The field of psychology emotions have been studied for over 100 years. Traditionally, the approach to this research has employed quantitative and, to a much lesser degree, qualitative methodologies. In doing so, the research has been limited to only those aspects of the human condition that can be captured, recorded and measured easily. The non-rational component of the human experience, often considered too fluid to research, has been overlooked. The use of alternative methodologies that address the affective domain have been ignored as having little scholarly rigor.

In particular within the social sciences, the making of visual images, have been used extensively as a means of data collection but rarely as a research methodology. Photo documentary practice, a discipline that blends ethnographic research methodologies, investigative journalism and the politic of the aesthetic, relies on visual images to capture emotional experiences; but only recently has there been a push to consider this as legitimate research method. Together these two disciplines could extend current methodologies, to broaden and triangulate existing psychological methodologies and to enhance photo documentary research.

This innovative multidisciplinary approach can be used to forge the new methodology of visual psychology, 'VisPsych' to enhance current research in many areas.