Truly person-centered analysis of clinical data
Abstract
In a 2013 study conducted at the University of Washington, researchers sought to link modern clinical practices with traditional scientific processes. They recruited participants to complete daily diaries with the purpose of finding what made them the most stressed by using Cognitive Affective Processing System (CAPS) as a theoretical framework. CAPS is a theory of personality proposed in 1995, and it suggests that to best predict behavior other things have to be taken into account. In the present study we re-analyze this data using Observation Oriented Modeling (OOM) rather than Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM). Triggers of stress were found for most participants and OOM proved to be an outstanding statistical analysis tool for use in clinical and counseling settings. Intuitive and straightforward in nature, OOM would be a great addition to any psychological practitioner who wishes to reintroduce research into their practice.