Precision Assessment: An Individualized and Temporally Dynamic Approach to Understanding Patients in their Daily Lives

In recent years, there has been an increase in research employing longitudinal data and advanced statistical methods to capture the temporal dynamics of psychological functioning. Yet psychological assessment in clinical practice is often conducted over a single session, which does not allow for exploring temporally dynamic processes as they unfold in daily life. The present chapter addresses this gap by introducing precision assessment, an approach that makes use of longitudinal data provided by a patient to describe the patient-specific and normative processes unfolding in their daily life. We articulate the rationale for precision assessment, describe the research support and clinical applications of this approach, comment on its strengths and weaknesses, and briefly discuss how to implement this approach in clinical practice.