Experience sampling methods require more than numbers

doi:10.1038/s44271-026-00416-9

Experience sampling methods require more than numbers

2026-02-23

0

PRE

AI

L

Laura F. Bringmann *

G

Guðrún Rut Guðmundsdóttir

L

Leonie Schorrlepp

L

Leonie V. D. E. Vogelsmeier

DOI：10.1038/s44271-026-00416-9

Original

Original request for help

Save

Abstract

En 中文

The experience sampling method (ESM) collects people's real-time reports about their feelings, actions, and surroundings. While this method originally included both numerical and open-ended responses, most studies today focus only on the numbers. We argue that ESM researchers should collect and analyze open-ended responses again, as they are crucial for understanding what the numbers really mean, and for capturing parts of experience that numbers alone cannot, such as context, the why behind responses, and the temporal order of events. Open-ended responses can improve ESM data by grounding it in real-world experiences and phenomena as they are experienced in everyday life. Therefore, handbooks and guidelines on ESM should again include dedicated sections on collecting and analyzing open-ended text items. We highlight future work that is needed to achieve the systematic integration of open-ended items and their analysis into ESM research.

Keywords:

ECOLOGICAL MOMENTARY ASSESSMENT

SCIENCE

LIFE

PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

ASSOCIATIONS

CHALLENGES

EMOTION

Experience sampling methods require more than numbers

Abstract

Journal

Organization