ABSTRACT
Deep integration across disciplines is a challenging endeavor, but also a fruitful and fulfilling one. Here we address key considerations for such collaborative work via illustrations from our recent project on flourishing in relationships. First, we address prerequisites for deep integration, including shared language and the importance of constructs. Second, we address construct mapping across disciplines, including disciplinary assumptions. In our project, we discovered that the balance of wisdom and compassion in Buddhist accounts goes beyond existing constructs in the psychological literature, and that the context-specific instantiation of wisdom and compassion in close relationships goes beyond discussions in Buddhist accounts. Finally, by examining assumptions, we also examine the value of first-person methods, achieving precision with such methods, and hybrid quantitative-qualitative approaches to design and analysis. Although deep integration requires more time than disciplinary-specific approaches, our project yielded new insights that greatly enhanced our work and created a robust multi-disciplinary team.
