First-Person Science in Psychology: Theory, Method, Application

• Applicant: Professor Ulrich Weger, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: from 2020 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 442000817

Psychological phenomena are characterized by a behavioral component (e.g., how does it become evident that someone pays attention?) as well as by an experiential component (e.g., how do I experience a state of attention?). Psychologists have developed a rich methodological toolbox to address the behavioral component, for example by using third-person (e.g., experimental) modes of enquiry. Methods to investigate the first-person or qualia nature of psychological phenomena, by contrast, are developed less systematically. Over the past years we have begun to develop such a first-person research approach to allow for a more comprehensive understanding of a range of psychological phenomena that are of a primarily first-person nature, such as consciousness or the self. The current research project a) for the first time seeks to validate this approach by aligning it with external methods of validation; and by exploring whether first person research can be fine-tuned with practice in a larger group of participants. b) The proposal seeks to develop and assess a systematic methodological roadmap for the use of first-person enquiry as a research tool and implement it in a field setting – namely in a higher-education context.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants