The Methodology of Syndrome Analysis within the Paradigm of "Qualitative Research in Clinical Psychology"

Abstract

This article considers the potential for applying contemporary philosophical theories (which distinguish classical, nonclassical, and postnonclassical types of scientific rationality) to the specification of theoretical methodological principles in the study of clinical psychology. We prove that psychological syndrome analysis (developed by the Vygotsky-Luria-Zeigarnik school), taken as a system of principles for organizing research as well as for interpreting its results, conforms to the epistemological complexity of the object of study in clinical psychology, which is understood in the postnonclassical scientific view as a self-developing system. We present an example of the formation of a psychosomatic syndrome in 290 patients with mitral-valve prolapse, applying methods of qualitative and statistical data analysis in a longitudinal clinical-psychological study. We prove that the syndrome is system-defined and has a multilevel character, and that its structure is determined by several factors: the motivational factor (with the domination of the failure-avoidance motive and the unsatisfied self-approval need); the factor of the emotional-regulation disorders, represented by both excessive emotional repression and lack of emotional control; and a psychophysiological factor. We argue that a psychosomatic syndrome can be used as a means for approaching not only diagnostic but also prognostic tasks both in clinical psychology and in medicine. We conclude that the results of our empirical study, conducted within the framework of postnonclassical philosophy and using the methods of psychological syndrome analysis, not only expand the scientific background on the nature of a particular disease (mitral-valve prolapse) but also pose further questions whose investigation will broaden our view of the psychological mechanisms of psychosomatic-syndrome genesis.

Personality attributes of children with behavior problems. An exploratory analysis with the Exner Comprehensive System of the Rorschach Inkblot Test and implications for the socio-historical clinical practice approach

“…In contemporary clinical psychology supported by the Vygotsky-Luria school, syndrome analysis is one of the most essential methodological principles used for dealing with complex self-developing open systems and studying psychic phenomena like personality attributes (Luria, 1973;Vygotsky, 1993;Zinchenko & Pervichko, 2012). The conceptualization of a particular type of syndrome is essential to structural analysis of complex phenomena, to clarify the distinction between the manifestation of psychological factors and the mechanisms responsible for their emergence and functioning.…”

Training OF Psychology Students in the Scientific Methods of Research

“…Psychophysiological prerequisites for successful solution of convergent and divergent tasks by research participants of varying levels of giftedness are explored (Dikaya, Ermakov, & Dikiy, 2010). In the clinical program, students learn diagnostic syndrome analysis developed within Russian psychology (Zinchenko, & Pervichko, 2012). It is important to understand the cognition dimensions and development in chronically ill children (Aralova, Aslanyan, & Yershova, 2004).…”

Emotion regulation strategies: procedure modeling of J. Gross and cultural activity approach.

“…С другой стороны, такая ситуация, несомненно, свидетельствует о возросшей методологической зрелости психологии как науки, ее готовности к рефлексии состояния выраженного «парадигмального сдвига», переживаемого мировой наукой, с осознанием необходимости перехода к рассмотрению изучаемых объектов как открытых саморазвивающихся систем (Степин, 2003). А это обусловливает повышение интереса к изучению человека в его психосоматическом единстве и регуляторных аспектов психического (Асмолов, 2002;Клочко, 2007;Зинченко, Первичко, 2012Zinchenko, Pervichko, 2012).…”