Experience Sampling and personality psychology: concepts and applications

People interact with their physical environments every day by visiting different places and moving between them. Such mobility behaviours likely influence and are influenced by people's subjective well–being. However, past research examining the links between mobility behaviours and well–being has been inconclusive. Here, we provide a comprehensive investigation of these relationships by examining individual differences in two types of mobility behaviours (movement patterns and places visited) and their relationship to six indicators of subjective well–being (depression, loneliness, anxiety, stress, affect, and energy) at two different temporal levels of analysis (two–week tendencies and daily level). Using data from a large smartphone–based longitudinal study ( N = 1765), we show that (i) movement patterns assessed via GPS data (distance travelled, entropy, and irregularity) and (ii) places visited assessed via experience sampling reports (home, work, and social places) are associated with subjective well–being at the between and within person levels. Our findings suggest that distance travelled is related to anxiety, affect, and stress, irregularity is related to depression and loneliness, and spending time in social places is negatively associated with loneliness. We discuss the implications of our work and highlight directions for future research on the generalizability to other populations as well as the characteristics of places. © 2020 European Association of Personality Psychology

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On the Role of Specific Emotions in Autonomous and Controlled Motivated Behaviour

European Journal of Personality ◽

10.1002/per.1968 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 28 (5) ◽

pp. 437-448 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Leen Vandercammen ◽

Joeri Hofmans ◽

Peter Theuns ◽

Peter Kuppens

Keyword(s):

European Association ◽

Experience Sampling ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Lab Experiment ◽

Personality Psychology ◽

Anxiety Depression ◽

The Relationship

In the present study, we study the effect of four specific emotions (i.e. happiness, relaxation, depression, and anxiety) on autonomous and controlled motivated behaviour. Drawing on the componential approach to emotions, we argue that because different emotions have a different action readiness—the readiness to engage with the environment—they also have a different impact on autonomous and controlled motivated behaviour. To test this hypothesis, we performed two studies. In the first one, 50 participants took part in an experience sampling study in which they reported their emotions (happiness, relaxation, depression, and anxiety) and autonomous and controlled motivated behaviour 10 times a day for 7 consecutive days. In the second study, 217 students participated in a lab experiment in which we studied the effect of induced anxiety, depression, happiness, and relaxation on autonomous motivated behaviour. The results showed how specific emotions predict autonomous motivated behaviour and that the relationship between the different emotions and autonomous motivated behaviour depends on the emotion under study. By doing so, we demonstrated the important role of emotions in the elicitation of autonomous motivated behaviour. Copyright © 2014 European Association of Personality Psychology

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Truth and Wishful Thinking: How Interindividual Differences in Communal Motives Manifest in Momentary Partner Perceptions

European Journal of Personality ◽

10.1002/per.2227 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 115-134 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sebastian Pusch ◽

Felix D. Schönbrodt ◽

Caroline Zygar–Hoffmann ◽

Birk Hagemeyer

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Signal Detection ◽

European Association ◽

Experience Sampling ◽

Wishful Thinking ◽

Personality Psychology ◽

Interindividual Differences ◽

Everyday Lives ◽

Partner Perceptions ◽

Implicit And Explicit

Although rooted in reality, partner perceptions often reflect wishful thinking due to perceivers’ needs. Dispositional needs, or motives, can differ between persons; however, little is known about their differential associations with everyday partner perception. The present study used data from a 4–week experience sampling study ( N = up to 60942 surveys from 510 individuals nested in 259 couples) to examine the effects of perceivers’ partner–related implicit and explicit communal motives on the perception of (i) global communal partner behaviour and (ii) specific communal and uncommunal partner behaviours. The results of truth and bias models of judgement and quasi–signal detection analyses indicate that strong implicit communal approach motives and strong explicit communal motives are associated with the tendency to overestimate the partner's communal behaviour. Additionally, strong implicit communal approach motives were associated with the tendency to avoid perceptions of uncommunal partner behaviour. Neither implicit nor explicit communal motives had an effect on accuracy in the perception of particularly communal partner behaviour. The results highlight the relevance of both implicit and explicit communal motives for momentary partner perceptions and emphasise the benefits of dyadic microlongitudinal designs for a better understanding of the mechanisms through which individual differences manifest in couples’ everyday lives. © 2019 The Authors. European Journal of Personality published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Association of Personality Psychology

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Moments that Matter? On the Complexity of using Triggers Based on Skin Conductance to Sample Arousing Events within an Experience Sampling Framework

European Journal of Personality ◽

10.1002/per.2252 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (5) ◽

pp. 794-807

Author(s):

Sjoerd van Halem ◽

Eeske van Roekel ◽

Lara Kroencke ◽

Niclas Kuper ◽

Jaap Denissen

Keyword(s):

