of the United States defied this general meaning-making tendency and epitomized instead the episodic man, who always lived in the emotionally vivid moment (episode), fighting to win each moment, moment by discrete moment.
Abstract: People make meaning through life narrative. The central thesis of my book-length psychological biography of Donald Trump is that the 45th president of the United States defied this general meaning-making tendency and epitomized instead the episodic man. Like no other president in modern history, Trump seems to be nearly devoid of a narrative identity, which is an internalized and evolving story of the self that reconstructs the personal past and imagines the future in order to provide life with temporal continuity and meaning. Instead, Trump has always lived in the emotionally vivid moment (episode), fighting to win each moment, moment by discrete moment. Seeing him through the lens of the episodic man helps to explain many puzzling features of Donald Trump’s personality, from his charismatic effect on millions of Americans to his penchant for lying and malice. Importantly, the analysis of Trump’s episodic nature informs the scientific study of narrative identity and meaning making more generally, suggesting that people vary not only with respect to the kinds of stories they create for their lives but also with respect to the extent to which they construe life in narrative terms. Therefore, the analysis of Trump illustrates the potentially reciprocal relationship between the idiographic case and the nomothetic effort to develop and evaluate more general scientific hypotheses.
TL;DR: In this paper, a 16-year-old adolescent with major depressive disorder was assessed using instruments from various perspectives: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5; the Psychodynamic Chart-Adolescent of the PDM-2, and other clinician-report instruments; and the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure for Adolescents and Defense Mechanisms Rating Scale Q-sort, coded by external observers.
Abstract: Background: Depressive disorders in adolescence are among the most challenging clinical syndromes to diagnostically identify and treat in psychotherapy. The Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual, Second Edition (PDM-2) proposes an integration between nomothetic knowledge and an idiographic understanding of adolescent patients suffering from depression to promote a person-centered approach. This single-case study was aimed at describing and discussing the clinical value of an accurate diagnostic assessment within the PDM-2 framework. Method: Albert, a 16-year-old adolescent with a DSM-5 diagnosis of major depressive disorder, was assessed using instruments from various perspectives: the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5; the Psychodynamic Chart-Adolescent of the PDM-2, and other clinician-report instruments; and the Shedler–Westen Assessment Procedure for Adolescents and Defense Mechanisms Rating Scale Q-sort, coded by external observers. Results: Albert’s assessment revealed impairments in various mental capacities, especially in regulating self-esteem. He presented a borderline personality organization at a high level and an emerging narcissistic personality syndrome. Conclusions: The case discussion showed the importance of providing clinically meaningful assessments to plan for effective treatments in youth populations. Especially, it is necessary to understand the adolescent’s unique characteristics in terms of mental and personality functioning and consider the developmental trajectories and adaptation processes that characterize this specific developmental period.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used interpretive phenomenological analysis to understand what it means to live with and beyond cancer by complementing idiographic knowledge with multiple perspectives from a group of participants, to explore how individual experiences may be relevant to others.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors address the epistemological and theoretical assumptions that underpin the concept of Work and Organizational Psychology as idiographic, situated, and transformative social science, highlighting the connection between uniqueness and generalization inside the debate around organization studies as applied approaches.
Abstract: The paper addresses the epistemological and theoretical assumptions that underpin the concept of Work and Organizational Psychology as idiographic, situated, and transformative social science. Positioning the connection between uniqueness and generalization inside the debate around organization studies as applied approaches, the contribution highlights the ontological, gnoseological, and methodological implications at stake. The use of practical instead of scientific rationality is explored, through the perspective of a hermeneutic lens, underlining the main features connected to the adoption of an epistemology of practice. Specifically, the contribution depicts the configuration of the applied research as a relational practice, embedded in the unfolding process of generating knowledge dealing with concrete social contexts and particular social objects. The discussion of a case study regarding a field research project allows one to point out challenges and constraints connected to the enactment of the research process as a social accomplishment.
TL;DR: It is argued that the gene-centered view is complemented with a person-oriented approach and these two perspectives are not only compatible, but also complementary.
