Variable-Centered, Person-Centered, and Person-Specific Approaches: Where Theory Meets the Method

• Published in: Organizational research methods 2018-10, Vol.21 (4), p.846-876
• Main Authors: Howard, Matt C., Hoffman, Michael E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1094-4281; 1552-7425
• DOI: 10.1177/1094428117744021

The variable-centered approach is favored in management and applied psychology, but the person-centered approach is quickly growing in popularity. A partial cause for this rise is the finer-grained detail that it allows. Many researchers may be unaware, however, that another approach may provide even finer-grained detail: the person-specific approach. In the current article, we (a) detail the purpose of each approach, (b) describe how to determine when each approach is most appropriate, and (c) delineate when the approaches diverge to give differing results. Through achieving these goals, we suggest that no single approach is the “best.” Instead, the choice of approach should be guided by the research question. To further emphasize this point, we provide illustrative examples using real data to answer three distinct research questions. The results show that each research question can be fully addressed only by the appropriate approach. To conclude, we directly suggest certain research areas that may benefit from the application of person-centered and person-specific approaches. Together, we believe that discussing variable-centered, person-centered, and person-specific approaches together may provide a more thorough understanding of each.