Handbook of Research Methods for Studying Daily Life
Edited by Matthias R. Mehl and Tamlin S. Conner
Foreword by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Request a free digital professor copy on VitalSource ?“Recommended. Upper-division graduates through faculty and professionals.”
—Choice Reviews
“If you want to study life as it is lived—and do it by the numbers—then this volume is for you. This invaluable reference presents the latest theories, methods, and topics, and will provide inspiration and guidance for students and seasoned researchers alike. Mehl and Conner have assembled a team of experts at the forefront of the field who demonstrate that naturalistic sampling methods have developed into powerful tools for studying all facets of the human condition. The chapters have that rare combination of conceptual sophistication and methodological precision, making this book indispensable for anyone who wants to investigate how people feel, think, and behave in the moment-to-moment rhythms of their lives.”
—Lisa Feldman Barrett, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Northeastern University
“This volume—more than any other book published in the last two decades—will change the field of psychology. Psychological scientists have long recognized that ultimately, if their research is to have any meaning, they must venture out of the lab to study psychological processes unfolding in the 'real world.' But until now there has not been a comprehensive resource to show them how. As the first complete, authoritative, and practical guide to studying daily life, this handbook is set to change the way research is done. Every behavioral scientist should own a copy.”
—Sam Gosling, PhD, Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin
“This is an excellent and timely work of extraordinary breadth. It is both a primer for those new to daily experience research and a valuable reference for experienced researchers. Coverage ranges from conceptual foundations to applications and statistical methods, with discussions of self-report and objective measures; hardware and software; and research design, execution, and analysis. Rich with practical tips, this is truly a handbook that researchers will want to have close at hand as they navigate this exciting area. The book would serve superbly as a text for a graduate seminar.”
—Saul Shiffman, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh
“Over the last decades, as researchers focused on increasingly sophisticated but narrow methods and theories, many forgot that human beings live impressively complex lives outside the laboratory. In the real world, emotions, thinking patterns, biological activity, and social relationships are constantly interacting and changing in ways that are poorly understood. Some new sheriffs are in town. This remarkable handbook brings together some of the most innovative research in all of psychology, pointing to new ways of measuring natural behavior across a wide array of contexts. Expertly written and broad in scope, this book heralds a new generation of real-world research that will touch all of us in the years to come.”
—James W. Pennebaker, PhD, Regents Centennial Professor of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin
Table of Contents
I. Theoretical Background1. Why Researchers Should Think “Real World”: A Conceptual Rationale, Harry T. Reis
2. Why Researchers Should Think “Real Time”: A Cognitive Rationale, Norbert Schwarz
3. Why Researchers Should Think “Within Person”: A Paradigmatic Rationale, Ellen L. Hamaker
4. Conducting Research in Daily Life: A Historical Review, Peter Wilhelm, Meinrad Perrez, and Kurt Pawlik
II. Study Design Considerations and Methods of Data Collection
5. Getting Started: Launching a Study in Daily Life, Tamlin S. Conner and Barbara J. Lehman
6. Measurement Reactivity in Diary Research, William D. Barta, Howard Tennen, and Mark D. Litt
7. Computerized Sampling of Experience and Behavior, Thomas Kubiak and Katharina Krog
8. Daily Diary Methods, Kathleen C. Gunthert and Susan J. Wenze
9. Event-Contingent Recording, D. S. Moskowitz and Gentiana Sadikaj
10. Naturalistic Observation Sampling: The Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR), Matthias R. Mehl and Megan L. Robbins
11. Ambulatory Psychoneuroendocrinology: Assessing Salivary Cortisol and Other Hormones in Daily Life, Wolff Schlotz
12. Bridging the Gap between the Laboratory and the Real World: Integrative Ambulatory Psychophysiology, Frank H. Wilhelm, Paul Grossman, and Maren I. Müller
13. Ambulatory Assessment of Movement Behavior: Methodology, Measurement, and Application, Johannes B. J. Bussmann and Ulrich W. Ebner-Priemer
14. Passive Telemetric Monitoring: Novel Methods for Real-World Behavioral Assessment, Matthew S. Goodwin
15. Emerging Technology for Studying Daily Life, Stephen S. Intille
III. Data-Analytic Methods
16. Power Analysis for Intensive Longitudinal Studies, Niall Bolger, Gertraud Stadler, and Jean-Philippe Laurenceau
17. Psychometrics, Patrick E. Shrout and Sean P. Lane
18. A Guide for Data Cleaning in Experience Sampling Studies, Kira O. McCabe, Lori Mack, and William Fleeson
19. Techniques for Analyzing Intensive Longitudinal Data with Missing Values, Anne C. Black, Ofer Harel, and Gregory Matthews
20. Multilevel Modeling Analyses of Diary-Style Data, John B. Nezlek
21. Structural Equation Modeling of Ambulatory Assessment Data, Michael Eid, Delphine S. Courvoisier, and Tanja Lischetzke
22. Analyzing Diary and Intensive Longitudinal Data from Dyads, Jean-Philippe Laurenceau and Niall Bolger
23. Investigating Temporal Instability in Psychological Variables: Understanding the Real World as Time Dependent, Ulrich W. Ebner-Priemer and Timothy J. Trull
24. Modeling Nonlinear Dynamics in Intraindividual Variability, Pascal R. Deboeck
25. Within-Person Factor Analysis: Modeling How the Individual Fluctuates and Changes across Time, Annette Brose and Nilam Ram
26. Multilevel Mediational Analysis in the Study of Daily Lives, Noel A. Card
IV. Research Applications: Perspectives from the Different Fields
27. Emotion Research, Adam A Augustine and Randy J. Larsen
28. Close Relationships, Shelly L. Gable, Courtney L. Gosnell, and Thery Prok
29. Personality Research, William Fleeson and Erik E. Noftle
30. Cross-Cultural Research, William Tov and Christie Napa Scollon
31. Positive Psychology, Jaime L. Kurtz and Sonja Lyubomirsky
32. Health Psychology, Joshua M. Smyth and Kristin E. Heron
33. Developmental Psychology, Joel M. Hektner
34. Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Daniel J. Beal
35. Clinical Psychology, Timothy J. Trull, Ulrich W. Ebner-Priemer, Whitney C. Brown, Rachel L. Tomko, and Emily M. Scheiderer
36. Psychiatry, Inez Myin-Germeys
About the Editors
