TY - JOUR
T1 - A Mixed-Method Investigation Into Measurement Reactivity to the Experience Sampling Method: The Role of Sampling Protocol and Individual Characteristics
AU - Eisele, G.
AU - Vachon, H.
AU - Lafit, G.
AU - Tuyaerts, D.
AU - Houben, M.
AU - Kuppens, P.
AU - Myin-Germeys, I.
AU - Viechtbauer, W.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded by an Odysseus grant (Grant GOF8416N) allocated to Inez Myin-Germeys by Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek. The authors are extremely grateful for the assistance of Tessa Biesemans and Mariam Chichua during the data collection; and Beau Reusens, Aleksandra Nowak, and Amine Zerrouk during the transcription of the interviews. Further, the authors would like to express our gratitude toward our colleagues for their contributions during the design and setup of the study. Finally, the authors would like to thank the participants
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 American Psychological Association
PY - 2023/1
Y1 - 2023/1
N2 - Public Significance Statement Increasingly, researchers use frequently repeated self-report measures to assess individuals' experiences in the context of their daily lives. We find signs of changes in response behavior, affect, and emotional awareness that are triggered by these frequent assessments. The possibility of such reactive changes over time is important to consider when collecting repeated self-report measures in daily life.Since the introduction of the experience sampling method (ESM), there have been concerns that the repeated assessments typically related to this method may alter the behavior, thoughts, or feelings of participants. Previous studies have offered mixed results with some studies reporting reactive changes, while others failed to find such effects. Our aim was to investigate under which circumstances ESM induces reactive effects. Students (N = 151) were randomly assigned to receive a questionnaire containing 30 or 60 items three, six, or nine times per day for 14 days. A random sample of 50 participants took part in qualitative interviews after the end of the data collection. We investigated changes over time in the data, while taking into account the sampling protocol and characteristics of participants, and analyzed qualitative reports of measurement reactivity. Decreases in completion time, within-person variance of ratings and subjective reports of habituation point toward the existence of a habituation period. While participants reported increases in emotional awareness in interviews, ESM measures indicated a decrease in emotional awareness over time. Changes in behavior were rare in quantitative and qualitative reports. Positive affect was decreasing over time in the ESM data, and various changes in affect, emotion regulation, and thoughts were reported in interviews. Individual characteristics and sampling protocol had inconsistent effects on changes over time. The results suggest that ESM induces changes in within-person variability, completion times, affect, or emotional awareness over time. Further research is needed to explore whether observed changes affect the validity of ESM data.
AB - Public Significance Statement Increasingly, researchers use frequently repeated self-report measures to assess individuals' experiences in the context of their daily lives. We find signs of changes in response behavior, affect, and emotional awareness that are triggered by these frequent assessments. The possibility of such reactive changes over time is important to consider when collecting repeated self-report measures in daily life.Since the introduction of the experience sampling method (ESM), there have been concerns that the repeated assessments typically related to this method may alter the behavior, thoughts, or feelings of participants. Previous studies have offered mixed results with some studies reporting reactive changes, while others failed to find such effects. Our aim was to investigate under which circumstances ESM induces reactive effects. Students (N = 151) were randomly assigned to receive a questionnaire containing 30 or 60 items three, six, or nine times per day for 14 days. A random sample of 50 participants took part in qualitative interviews after the end of the data collection. We investigated changes over time in the data, while taking into account the sampling protocol and characteristics of participants, and analyzed qualitative reports of measurement reactivity. Decreases in completion time, within-person variance of ratings and subjective reports of habituation point toward the existence of a habituation period. While participants reported increases in emotional awareness in interviews, ESM measures indicated a decrease in emotional awareness over time. Changes in behavior were rare in quantitative and qualitative reports. Positive affect was decreasing over time in the ESM data, and various changes in affect, emotion regulation, and thoughts were reported in interviews. Individual characteristics and sampling protocol had inconsistent effects on changes over time. The results suggest that ESM induces changes in within-person variability, completion times, affect, or emotional awareness over time. Further research is needed to explore whether observed changes affect the validity of ESM data.
KW - ecological momentary assessment
KW - ambulatory assessment
KW - measurement reactivity
KW - response behavior
KW - ECOLOGICAL MOMENTARY ASSESSMENT
KW - ELECTRONIC DIARY
KW - INVENTORY
KW - PAIN
KW - ACCEPTABILITY
KW - FEASIBILITY
KW - DEPRESSION
KW - VALIDITY
KW - Ambulatory assessment
KW - Ecological momentary assessment
KW - Response behavior
KW - Measurement reactivity
U2 - 10.1037/pas0001177
DO - 10.1037/pas0001177
M3 - Article
C2 - 36174163
SN - 1040-3590
VL - 35
SP - 68
EP - 81
JO - Psychological Assessment
JF - Psychological Assessment
IS - 1
ER -