Scientific progress in health psychology is hindered by pervasive issues ranging from the conceptualisation and measurement of our constructs to the formalisation of our theories and organising frameworks. This limited podcast series hosted by Olga Perski and Christoph Bamberg aims to 1) raise awareness of key issues facing the field of health psychology and 2) discuss potential solutions and insights with experts from the newly formed EHPS SIG in Conceptualisation, Formalisation and Measurement and beyond.
Define and Conquer
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7 episodes
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Podcast Overview
Scientific progress in health psychology is hindered by pervasive issues ranging from the conceptualisation and measurement of our constructs to the formalisation of our theories and organising frameworks. This limited podcast series hosted by Olga Perski and Christoph Bamberg aims to 1) raise awareness of key issues facing the field of health psychology and 2) discuss potential solutions and insights with experts from the newly formed EHPS SIG in Conceptualisation, Formalisation and Measurement and beyond.
Language
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Publishing Since
10/18/2025
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Recent Episodes
July 1, 2026
Cross-Cultural Psychology, Concept Definitions & Measurement, with Jennifer Inauen
<p>In this much‑requested episode, we talk with Prof. Jennifer Inauen (University of Bern) about how culture shapes psychological constructs—and why translation and standard psychometrics are necessary but not sufficient when moving measures to new contexts. We start by asking whether key constructs are universal or context‑bound, considering theory boundary conditions and how this relates to different philosophical stances (e.g., realist vs constructivist). Jennifer shares why starting with local understanding and close collaboration with in‑country partners is essential to work out the right context. She explains how think‑aloud interviews can surface item misunderstandings—like reverse‑worded items—before large‑scale validation. She also walks us through a pragmatic 4‑step adaptation workflow, from checking whether a construct exists locally to cognitive testing and scale‑ and item‑level validation. We discuss when a shorter route may be defensible if strong prior evidence exists that the construct applies in your target population and why taking time for these foundational steps ultimately makes for better, more usable science.</p><p>Further resources:</p><ul><li>The 4-step procedure: Ambuehl, B., & Inauen, J. (2022). Contextualized Measurement Scale Adaptation: A 4-Step Tutorial for Health Psychology Research. <i>International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health</i>, <i>19</i>(19), 12775. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912775" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912775</a></li><li>PROMIS guide for culturally adapting questionnaires: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11136-018-1874-8" target="_blank">https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11136-018-1874-8</a></li><li>The results of their study in Nepal: Ambuehl B, Tomberge VMJ, Kunwar BM, Schertenleib A, Marks SJ, Inauen J. The Role of Psychological Ownership in Safe Water Management: A Mixed-Methods Study in Nepal. <i>Water</i>. 2021; 13(5):589. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://doi.org/10.3390/w13050589" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/w13050589</a> </li><li>Repository of cross-culturally adopted measures (currently only accessible upon request): <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://osf.io/r4b75/overview" target="_blank">https://osf.io/r4b75/overview</a></li><li>Episode 3, where we cover time as one context of measurement: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://cfm.opens.science/define-and-conquer-podcast/s1e3.html" target="_blank">https://cfm.opens.science/define-and-conquer-podcast/s1e3.html</a></li></ul>
May 8, 2026
Getting Started on Causal Models and Directed Acyclic Graphs with Louise Poppe
<p>For Episode 5, we invited Louise Poppe to introduce us to causal models, with a particular focus on Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs). Together, we discuss why researchers in epidemiology — and, in fact, across many scientific disciplines — can benefit from integrating DAGs into their study workflow. We talk about how to get started with causal thinking, common pitfalls and challenges when building DAGs, and what insights these models can provide for study design, analysis, and interpretation.</p><p>This episode offers an accessible introduction to causal thinking with DAGs and is a great opportunity to expand your methodological research toolbox.