APPLYING A STEP-WISE APPROACH IN WRITING A PSYCHOBIOGRAPHY. THE CASE OF BEETHOVEN

Psychobiography studies and focuses on the uniqueness of individuals' psychological functioning, a challenging task that, among other benefits, helps understand personality patterns, predict behaviors, revise psychological theories, and expand psychology students' knowledge about the human mind as they learn about themselves while research about others. To carry out a psychobiography of quality, it is crucial to follow a correct methodological practice. This article presents a twelve-step method used to write a psychobiography (du Plessis, 2017) offering the case of the musician and composer Ludwig van Beethoven as an example, whose 250th anniversary is being celebrated this 2020. Particular attention is given to the importance of flexibility and creativity in personality studies. To illustrate it, we present a methodological innovation as a complementary tool, an expert panel. This tool may contribute to adding solidity to the traditional proceeding. The article aims to demonstrate the usefulness, rigor, and structure that this procedure offers. It can be a resource to help those researchers interested in starting to delve into the field of psychobiography and the details of how to carry it out.