Abstract: According to Zagaria et al. (2020), evolutionary psychology may be the meta-theory that is needed if psychological science is to enter a paradigmatic stage. Other writers have suggested that what is needed is a person-oriented approach, which focuses on the person as a complex system that needs to be studied (1) as a whole (holism), (2) as an intentional agent in interaction with its environment (interactionism), and (3) in terms of his or her individual characteristics and development (idiographic focus). The purpose of the present paper is to discuss the compatibility of these two suggestions. A brief analysis of some formulations central to Dawkins’ gene-centered approach (e.g., “the intricate interdependence of genes”, and the dependence of genes on their environment) suggests that it is quite compatible with holism and interactionism; and applications such as genetic genealogy illustrate the possibility of a person-oriented genetics. It is argued that these two perspectives are not only compatible, but also complementary. Without a complement in the form of a person-oriented perspective, a gene-centered evolutionary psychology will at best be able to produce a general understanding of the psychological potentials that inhere in the human gene pool. It will not, however, lead to any understanding of the unique profiles of psychological potentials that are produced by a re-combination of autosomal DNA at the origin of each specific individual person, and that develop over time in interaction with the environment. The latter requires that the gene-centered view is complemented with a person-oriented approach.
12 Jul 2021
TL;DR: In this article, a Gaussian Graphical Models (GGM) is used to analyze a single student's dispositions and devise insights specific to him/her. But, their specific findings apply to every student regardless of context.
Abstract: Idiographic methods have emerged as a way to examine individual behavior by using several data points from each subject to create person-specific insights. In the field of learning analytics, such methods could overcome the limitations of cross-sectional group-level data that may fail to capture the dynamic processes that unfold within each individual learner and less likely to offer relevant personalized learning or support. In this study, we provide a definition of idiographic learning analytics and we explore the possible potentials of this method to zoom in on the fine-grained dynamics of a single student. Specifically, we make use of Gaussian Graphical Models —an emerging trend in network science— to analyze a single student's dispositions and devise insights specific to him/her. Our findings offer a proof of concept of the potential of this novel method in revealing personalized valuable insights about students’ self-regulation. While our specific findings apply to a single student, our method applies to every student regardless of context.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that completing a questionnaire is a social and contextually orientated activity and that their development is best viewed within the philosophical tradition of pragmatism, based on sound qualitative methods and rigorous psychometric testing.
Abstract: Questionnaires are a common method in healthcare and clinical research to collect self-reported data on patients’ behaviour and outcomes rather than the clinician’s perspective. As a consequence there is a plethora of questionnaires and rating forms developed to measure a range of concepts such as health-related quality of life and health status. Given that these measures have been developed within a nomothetic paradigm to enhance our understanding of peoples self-perceived health status by translating complex personal feelings and experiences into a simple numeric score, the patient’s illness narrative is lost along the way. This commentary discusses the limitations of the nomothetic approach as completion of a questionnaire is a social and contextually orientated activity and that their development is best viewed within the philosophical tradition of pragmatism, based on sound qualitative methods and rigorous psychometric testing. The commentary discusses the philosophical orientation underpinning PROM development and argues the case for a pragmatic epistemology based on a mixed methods research paradigm which goes beyond the current practice of informing the content validity of a PROM in the early phase of its development but to work towards developing a more composite and holistic picture through mixed methods in the interpretation of a patient’s PROM score. Therefore, it is argued that the quality of data obtained will be enhanced but, also importantly and rightly places the participant at the centre of the research.
TL;DR: This paper presented an in-depth idiographic study that illustrates how learning to eat intuitively involves socio-cultural challenges, strategies of resistance, and self-actualising processes, and how to learn to adapt intuitively.
Abstract: This research presents an in-depth idiographic study that illustrates how learning to eat intuitively involves socio-cultural challenges, strategies of resistance and self-actualising processes. In...
TL;DR: In this paper, an integrated constructionist approach to emotions is proposed, which integrates learning theory principles with a constructionist-based approach and suggests that trauma experiences lead to a shift in the evaluation, interpretation, and labeling of an individual's internal experiences.
TL;DR: In this article, a person-specific technique was used to capture heterogeneity in daily affect and risk for affective problems in men and women and leveraged personalized results to improve general understanding of affective complexity.