</p><p>If this episode sparked your interest and you would like to explore the topic further, here are some helpful resources</p><ul><li>Poppe, L., Steen, J., Loh, W. W., Crombez, G., De Block, F., Jacobs, N., ... & Paepe, A. L. D. (2025). How to develop causal directed acyclic graphs for observational health research: a scoping review. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2024.2402809" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2024.2402809</a></li><li>Poppe, L., De Paepe, A. L., Deforche, B., Van Dyck, D., Loeys, T., & Van Cauwenberg, J. (2025). Experience sampling method studies in physical activity research: the relevance of causal reasoning. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-025-01723-w" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-025-01723-w</a> </li><li>Rohrer, J. M. (2018). Thinking clearly about correlations and causation: Graphical causal models for observational data. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://doi.org/10.1177/251524591774562" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1177/251524591774562</a> </li><li>Online Harvard EdX course by Hernán: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://harvardonline.harvard.edu/course/causal-diagrams-draw-your-assumptions-your-conclusions" target="_blank">https://harvardonline.harvard.edu/course/causal-diagrams-draw-your-assumptions-your-conclusions</a></li><li>Hernán MA, Robins JM (2020). Causal Inference: What If. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://miguelhernan.org/whatifbook" target="_blank">Causal Inference: What If (the book) — Miguel Hernán</a> </li><li>Tennant, P. W., Murray, E. J., Arnold, K. F., Berrie, L., Fox, M. P., Gadd, S. C., ... & Ellison, G. T. (2021). Use of directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) to identify confounders in applied health research: review and recommendations. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyaa213" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyaa213</a></li></ul>
March 27, 2026
Introducing Formal Ontologies with Paulina Schenk
<p>In our fourth episode, we speak with Dr Paulina Schenk about formal ontologies and what they can offer for health psychology and behavioural science. We discuss, in simple terms, what ontologies are, how they differ from taxonomies, and why relating concepts to one another matters for research, evidence synthesis, and practice. The episode also explores how ontologies are developed, how they can accommodate nuance and context, and how they connect to topics such as causal models and AI. </p><p></p><p>Here is a small glossary of the important terms used in this episode (since, admittedly, there are quite a few when talking about ontologies).</p><ul><li>Class: Ontology classes are representations of groupings or types of things in the world (Arp et al., 2015; Michie et al., 2025).</li><li>Ontology: A classification framework that includes representations of things (classes), their relationships and labels, definitions and unique computer-readable alphanumeric IDs for these (Arp et al., 2015; Michie et al., 2025).</li><li>Annotation: Process of coding selected parts of documents or other resources to identify the<br /> presence of ontological entities (Arp et al., 2015; Michie et al., 2017).</li></ul><p></p><p>If you are interested in a clearer understanding of what ontologies are and why they may become increasingly useful in behavioural research, this episode is for you!</p><p><br />Ressources: </p><ul><li><b>Mechanism of Action Ontology part of the BCIO</b>: Schenk, P. M., Wright, A. J., West, R., Hastings, J., Lorencatto, F., Moore, C., ... & Michie, S. (2024). An ontology of mechanisms of action in behaviour change interventions. <i>Wellcome Open Research</i>, <i>8</i>, 337. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.19489.2" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.19489.2</a></li><li><b>Upper-level Behaviour Change Intervention Ontology:</b> Michie, S., West, R., Finnerty, A. N., Norris, E., Wright, A. J., Marques, M. M., ... & Hastings, J. (2021). Representation of behaviour change interventions and their evaluation: Development of the Upper Level of the Behaviour Change Intervention Ontology. <i>Wellcome open research</i>, <i>5</i>, 123. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15902.2" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15902.2</a></li><li><b>COPPER Ontology: </b>Braun, M., Carlier, S., De Paepe, A., De Backere, F., De Turck, F., & Crombez, G. (2025). Development and evaluation of the COntextualised and Personalised Physical activity and Exercise Recommendations (COPPER) Ontology. <i>International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity</i>, <i>22</i>(1), 52.<b> </b><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-025-01744-5" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-025-01744-5</a></li></ul><p><br /></p>
7 total episodes available
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