Fostering innovation in the assessment of human functioning
At INBAL, we will conduct cross-disciplinary, cutting-edge research on the deep phenotyping of human functioning.
The next generation of assessment tools
Self-report surveys are the default mode of research in the social sciences. Recent innovations in digital technology now afford researchers the opportunity to use new platforms for tracking behavioral and physiological functioning in real time. INBAL will bring together experts in the assessment of traditional psychosocial constructs with computer scientists, engineers, and information scientists to create better, more valid assessment tools.
One example of a new assessment tool that we are currently piloting is our cognitive decline chatbot assessment. Please click here to participate in this pilot study.
Optimization of traditional survey approaches
Few, if any, research centers have focused on how to maximize the utility and efficiency of traditional assessment techniques. Basic, yet critical research is critical to ongoing efforts to assess psychosocial constructs in real-world settings. INBAL will foster a core line of research systematically examining and re-examining ways in which traditional survey approaches can be optimized.
Cross-cultural assessment expertise
Operationalizing a measure in a non-Western country goes well beyond translation of the measure. It requires knowing cultural norms, idioms, and practices that affect how citizens will understand and react to typical assessment techniques. INBAL aims to curate and disseminate cross-cultural knowledge and expertise to maximize the quality of assessments across the globe.
Neuroscientific brain functioning
Current standard assessment tools in neuropsychology examine behavioral markers of brain damage, but recent advances afford much more precise characterizations of the brain. A promising direction for future research is to significantly update and refine standard tools by incorporating modern neuroscience measures and cognitive performance metrics sensitive to variation in precise neurobiological markers of health, aging, and disease.