Project seminar: Dynamics of Mental Health, Affect and Social Interactions
Project seminar: Dynamics of Mental Health, Affect and Social Interactions
Lecturer: Prof. Dr Tobias Koch
Mental health, affect, and social interactions are closely intertwined and are increasingly at the center of contemporary psychological research. But how do these processes unfold in everyday life? How do dynamics change within individuals over time, and how do they differ between individuals?
To investigate such within-person and between-person processes in greater detail, intensive longitudinal data are typically collected using experience sampling methods and, where appropriate, complemented by multimethod approaches such as digital trace data, mobile sensing data, or ratings from multiple informants. These complex datasets open up exciting research opportunities, but they also place substantial demands on statistical analysis.
The project seminar provides an introduction to multilevel latent time series models using the R package mlts (Koslowski et al., 2025). In addition, students will be supported in conducting small-scale research projects in which they analyze their own data or secondary data (panel data or intensive longitudinal data) and develop independent research questions on mental health, affect, and social interactions. The seminar also offers the opportunity to investigate methodological and psychometric questions, for example with regard to the reliability and validity of measurements in intensive longitudinal studies.
The seminar is intended for students who are interested in current psychological research, intensive longitudinal data, and modern statistical modeling. A prerequisite for participation is that students are writing their Master’s thesis at the Chair of Psychological Methods.
The seminar is limited to 20 participants. Prior knowledge of R and multivariate methods (multiple regression, multilevel analysis, and factor analysis) is required.