The Microgenetic Method: Time for Change?

Change is an inevitable, but important aspect of our lives. Football teams travel up and down the leagues, governments come and go, we make the transition from nursery to school, school to college or a job and then from job to job. As change affects everyone and is so endemic, it is crucial that psychologists have an adaptable approach to measure it. Yet, paradoxically in attempting to identify how change occurs, much of psychology has focused on events before and after such transitions without considering the process itself. In this article we argue that it is now time that psychological methods of enquiry give us more than just a snapshot of the events surrounding change. The Microgenetic Method offers a clear view of change as it is actually happening.. We describe this approach, provide some examples of its use, and reflect upon how its techniques are once again coming to be used to address key psychological questions.