Multilevel analysis: Integrating multiple levels of neurobehavioral systems

Abstract

Traditional disciplines have frequently dealt with complex phenomena from a given level of analysis, be that molecular, cellular, organ system, or organismic level. This can yield highly valuable information on biological and psychological processes. There is an explanatory value added, however, by an integrative multilevel approach, in which different levels of analysis and different levels of the neural organization are considered in the models and theories of psychological functions. This is the essence of the emerging discipline of social neuroscience, promoted by John Cacioppo and Gary Berntson, which seeks to inform the interactions between social psychological and biological processes.

Enacting Happiness from Emotions and Moods

“…Thus, the evidence in favor of emerging happiness that has been outlined in this section is all restricted to a single macroscopic level of observation (i.e., self-reported subjective judgment). The use of a multi-level approach, i.e., the aggregation of arguments from different levels of observation (from the macroscopic to the microscopic), allows for greater validity and better understanding of phenomena [8,55]. Thus, emerging happiness is likely to develop manifestations at other levels than that which is accessible to consciousness through self-reports.…”

Psychophysiology in 2024: Publishing on the science of brain, body, and behavior

“…During that period, technological innovation has steadily expanded the range of physiological variables examined in this research. The journal now routinely publishes work including multimodal brain imaging, deep computational modeling, and real-time neurostimulation techniques, often combined in multivariable studies that consider physiological function at multiple levels of analysis (Berntson & Norman, 2021). Past editors of the journal have worked hard to ensure that this steady technological expansion is met with methodological rigor.…”