Matthias R. Mehl, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Arizona. He received his doctorate in social and personality psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. Over the last decade, he developed the electronically activated recorder (EAR) as a novel methodology for the unobtrusive naturalistic observation of daily life. He has given workshops and published numerous articles on novel methods for studying daily life. Dr. Mehl is a founding member and the current Vice President of the Society for Ambulatory Assessment.Tamlin S. Conner, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Otago in New Zealand. She received her doctorate in social psychology from Boston College and completed postdoctoral training in health and personality psychology at the University of Connecticut Health Center. She has published numerous articles on the theory and practice of experience sampling; is a leading expert on ambulatory self-report techniques; and conducts research on well-being, emotions, and the science of self-report. Dr. Conner is a founding member and current executive committee member of the Society for Ambulatory Assessment.
Contributors
ADVISORY EDITORIAL BOARDNiall Bolger, PhD, Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York
Jochen Fahrenberg, PhD, Institute of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
Jean-Philippe Laurenceau, PhD, Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
Harry T. Reis, PhD, Department of Clinical and Social Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
Arthur A. Stone, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
Howard Tennen, PhD, Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut
CONTRIBUTORS
Adam A Augustine, PhD, Department of Psychology, Washington University at St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
William D. Barta, PhD, School of Nursing, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
Daniel J. Beal, PhD, Department of Psychology, Rice University, Houston, Texas
Anne C. Black, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
Niall Bolger, PhD, Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York
Annette Brose, PhD, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
Whitney C. Brown, MA, Department of Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
Johannes B. J. Bussmann, PhD, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Noel A. Card, PhD, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
Tamlin S. Conner, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
Delphine S. Courvoisier, PhD, Department of Methodologies and Data Analysis, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
Pascal R. Deboeck, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
Ulrich W. Ebner-Priemer, PhD, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany
Michael Eid, PhD, Department of Education and Psychology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
William Fleeson, PhD, Department of Psychology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Shelly L. Gable, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
Matthew S. Goodwin, PhD, Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Courtney L. Gosnell, MA, Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
Paul Grossman, PhD, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, University of Basel Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
Kathleen C. Gunthert, PhD, Department of Psychology, American University, Washington, DC
Ellen L. Hamaker, PhD, Department of Methods and Statistics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Ofer Harel, PhD, Department of Statistics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
Joel M. Hektner, PhD, Department of Human Development and Family Science, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota
Kristin E. Heron, MS, Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
Stephen S. Intille, PhD, Department of Architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Katharina Krog, DiplPsych, Institute of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
Thomas Kubiak, PhD, Department of Health Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Mainz, Germany
Jaime L. Kurtz, PhD, Department of Psychology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Sean P. Lane, MA, Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York
Randy J. Larsen, PhD, Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
Jean-Philippe Laurenceau, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
Barbara J. Lehman, PhD, Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington
Tanja Lischetzke, PhD, Department of Methods and Evaluation, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Mark D. Litt, PhD, Division of Behavioral Sciences and Community Health, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut
Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California at Riverside, Riverside, California
Lori Mack, MA, Department of Psychology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Gregory Matthews, PhD, Department of Statistics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
Kira O. McCabe, MA, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
Matthias R. Mehl, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
D. S. Moskowitz, PhD, Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Maren I. Müller, DiplPsych, Faculty for Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Inez Myin-Germeys, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
John B. Nezlek, PhD, Department of Psychology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia
Erik E. Noftle, PhD, Department of Psychology, Willamette University, Salem, Oregon
Kurt Pawlik, PhD, Psychological Institute, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Meinrad Perrez, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
Thery Prok, MA, Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
Nilam Ram, PhD, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Development, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
Harry T. Reis, PhD, Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
Megan L. Robbins, MA, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
Gentiana Sadikaj, MS, Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Emily M. Scheiderer, BA, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
Wolff Schlotz, PhD, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
Norbert Schwarz, PhD, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Christie Napa Scollon, PhD, School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University, Singapore
Patrick E. Shrout, PhD, Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York
Joshua M. Smyth, PhD, Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
Gertraud Stadler, PhD, Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York
Howard Tennen, PhD, Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut
Rachel L. Tomko, MA, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
William Tov, PhD, School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University, Singapore
Timothy J. Trull, PhD, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
Susan J. Wenze, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, and Butler Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island
Frank H. Wilhelm, PhD, Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
Peter Wilhelm, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland