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Abstract

It is a methodological challenge to describe change processes within psychology, as



change is often characterized by both loss and growth in function. Especially compensatory



processes may be impossible to describe by conventional methods. These methods



typically detect changes in the level of functionality from one point to another, but are



unable to identify the processes that mediate the development. A micro-genetic method



that is based on high-frequency data collection, may be suitable to describe change processes



in normative populations, as well as psychopathological. As data density is greater



and the observed processes of change can be non-linear, registration, analyzes, and



interpretation of micro-genetic data do, however, challenge the conventional methods of



measurement in psychological research. Within the framework of Synergetics (a theory



of self-organization in complex dynamical systems), Günter Schiepek and colleagues



have developed a tool for registration and analysis: the Synergetic Navigation System.



This system enables close monitoring of clients’ mental state during critical development



phases and offers support for therapeutic processes. In both cases, clients’ dynamic development



processes exhibit characteristics that can be described and analyzed using



concepts and methods from Synergetics. This publication describes how the approach can



be applied in research in adult development of emotion regulation and how it may be



useful in a clinical setting.