A comprehensive and practical guide on conducting rigorous, ethical, and impactful psychobiographical research. Psychobiography is the intensive psychological study of an individual within their unique socio-cultural-historic context. This engaging and exciting approach challenges researchers to apply psychological theories and knowledge of history to understand the inner emotional life of a particular person, usually a prominent historical figure. This handbook leads readers step-by-step through all aspects of planning and conducting a psychobiography. Readers will learn how to select an appropriate historical subject for research, anchor their study in established theories of psychology, collect and analyze data, monitor ethical considerations, and write the final report. Chapters are richly illustrated with examples from the author's own work, as well as early psychobiographical landmarks, such as Freud's study of Leonardo da Vinci and Erikson's study of Mahatma Gandhi. With its personal tone and wisdom borne from experience, this book will be a trusty resource for all psychobiographers, from students writing a psychobiography for a course to seasoned researchers writing a book-length psychobiography for publication.
Joseph G. Ponterotto, PhD, is a professor of counseling psychology in the graduate school of education at Fordham University's New York City campus. He is a leading national scholar in psychobiography, multicultural psychology, and qualitative research methods. He has published 16 books, including two psychobiographies: A Psychobiography of Bobby Fischer (2012) and A Psychobiography of John F. Kennedy, Jr. (2019). His research on Bobby Fischer led to his role as historical consultant on the major motion picture, Pawn Sacrifice (2016), starring Tobey Maguire as Bobby Fischer and Liev Schreiber as Boris Spassky.
Introduction: The Evolving Journey of Psychobiography Part I. Historical, Methodological, and Ethical Foundations for Psychobiography Chapter 1. Defining the Field of Psychobiography Chapter 2. Historical Perspectives in Psychobiography Chapter 3. Current Status and Emerging Trends in Psychobiography Chapter 4. Research Paradigms and Inquiry Approaches Chapter 5. The Psychobiographer's "Relationship" and Positionality to the Historic Subject Chapter 6. The Psychobiographical Subject in Socio-Cultural-Historic Context Chapter 7. Ethical and Legal Issues in Psychobiography Chapter 8. Ethical Best Practices: A Checklist and Decision-Making Model Part II. Conducting Psychobiography: Nuts and Bolts Chapter 9. Overview of the Process and Steps of Psychobiographical Research Chapter 10. Selecting a Subject, Deciding Whether to Work With a Team, and Establishing Initial Research Goals Chapter 11. Choosing and Using a Psychological Theory to Guide Your Analysis Chapter 12. Engaging the Research: Locating, Evaluating, and Integrating Data on Your Subject Chapter 13. Writing and Disseminating the Psychobiographical Report Chapter 14. Psychobiographer Self-Care Epilogue: Top 10 Characteristics of a Strong Psychobiography References Appendix A. Initial Validity of the Psychobiographer's Competency Self-Assessment Scale Appendix B. Sample Definitions of Psychobiography Appendix C. Sample Institutional Review Board Psychobiography Study Proposal Appendix D. Encountering Erik Erikson: Reflections of Alan C. Elms, William McKinley Runyan, and James W. Anderson Appendix E. Sample Psychobiography Course Syllabus
