Cet article présente les enjeux et les principes majeurs de la psychologie communautaire et de la recherche communautaire, ainsi que les liens et les ancrages avec la psychologie de la santé et la psychologie sociale. À travers deux exemples de recherches menées en prévention de l’infection par le VIH, l’article permet d’appréhender en quoi une approche communautaire visant, notamment à impliquer les populations concernées, peut être particulièrement pertinente pour mieux appréhender les croyances et les comportements mais aussi tenter d’amener les personnes à modifier leurs comportements ou en générer de nouveaux. Cet article vise ainsi à présenter une méthodologie novatrice, ainsi que le point de vue épistémologique qui lui permet de se développer.

This paper presents the issues and main principles of community psychology and community research as well as associated relationships and viewpoints in terms of health psychology and social psychology. In this perspective, the paper presents the context in which community psychology has emerged and its fundamental principles such as empowerment, community involvement and the ecological model. Using two examples of research in prevention of HIV infection, the paper leads to a greater comprehension of how a particular community-based approach to involve affected populations may be particularly relevant, not only to better understand their beliefs and behaviors but also to try to encourage them to change current behaviors or generate new ones. Research with adolescents involved in promoting condom use illustrates the use of psychosocial models of behavior change through a community approach. A second research focus on medical and psychosocial innovation through the use of non-routine, rapid screening tests for HIV - which are neither carried out nor supervised by medical personnel - aims to highlight the impact of the development of preventive action by directly concerned communities. The article aims to present the innovative methodological and epistemological issues which underpin community research.