Abstract: Affective phenomena have noteworthy complexity and heterogeneity-shared experiences and emotions evoke distinct responses and risk for affective problems across individuals (e.g., higher rates in women than men). Yet by averaging across individuals, affective science research traditionally treats affect as homogenous. Directly modeling person-specific heterogeneity in affective complexity (AC)-like the granularity and covariation of affective experiences-is paramount for identifying shared (i.e., common; nomothetic) and/or unshared (i.e., personal; idiographic) features of AC. The present study applied a person-specific technique to capture heterogeneity in daily affect and risk for affective problems in men and women and leveraged personalized results to improve general understanding of AC. Young adults (n = 56; 25 female) reported affect on each of 75 days of an intensive longitudinal study. AC was modeled using p-technique (i.e., person-specific factor analysis), and its utility over traditional, between-person models of affect (i.e., bivariate positive and negative affect) was compared for prediction of risk for affective problems in women compared to men. A community detection network algorithm was then applied to estimate person-specific AC to develop an idiographically informed nomothetic model of AC. Person-specific analyses detected wide variation in AC across individuals (i.e., range of 2-8 factors). Relative to the traditional bivariate model, idiographic models had incremental utility for differentiating risk for affective problems by gender. Nomothetic review of idiographic results (via community detection) revealed distinct dynamics in positive and negative affect networks. Person-specific science holds particular promise for mapping heterogeneity in AC and uncovering risk pathways for affective problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
TL;DR: In this paper, a three-fold biopsychosocial approach to neuroimaging biomarker development is recommended to increase the clinical relevance of pain neuro-imaging models.
Abstract: Pain is a complex, multidimensional experience that emerges from interactions among sensory, affective, and cognitive processes in the brain. Neuroimaging allows us to identify these component processes and model how they combine to instantiate the pain experience. However, the clinical impact of pain neuroimaging models has been limited by inadequate population sampling - young healthy college students are not representative of chronic pain patients. The biopsychosocial approach to pain management situates a person's pain within the diverse socioeconomic environments they live in. To increase the clinical relevance of pain neuroimaging models, a three-fold biopsychosocial approach to neuroimaging biomarker development is recommended. The first level calls for the development of diagnostic biomarkers via the standard population-based (nomothetic) approach with an emphasis on diverse sampling. The second level calls for the development of treatment-relevant models via a constrained person-based (idiographic) approach tailored to unique individuals. The third level calls for the development of prevention-relevant models via a novel society-based (social epidemiologic) approach that combines survey and neuroimaging data to predict chronic pain risk based on one's socioeconomic conditions. The recommendations in this article address how we can leverage pain's complexity in service of the patient and society by modeling not just individuals and populations, but also the socioeconomic structures that shape any individual's expectations of threat, safety, and resource availability.
01 Jan 2021
TL;DR: In this paper, a methodological approach in management and quality sciences is presented, and three areas can be identified for assessing the methodological rigour of this type of research: theories relating to phenomena; measures of concepts explaining the phenomena; and the reality analysed.
Abstract: The article presents methodological approach in management and quality sciences. Quantitative research aims to test hypothesised relationships between variables. Three areas can be identified for assessing the methodological rigour of this type of research: (1) theories relating to phenomena; (2) measures of concepts explaining the phenomena; (3) the reality analysed. it was found that the idiographic approach predominates in the group of theoreticians and represents 59.6 % (239 indications). The nomothetic approach, on the other hand, is used less frequently, accounting for 40.4 % of the responses (162 indications).
25 Jun 2021
TL;DR: The concept of "readiness-to-exercise" has been studied in this paper, with the primary aim of comparing the nomothetical and idiographic approaches to modeling the relatively novel concept of readiness to exercise.
