Coming-of-age of Process Research: Connecting Theory with Measurement and Modelling

Description du projet

Connecter la théorie, la mesure et la modélisation dans la recherche en psychologie

Les récentes innovations en matière de mesure, combinées à de nouveaux modèles statistiques, offrent une perspective radicalement nouvelle sur les concepts fondamentaux de la psychologie. Cependant, l’utilisation optimale de ces nouveaux outils s’avère très difficile: des méthodes inadaptées peuvent donner des résultats non valables, des conclusions erronées, des ressources gaspillées et des résultats inutiles, voire préjudiciables. Le projet OPTIMAL, financé par l’UE, entend relever ce défi en élaborant un cadre méthodologique qui permettra aux chercheurs en psychologie de relier la théorie, la mesure et la modélisation. Pour ce faire, il renforcera les liens par paires entre les trois notions, procédera à des inventaires de la littérature dans cinq domaines, élaborera une taxonomie des modèles et gérera un site web interactif. La nature générique de ces travaux les rendra applicables à pratiquement tous les domaines de la psychologie, en mettant l’accent sur les processus.

Objectif

Recent innovations in measurement such as ambulatory assessments and experience sampling, have created the unique opportunity to study psychological processes as they unfold over time in everyday life. Combined with novel statistical models that focus on within-person dynamics, these developments offer a radically new perspective on foundational concepts in psychology. In clinical psychology for instance, these innovations are used to study mental disorders as networks of symptoms that trigger each other over time, and this is leading to valuable new insights on the emergence and persistence of psychopathology.

How to optimally employ these new tools is a major methodological challenge, however: Researchers must determine whether to use self-reports or physiological measures, what the frequency and duration of the measures should be, and which model fits their data and allows to test their theory. The costs of choosing inapt measurement and modelling methods can be severe and include: invalid results, erroneous conclusions, poor theory building, wasting resources, diminished trust in psychological science, and outcomes that are less useful or even harmful for individuals and society.

The aim of OPTIMAL is to resolve this challenge by developing an overarching methodological framework of process research that allows psychological researchers to connect theory, measurement and modelling. To achieve this, I will: a) strengthen the pairwise links between theory, measurement and modelling; b) conduct literature inventories in five substantive areas to elicit information on how to measure and model particular processes; and c) develop a taxonomy of models and an interactive website that researchers can use to guide them to optimal models. The generic nature of this methodological framework guarantees that it will be applicable in virtually all substantive fields within psychology that focus on processes, thus impacting psychological science in its full breadth.