Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
05:26
Enactive Phenomenological Approach to the Trier Social Stress Test: A Mixed Methods Point of View
Published on: January 7, 2019
Transformational Dramaturgical Longitudinalism (TDL): A Participant-Led Methodology for Researching Stigmatised
Lucinda D Richardson1, Colum Cronin1, Peter Millward1
1Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
Qualitative Health Research
|July 23, 2026
Summary
This study introduces transformational dramaturgical longitudinalism (TDL), a new qualitative method. TDL captures authentic experiences of fat individuals by focusing on
Area of Science:
- Qualitative Health Research
- Sociology
- Psychology
Background:
- Fat stigma creates a barrier in qualitative health research, leading participants to present a 'frontstage' performance.
- Current qualitative methods struggle to access participants' 'backstage' reflections due to social desirability and stigma.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce transformational dramaturgical longitudinalism (TDL), a novel qualitative methodology.
- Address limitations in capturing authentic experiences of individuals facing stigma.
- Advance qualitative health research through participant-led and ethically robust design.
Main Methods:
- TDL synthesizes Goffman's dramaturgical theory with longitudinal, participant-led design.
- Employs a three-stage process: two interview cycles and asynchronous written correspondence.
- Developed through an 18-month study with eight self-identified fat women.
Main Results:
- TDL facilitates participant-led pacing and narrative sovereignty.
- Integrates emotional and structural reflexivity as methodological resources.
- Operationalizes dramaturgical concepts as design principles, not just analytic tools.
Conclusions:
- TDL enhances qualitative health research by prioritizing participant voice and ethical considerations.
- Ongoing consent and narrative revision rights are central to TDL's ethical framework.
- The methodology's scope conditions support its transferability to future stigma research.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Forced Transdifferentiation
Transdifferentiation, also known as lineage reprogramming, was first discovered by Selman and Kafatos in 1974 in silkmoths. They observed that the moths’ cuticle-producing cells transformed into salt-producing cells. Many such cases of natural transdifferentiation occur in organisms. In humans, pancreatic alpha cells can become beta cells. In newts, the loss of the eye’s lens causes the pigmented epithelial cells to transdifferentiate into the lens cells.
Artificial transdifferentiation occurs...
Artificial transdifferentiation occurs...
00:57Deindividuation
Deindividuation is a form of social influence on an individual’s behavior such that the individual engages in unusual or non-normal behavior while in a group setting. Why? Because in these group settings, the individual no longer sees themselves as an individual anymore, disinhibiting their behavior and personal restraint.
01:26Structuralism
Structuralism, an early psychological theory developed by Wilhelm Wundt and his student Edward Bradford Titchener, sought to dissect the human mind into its most fundamental components. Wundt's groundbreaking work in his laboratory set the stage for Titchener to define structuralism's goal as cataloging the "atoms" of the mind—sensations, images, and feelings—akin to how chemists identify elements of matter.
Titchener's approach to structuralism was unique. He employed introspection, a method...
Titchener's approach to structuralism was unique. He employed introspection, a method...
02:20Longitudinal Research
Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
01:29Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapies emphasize the exploration of unconscious processes and early childhood experiences as fundamental contributors to psychological difficulties. These therapies, deeply rooted in Freud's psychoanalytic theory, aim to uncover and resolve unconscious conflicts, granting individuals insights that promote emotional and behavioral healing. Contemporary psychodynamic approaches have evolved, integrating a broader range of influences and methodologies while still valuing the...