Abstract: Recent research in exercise prescription and periodization has emphasized the importance of subjective experience, both in medium- and long-term monitoring, but also in the acute experience. Emerging evidence also highlights an important role of subjective readiness (pre-exercise mental and physical states) in determining how exercise is experienced, and in acutely modifying the prescribed exercise intensity. The concept of "readiness-to-exercise" shows promise in enabling and informing this acute decision-making to optimize the experiences and outcomes of exercise. While subjective experiences can be effectively assessed using psychometric scales and instruments, these are often developed and deployed using cross-sectional samples, with resulting structures that reflect a normative pattern (nomothetic). These patterns may fail to reflect individual differences in sensitivity, experience and saliency (idiographic). We conducted this research with the primary aim of comparing the nomothetical and idiographic approaches to modeling the relatively novel concept of readiness-to-exercise. Study 1 (nomothetic) therefore analyzed data collected from 572 participants who completed a one-time survey using R-technique factor analysis. Results indicated a four-factor structure that explained 60% of the variance: "health and fitness;" "fatigue;" "vitality" and "physical discomfort." Study 2 (idiographic) included a sample of 29 participants who completed the scale multiple times, between 42 and 56 times: permitting intra-individual analysis using separate P-technique factor analyses. Our analyses suggested that many individuals displayed personal signature, or "profiles" of readiness-to-exercise that differed in structure from the nomothetic form: only two participants' personal signatures contained four structures as modeled in Study 1, whereas the majority demonstrated either two or three factors. These findings raise important questions about how experiential data should be collected and modeled, for use in research (conceptual development and measurement) and applied practice (prescribing, monitoring)-as well as in more applied research (implementation, effectiveness).
01 Jan 2021
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors outline five ideas that have been working on for the last two decades through the dialogue with Jaan Valsiner and on the grounds of his semiotic, dynamic view of meaning: (A) abstraction - the need of general theories to model psychological phenomena, (B) emergence - meaning as coming from sensemaking, (C) dynamic holism - sensemaking requires to be modeled as a field dynamics, (D) affective semiosis - the affective grounds of sense making, and (E) abduction - idiographic and nomothetic knowledge
Abstract: This chapter outlines five ideas that I have been working on for the last two decades through the dialogue with Jaan Valsiner and on the grounds of his semiotic, dynamic view of meaning: (A) abstraction - the need of general theories to model psychological phenomena, (B) emergence - meaning as coming from sensemaking, (C) dynamic holism - sensemaking requires to be modeled as a field dynamics, (D) affective semiosis - the affective grounds of sensemaking, and (E) abduction - idiographic and nomothetic knowledge are complementary, linked by abduction. In the conclusion, I will point out three main challenges drawing the future of cultural psychology: the formalization of semiotic dynamics, the bridge between functional and computational levels of analysis, and the development of a general theory of sociocultural change and intervention.
TL;DR: In this paper, a single-case (A-B) experimental design over 16 sessions to reduce co-morbid social and generalised anxiety in a university student with high-functioning autism spectrum condition (ASC) was used.
Abstract: Limited research has directly addressed the challenges of higher education for students with autism, who face additional difficulties in navigating social, personal and academic obstacles. With more students experiencing mental health difficulties whilst at university, therapeutic interventions on offer need to be suitable for those accessing support. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is widely used to support university students, as it is firmly established as an effective treatment for a range of issues, including social and generalised anxiety in typically developing populations (NICE, 2013; NICE, 2019). However, the efficacy of CBT for individuals with autistic spectrum condition (ASC) is less well known, despite the high prevalence rates of anxiety in this population. This paper seeks to address a gap in the literature and uses a single-case (A-B) experimental design over 16 sessions to reduce co-morbid social and generalised anxiety in a university student with high-functioning ASC. Clark’s (2001) cognitive model of social anxiety and Wells’ (1997) cognitive model of generalised anxiety were employed to formulate anxiety experienced in this case. Standardised outcome measures were used for social anxiety, i.e. the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), and generalised anxiety, i.e. the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), in conjunction with idiographic ratings to assess the impact of therapy. Findings indicate that CBT was an acceptable and useful intervention with mixed results; discrepancies were found between clinical change recorded on standardised measures compared with idiographic ratings. This paper discusses the use of standardised measures of anxiety for individuals with ASC and identifies directions for further research. Key learning aims (1) To appreciate the unique mental health challenges of university students with ASC. (2) To identify psychological interventions that are suitable for individuals with ASC. (3) To consider the value in employing more than one evidence-based cognitive model of anxiety when clients present with co-morbid mental health issues. (4) To question the utility of using standardised outcome measures compared with idiographic measures in therapy.