Summary
From Theory To Intervention
Universiteit Utrecht
2025/2026
,Problem phase
PATHS approach to psychological intervention development.
Problem: formulating a problem definition.
Analysis: finding explanations for the problem.
Test: developing and testing the process model.
Help: towards an intervention programme.
Success: evaluating the intervention.
Checklist
● (Social) Psychological?
● Applied?
○ Does it go beyond ‘finding the causes?’. The problem should call for a
solution, not merely an explanation.
● Concrete?
● Solvable?
○ Do we estimate that the problem can be resolved or substantially relieved by
one of our interventions? Taking into account scale, scope, resources, ethics
etc.
○ For example: you can’t solve world hunger.
Example
Bullying in the workplace
Psychological? → yes
Applied? → yes
Concrete → not yet, but we probably can make it concrete
Solvable → probably yes
Example
Burn-out in university lecturers
Psychological? → yes
Applied? → yes
Concrete → not yet
Solvable → at least partially
Example
Gender pay gap
Psychological? → this seems to be a more systemic issue, this topic is doubtful
Applied? → yes
Concrete → not yet
Solvable → probably not alone, this problem might need a more systemic approach. You
might need other experts.
Key aspects
, The problem definition is a brief paragraph of text that tells you and the people around you
what exactly the problem is that you are working on.
This is an important part of the process, and it is important to get this right, as this is
something you will get back to a lot throughout the process.
In the problem definition a few key aspects are discussed.
What
Why → what are the negative consequences of this issue.
For whom → the target group for your intervention is not always the same group of people
that experience this as a problem.
Potential causes
Target group → who are the people that are displaying this behavior that you want to
change with your intervention.
How do you get started with getting this problem definition down on paper?
● Checklist and key aspects
You go over the checklist and try to phrase the key aspects of the problem.
○ Assess the problem using the checklist (social psychological, applied,
concrete, solvable) and the key aspects (what, why, for whom, causes, target
group).
● Research
○ Research facts and figures about the problem, considering the source of
information. Briefly review (or scan) the scientific literature for information
about the problem.
● Interviews and observations
○ Talking to the different parties involved (client, target group, experts in the
field) can be helpful. Observing your target group and the problem context is
also useful.
Example
Tiktoking, not sleeping?
1 in 5 people regularly wake up in the night to send or check messages on social media,
according to new research published in the Journal of Youth Studies. This night-time is
making teenagers three times more likely to feel constantly tired at school, than their peers
who do not log on at night, and could be affecting their happiness and wellbeing.
→ problem definition
Checklist
Psychological? → Social pressure, insecurities, stress, depression, self-image.
Applied? → The problem needs to be resolved, not merely explained.
Concrete? → Specific target group, specific outcomes
Solvable? → Depending on the client and the resources: possibly.
Key aspects
From Theory To Intervention
Universiteit Utrecht
2025/2026
,Problem phase
PATHS approach to psychological intervention development.
Problem: formulating a problem definition.
Analysis: finding explanations for the problem.
Test: developing and testing the process model.
Help: towards an intervention programme.
Success: evaluating the intervention.
Checklist
● (Social) Psychological?
● Applied?
○ Does it go beyond ‘finding the causes?’. The problem should call for a
solution, not merely an explanation.
● Concrete?
● Solvable?
○ Do we estimate that the problem can be resolved or substantially relieved by
one of our interventions? Taking into account scale, scope, resources, ethics
etc.
○ For example: you can’t solve world hunger.
Example
Bullying in the workplace
Psychological? → yes
Applied? → yes
Concrete → not yet, but we probably can make it concrete
Solvable → probably yes
Example
Burn-out in university lecturers
Psychological? → yes
Applied? → yes
Concrete → not yet
Solvable → at least partially
Example
Gender pay gap
Psychological? → this seems to be a more systemic issue, this topic is doubtful
Applied? → yes
Concrete → not yet
Solvable → probably not alone, this problem might need a more systemic approach. You
might need other experts.
Key aspects
, The problem definition is a brief paragraph of text that tells you and the people around you
what exactly the problem is that you are working on.
This is an important part of the process, and it is important to get this right, as this is
something you will get back to a lot throughout the process.
In the problem definition a few key aspects are discussed.
What
Why → what are the negative consequences of this issue.
For whom → the target group for your intervention is not always the same group of people
that experience this as a problem.
Potential causes
Target group → who are the people that are displaying this behavior that you want to
change with your intervention.
How do you get started with getting this problem definition down on paper?
● Checklist and key aspects
You go over the checklist and try to phrase the key aspects of the problem.
○ Assess the problem using the checklist (social psychological, applied,
concrete, solvable) and the key aspects (what, why, for whom, causes, target
group).
● Research
○ Research facts and figures about the problem, considering the source of
information. Briefly review (or scan) the scientific literature for information
about the problem.
● Interviews and observations
○ Talking to the different parties involved (client, target group, experts in the
field) can be helpful. Observing your target group and the problem context is
also useful.
Example
Tiktoking, not sleeping?
1 in 5 people regularly wake up in the night to send or check messages on social media,
according to new research published in the Journal of Youth Studies. This night-time is
making teenagers three times more likely to feel constantly tired at school, than their peers
who do not log on at night, and could be affecting their happiness and wellbeing.
→ problem definition
Checklist
Psychological? → Social pressure, insecurities, stress, depression, self-image.
Applied? → The problem needs to be resolved, not merely explained.
Concrete? → Specific target group, specific outcomes
Solvable? → Depending on the client and the resources: possibly.
Key aspects
