University Clinics UPD

Research groups

Group Pfammatter

Research methods

The multitude and complexity of research questions concerning clinical psychology and psychotherapy process and outcome draws on a wide range of scientific and statistical methods. A methodological pluralism is therefore applied. However, in the broad arsenal of methods a special emphasis is given to hierarchical mixed model regression analyses, meta-analyses and analyses of longitudinal data and time series. For the analysis of change mechanisms, we apply mixed and time series modeling, the latter through vector autoregression and related methods. In embodiment research, we study processes of motoric and nonverbal synchrony in psychotherapy sessions and other dyadic social interactions. We have developed specific methods for measuring synchrony such as SUSY (surrogate synchrony, see below) and MEA (Motion Energy Analysis) – a method to monitor movement in video recordings.

Furthermore, we developed several questionnaire tools:

Measures of psychotherapy process

We developed questionnaires for the measurement of common and specific factors in psychotherapy:

  • The Wochenerfahrungsbogen (WEB) was psychometrically established using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses in the context of the Taxonomy Project. The WEB allows to measure the common factors Coping, Therapeutic Alliance, Cognitive Integration, and Affective Processing with high reliability (Cronbach's alpha).
  • The Patientensitzungsbogen (PSB) is based on a comprehensive list of common factors suggested in the literature, as was elaborated by the Taxonomy Project. The PSB is filled out by patients after a therapy session.
  • The Therapietechnikbogen (TTB) maps the psychotherapy techniques and interventions implemented in a therapy session. Technique of different therapy approaches are covered. The TTB is filled out by the therapist after the respective session.

(Questionnaires are downloadable from https://www.embodiment.ch and http://www.exp.unibe.ch)

Measures of nonverbal synchrony

We developed a statistical tool to quantify the amount of coordinated behavioral and physiological synchrony in interpersonal interaction. This tool, Surrogate Synchrony (SUSY), is based on windowed cross-correlations of two interaction partner (such as therapist and patient) together with a surrogate method to assess the effect size of synchrony against random correlations. SUSY was since applied in psychotherapy dyads and in psychopathology research on the specificities of interaction styles linked with schizophrenia and the autism spectrum. SUSY was recently also implemented to study physiological and motor coordination in concert audiences. An extension of the algorithm was developed to assess the synchronization among multiple individuals (multivariate SUSY, a web-based interface to use SUSY is on https://www.embodiment.ch)

Measures of mindfulness

Mindfulness is defined as an attitude of nonjudgmental awareness and of guiding awareness towards the present moment. Mindfulness was found instrumental in the context of psychotherapy, and was integrated in contemporary cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy (so-called third-wave psychotherapy).

We constructed and validated a encompassing questionnaire to self-assess the various facets of the mindfulness construct, the Comprehensive Inventory of Mindfulness Experiences (CHIME). At present, the CHIME is available in German, English, Dutch and Turkish versions. An experience-sampling version is also available. (The German CHIME is downloadable from https://www.embodiment.ch and http://www.exp.unibe.ch)