The checklist of the problem phase
- (Social) psychological
- Applied
- Concrete
- Solvable
(Social) psychological
Part of the checklist
No problem is merely (social) psychological, but for a psychological consultant to work on it, psychological contributors should be meaningful and important in the problem and solution.
Applied
Part of the checklist
Does it go beyond ‘finding causes’? The problem should call for a solution, not merely an explanation. This means that we are talking about applied, and not basic or fundamental, research.
Concrete
Part of the checklist
Can we formulate the problem in sufficiently concrete terms? This allows for appropriate operationalization of the different aspects of the problem. Specificity is important.
Solvable
Part of the checklist
Do we estimate that the problem can be resolved or substantially relieved by one of our interventions? Taking into account scale, scope, resources, ethics, etc.
Does “bullying in the workplace” check everything from the checklist?
Psychological?
- Bullying is a behaviour that has a lot of behavioural aspects, so yes.
Applied?
- The client would want the bullying to stop, so yes.
Concrete?
- Not yet, we need to define what bullying means, what the exact behaviours are, what the target group is etc.
Solvable?
- Probably, depending on the type of organization and the extent to which the bullying takes place.
Does “burn-out in university lecturers” check everything from the checklist?
Psychological?
- Yes, as burnout is characterized by a lot of psychological facets.
Applied?
- Possible if you rephrase the problem
- Explaining is in this case part of the solution
Concrete?
- Not yet, we need to know how burnout is defined
Solvable?
- It has the potential
Does “gender pay gap” check everything from the checklist?
Psychological?
- While there are definitely psychological aspects to this issue, you might wonder if this is something that a psychological approach can resolve or is this more of a systemic issue that needs a different or maybe more complex approach?
- Doubtful
Applied?
- Probably yes
Concrete?
- Not yet, we need to further specify what is meant
Solvable?
- Probably not alone, you might need a more systemic approach. You may be part of that approach but it may be too difficult for an intervention developer with a psychological background to resolve this issue on your own.
What happens if a problem checks everything from the checklist?
If the problem is indeed suitable for you to work with, you will start working on the problem definition.
The problem definition
The problem definition is a brief paragraph of text that explains what the problem that you will be working on is exactly.
It’s a starting point for your intervention development, so it’s important to get it right considering it’s something you will go back to throughout the process.
What are the key aspects of the problem definition?
- What is the problem?
- Why is it a problem?
- For whom is it a problem?
- Potential causes
- Target group
What is the problem?
In sufficiently complete terms
Why is it a problem?
What are the negative consequences of this issue?
Why should it be resolved?
For whom is it a problem?
The target group for your intervention is not always the same group as the group that finds it a problem.
- E.g., you might want people to make more sustainable food choices when they’re grocery shopping but the people themselves might not care.
Potential causes
On the basis of your expertise and observations you can already reflect on potential causes.
This already gives a little bit of direction.
Target group
Who are the people that are displaying the behaviour that you want to change?
How do you write the problem definition?
You start with the checklist and key aspects
- Assess the problem using the checklist (social psychological, applied, concrete, solvable) and the key aspects (what, why, for whom, causes, target group).
If necessary you can do some research
- Research fact and figures about the problem, considering the source of information. Briefly review (or scan) the scientific literature for information about the problem.
Interviews and observation
- If you have the time and resources
- Talking to different parties involved (client, target group, experts in the field) can be helpful.
- Observing your target group and the problem context is also useful.
- This can give more background that can help the problem definition.
What is the checklist of the following example?
Tiktoking, not sleeping?
1 in 5 young people regularly wake up in the night to send or check messages on social media, according to new research published in the Journal of Youth Studies. This night-time activity is making teenagers three times more likely to feel constantly tired at school than their peer who do not log on at night, and could be affecting their happiness and well-being.
Psychological?
- Social pressure, insecurities, stress, depression, self-image, well-being
- So yes
Applied?
- The problem needs to be resolved, not merely explained, so yes.
Concrete?
- Specific target group, specific outcomes (in the article).
- So yes we are already quite far along to being concrete.
Solvable?
- Depending on the client and resources, so possibly.
What are the key aspects of the following example?
Tiktoking, not sleeping?
1 in 5 young people regularly wake up in the night to send or check messages on social media, according to new research published in the Journal of Youth Studies. This night-time activity is making teenagers three times more likely to feel constantly tired at school than their peer who do not log on at night, and could be affecting their happiness and well-being.
What?
- Low quality sleep (too short, waking up) due to social media use
Why?
- Teenagers that suffer from this issue are more vulnerable to depression, stress, low self-esteem, concentration and fatigue.
For whom?
- For the teenagers (the target group), their families and teachers
Causes?
- FOMO, peer pressure, smartphone addiction
Target group?
- Teenagers
- We cannot target all the teenagers in the world so it’s probably more specific depending on who the client is.
What is the problem definition of the following example?
Tiktoking, not sleeping?
1 in 5 young people regularly wake up in the night to send or check messages on social media, according to new research published in the Journal of Youth Studies. This night-time activity is making teenagers three times more likely to feel constantly tired at school than their peer who do not log on at night, and could be affecting their happiness and well-being.
Many teenagers tend to wake up during the night to check their social media, disrupting their sleep (what?).
This can pose a problem to these young people and the people around them, like school teachers (who?).
Because it can result in feeling tired at school, resulting in decreased academic performance, and decreased health and well-being (why?).
Potential causes are FOMO and peer pressure (causes?).
An intervention could potentially target teenagers on social media (target group?).
