International Institute for Psycho-social and Socio-Ecological Research, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Repeated self-observation techniques such as diaries, event monitoring and structued time sampling have become increasingly important assessment tools in psychological and medical research. They offer medicine a perpective from the point of view of the patient that is often not included in the formulations leading to diagnosis and treatment. In the sense that they gather subjective information in the daily natural setting of the subjects, they provide ecologically valid data that supplements information gathered in the interview, questionnaire surveys, behavioral observations and laboratory tests.
We have developed the Experience Sampling Method (ESM - deVries, 1987, 1992; Delespaul, 1995). ESM is a time-sampling approach in which subjects are signalled by an electronic device at random intervals throughout the day to complete a self-report form concerning aspects of their (objective) curent situation, such as activities, place and social context, but also (subjective) mental processes such as thoughts, motivation and mood. Because data collection takes place in the context and time frame of daily life, retrospective bias is reduced and ecological validity is increased. Compliance, reliability and validity have been demonstrated. Researchers have been using ESM in studies of different psychiatric and (psycho)somatic disorders and the method has become a valuable research in the field of social and behavioral sciences.
References
Delespaul, P.A.E.G. (ed.) (1995). Assessing Schizophrenia in Daily Life. The Experience Sampling Method. IPSER Series on Ecologial Psychiatry, Vol. 1. Maastricht: Maastricht University Press.
Vries, M.W. de (1987). Mental disorders in their natural settings. The application of time allocation and experience sampling techniques in psychiatry. J. Nerv. & Ment. Disease 175:509-578.
Vries, M.W. de (ed.) (1992). The Experience of Psychopathology: Investigating Mental Disorders in their Natural Settings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.