Psychobiography: A Research Method in Search of a Home

Abstract

This paper explains the interdisciplinary narrative research method of psychobiography, using examples from the author's psychobiographical work about Dian Fossey. Dr Fossey was the primatologist and occupational therapist famous for saving the highland mountain gorillas from extinction. She is known worldwide from her popular book, Gorillas in the Mist, and from the 1987 film of the same name. She sustained her research centre in Rwanda successfully for 18 years before her murder in 1985. Prior to her primatology career, Fossey graduated from an occupational therapy programme in the United States and worked with children for 10 years. The paper details the steps to write a psychobiography, the strategies for analysis and the markers of a good psychobiography. It is suggested that psychobiography is a method that can find a home in occupational therapy and occupational science. The reasons that psychobiography can mesh with occupational therapy are discussed. A second paper, a psychobiographical study of Dian Fossey, is in press.

Türki̇ye’deki̇ Psi̇kobi̇yografi̇ Çalişmalari: Si̇stemati̇k Derleme

“…The emergence of psychobiography studies has raised methodological questions. In this context, various researchers have introduced the methodology of psychobiography (Cara;2007;Elms, 1994;Kovary, 2011;Schultz and Lawrence, 2017). For example, Schultz (2005) listed the indicators of a good psychobiography in his "Handbook of Psychobiograpy".…”

“…Suggested steps; First of all, a subject (person) is selected, the relevant sources (primary and secondary) about the chosen person are reached and these sources are made ready for use, then a theory is selected, the selected theory and the collected data are interpreted by integrating them. Finally, the writing phase is completed, reviewed, examined and the process is concluded by evaluating (Cara;2007;Elms, 1994;Kovary, 2011;Schultz and Lawrence, 2017). However, although the proposed methodological steps make it easier to conduct a psychobiography study, some difficulties may arise (Anderson and Kağnıcı, 2010).…”

The ‘coming of age’ for Southern African psychobiography

“…There are many works out there that characterise psychobiography (Cavaye, 1996;Fouché et al ., 2007;McAdams, 1994;McLeod, 1994;Runyan, 1988;Simonton, 1994). Their fine contributions will not be repeated here .…”

Goal Orientation, Need for Achievement and Meaning: Psychobiographical Investigation of Füreya Koral

“…Psikobiyografi alanındaki çalışmalar kronolojik açıdan beş döneme ayrılmaktadır (Ponterotto, 2015: 380) Psikobiyografi alanı kabul gördükçe, bu alanla ilgili yöntem kitapları ve makaleler yayımlanmış ve bu yayınlar tanındıkça da psikobiyografi çalışmaları giderek artmıştır (Ponterotto, 2015: 386-387). Bu yayınlar psikobiyografi çalışmasının nasıl yürütüldüğüne dair uygulamalı yöntem kılavuzu işlevi görmektedir (Elms, 1994;Kovary, 2011;Cara;2007;Schultz & Lawrence, 2017). Her kılavuzda psikobiyografi çalışması için bazı basamaklar sıralanmaktadır.…”