Call for Papers

Psychological traits are frequently defined as constructs showing stability in individuals over several measurement occasions, different situations, and varying methods of assessment. When assessing traits, the variance of a measure may capture factors beyond interindividual trait differences – that is, variance specific to unsystematic measurement errors, the (measurement) situation, and variance specific to the method.

Separating these sources of variance contributes to our understanding of the stability of psychological constructs within individuals. Moreover, it contributes to our understanding of the impact of the method and measurement occasion on the assessment of a trait variable.

Latent state-trait approaches (LST; e.g., Steyer, Ferring, & Schmitt, 1992) allow for such a separation of variability of manifest measures into variability due to a latent trait, a latent state residual (i.e., measurement occasions and situations), the method of measurement, and measurement errors. Accordingly, there have been many applications of LST approaches in different domains of psychological research (e.g., to behavioral variables, performance variables, or physiological variables). Recently, further advances have been made in LST theory and modeling. Among other aspects, LST approaches have been combined with other advances in multivariate data analyses such as multilevel modeling, multimethod data analysis, multigroup analysis, and growth curve modeling pointing to a high developmental potential of LST approaches.

With this Call for Papers, we invite researchers to provide innovative manuscripts committed to advancing our knowledge of the LST approach. Submitted manuscripts might focus on theory, models, applications, implications, and further developments. Applied papers should focus on research in the context of psychology.

Submitted manuscripts may fall into one of two categories:

1. 1.
   Theoretical and methodological papers: Papers that compare different theoretical approaches on defining and measuring state and trait constructs, papers that advance and/or extend current LST theory and models, and papers that advance and/or extend methods for assessing and analyzing state-trait data.
2. 2.
   Applied papers: Original empirical research studies using LST approaches in different fields of psychological research and/or assessment.

Timeline and Submission Process

June 6, 2015	Proposal (500 words max.) submission deadline
August 7, 2015	Editors’ feedback with invitations for full manuscript submission will be sent to authors
November 30, 2015	Full manuscript submission deadline
January 30, 2016	Reviewers’ feedback will be sent to authors
March 30, 2016	Revised manuscripts due from authors
May 1, 2016	Reviewers’ feedback of revised manuscripts will be sent to authors (review of revised manuscripts will be carried out by Guest Editors)
June 30, 2016	Final revisions received, Editorial decisions

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We ask that interested authors start by submitting a proposal (500 words maximum) that describes the paper they intend to submit.

Proposals will be due June 6, 2015.

Each proposal will receive feedback within 8 weeks. Proposals can be sent directly to Thomas Götz (mailto: thomas.goetz@uni-konstanz.de).

Full manuscripts will be due November 30, 2015.

Full manuscripts will be limited to 35 standard manuscript pages (including all figures, tables, and references; authors can ask for editorial approval of a longer paper if highly warranted). Manuscripts will undergo a regular process of review following the schedule outlined above.

All submissions should be prepared in accordance with the European Journal of Psychological Assessment’s author guidelines (www.hogrefe.com/periodicals/european-journal-of-psychological-assessment/) and submitted through the journal’s submission portal (www.editorialmanager.com/ejpa/default.aspx). Contributors should indicate in their cover letter that they would like to have the paper considered for the Special Issue on “Measuring States and Traits: Theories, Models, and Assessment”.

Papers acceptable for publication that cannot be published in this special issue may be considered for publication in a regular issue of European Journal of Psychological Assessment, unless authors explicitly decline this option.