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Cited by 160Mental Health Research TopicsPsychotherapy Techniques and ApplicationsStatistical Methods and Bayesian Inference

Foundations of idiographic methods in psychology and applications for psychotherapy

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Piccirillo, Marilyn L., Rodebaugh, Thomas L.·2019·Clinical Psychology Review
DOI 10.1016/j.cpr.2019.01.002PMC PMC11130566

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Abstract

Researchers have long called for greater recognition and use of longitudinal, individual-level research in the study of psychopathology and psychotherapy. Much of our current research attempts to indirectly investigate individual-level, or idiographic, psychological processes via group-based, or nomothetic, designs. However, results from nomothetic research do not necessarily translate to the individual-level. In this review, we discuss how idiographic analyses can be integrated into psychotherapy and psychotherapy research. We examine and review key statistical methods for conducting idiographic analyses. These methods include factor-based and vector autoregressive approaches using longitudinal data. The theoretical framework behind each approach is reviewed and critically evaluated. Empirical examples of each approach are discussed, with the aim of helping interested readers consider how they may use idiographic methods to analyze longitudinal data and psychological processes. Finally, we conclude by citing key limitations of the idiographic approach, calling for greater development of these analyses to ease their successful integration into clinical settings.

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  • The field lacks widely used and accepted methods that meet the aims of idiographic research, and researchers continue to use group analyses and associated statistical methods.

    “the field nevertheless lacks widely used and accepted methods that meet these aims, and researchers continue to use group analyses and associated statistical methods.”

    From Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Processes and Mediation: Challenges and How to Address Them (2023) · cites this paper as Piccirillo & Rodebaugh, 2019

  • Experience sampling method time-series data can be analyzed with statistical models that may reveal patterns in daily life dynamics of individual patients and thus provide a useful source of information for case conceptualization.

    “Interestingly, ESM time-series data can be analyzed with different statistical models that may reveal patterns in daily life dynamics of individual patients [17, 18] and thus provide a useful source of information for CC.”

    From Using person-specific networks in psychotherapy: challenges, limitations, and how we could use them anyway (2020) · cites this paper as [18]

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  1. Rovine MJ, & Lo LL (2012). Foundational issues in intraindividual longitudinal analysis. In Laursen TD, Little, & Card NA (Eds.), Handbook of Developmental Research Methods (pp. 313– 332). New York, NY: The Guilford Press. 10.1300/J108v05n03 · DOI

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Authors
Piccirillo, M. L., & Rodebaugh, T. L.
Affiliations
Washington University in St. Louis (US)
Corresponding author
Piccirillo, Marilyn L.
ORCID
Venue
Clinical Psychology Review
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2019-07
Volume
71
Pages
90-100
ISSN
0272-7358 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.cpr.2019.01.002
PMC
PMC11130566
OpenAlex
W2909206408
Cited by
160
References
94
Citations by year
2026: 17 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 1
FWCI
2.50
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Clinical Psychology Review (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
  • OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (F31-MH113282-01A1)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Mental Health Research Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
  • Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistical Methods and Bayesian Inference
Keywords
longitudinal data, psychotherapy research, psychopathology, vector autoregression
MeSH terms
Humans, Psychology, Psychotherapy, Statistics as Topic

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