Skin Conductance ◽

Daily Life ◽

Experience Sampling ◽

Simple Algorithm ◽

Sampling Strategy ◽

Positive Energy ◽

Personality Psychology ◽

Negative Valence ◽

Skin Conductance Levels ◽

The One

To sample situations that are psychologically arousing in daily life, we implemented an experience sampling strategy in which 82 Dutch young adults ( Mage = 20.73) were triggered based on random time intervals and based on physiological skin conductance scores across a period of 5 days. When triggered, participants had to fill in short surveys on affect, situational characteristics and event characteristics on their smartphone. We found theoretically expected relationships between the skin conductance signal on the one hand and self–reported arousal and positive energy (e.g. energetic and enthusiastic) on the other hand, although effect sizes were small. Unexpectedly, none of the negative affective scales (i.e. irritation, anxiety, and negative valence) were predicted by skin conductance levels. Despite the (partial) validity of the signal, a simple algorithm that triggered the survey based on relative increases of skin conductance levels produced counterintuitive results due to a dependence between level and slope. Additional exploratory analyses highlighted other skin conductance signal characteristics (i.e. autocorrelation, number of peaks, and change points) that might be worth examining when designing future algorithms to sample arousing moments. Overall, our experiences highlight not only the promise but also the complexity of real–time measurement of physiological processes in daily life. © 2020 The Authors. European Journal of Personality published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Association of Personality Psychology

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From Motive Dispositions to States to Outcomes: An Intensive Experience Sampling Study on Communal Motivational Dynamics in Couples

European Journal of Personality ◽

10.1002/per.2145 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 306-324 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Caroline Zygar ◽

Birk Hagemeyer ◽

Sebastian Pusch ◽

Felix D. Schönbrodt

Keyword(s):

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Process Model ◽

Mood State ◽

Empirical Test ◽

Experience Sampling ◽

Heterosexual Relationships ◽

Extensive Experience ◽

Personality Psychology ◽

Motivational States ◽

Relationship Outcomes

Embedded in a theoretically founded process model (termed Dynamics of Motive Satisfaction, ‘DynaMoS’), the present study examined the links between the implicit dispositional communion motive, everyday motivational dynamics, and relationship outcomes in couples. Within–subject processes are proposed to explain between–subject associations of dispositional motives and relationship satisfaction. For an empirical test of the model, data on the dispositional partner–related need for communion and global relationship satisfaction were obtained from 152 individuals in heterosexual relationships. In an extensive experience sampling spanning 2 weeks, a subsample of 130 individuals answered questions about their current motivational states, mood, state relationship satisfaction, and experiences with their partner five times a day. The results were largely consistent with the DynaMoS model: (1) individuals with a strong dispositional implicit communion motive reported more often to be in a communal motivational state; (2) communally motivated individuals were more likely to engage in subsequent instrumental behaviour; and (3) relationship experiences that potentially satisfy communion motivation led to more positive relationship outcomes when individuals were motivated before compared with when they were not. It is discussed how these results and the experience sampling method can foster our understanding of how dispositional characteristics translate into everyday processes and shape relationship outcomes. Copyright © 2018 European Association of Personality Psychology

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Handbook of Research Methods in Social and Personality Psychology

10.1017/cbo9780511996481 ◽

2013 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Keyword(s):

Research Methods ◽

Personality Psychology

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Emotional Variability Predicts Tiredness in Daily Life

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000206 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

pp. 181-193 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Aire Mill ◽

Anu Realo ◽

Jüri Allik

Keyword(s):

Sampling Method ◽

Daily Life ◽

Emotional Experience ◽

Experience Sampling ◽

Experience Sampling Method ◽

Building Blocks ◽

Intraindividual Variability ◽

Unique Role ◽

Over Time

Abstract. Intraindividual variability, along with the more frequently studied between-person variability, has been argued to be one of the basic building blocks of emotional experience. The aim of the current study is to examine whether intraindividual variability in affect predicts tiredness in daily life. Intraindividual variability in affect was studied with the experience sampling method in a group of 110 participants (aged between 19 and 84 years) during 14 consecutive days on seven randomly determined occasions per day. The results suggest that affect variability is a stable construct over time and situations. Our findings also demonstrate that intraindividual variability in affect has a unique role in predicting increased levels of tiredness at the momentary level as well at the level of individuals.

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Psychometric Properties of the Spontaneous and Deliberate Mind Wandering Scales

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759/a000470 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 35 (6) ◽

pp. 878-890 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

David Marcusson-Clavertz ◽

Oscar N. E. Kjell

Keyword(s):

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽

Social Desirability ◽

Cognitive Task ◽

Experience Sampling ◽

Well Being ◽

Mind Wandering ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Psychological Variables

Abstract. Thinking about task-unrelated matters (mind wandering) is related to cognition and well-being. However, the relations between mind wandering and other psychological variables may depend on whether the former commence spontaneously or deliberately. The current two studies investigated the psychometric properties of the Spontaneous and Deliberate Mind Wandering Scales (SDMWS; Carriere, Seli, & Smilek, 2013 ). Study 1 evaluated the stability of the scales over 2 weeks ( N = 284 at Time 1), whereas Study 2 ( N = 323) evaluated their relations to Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms, Openness, Social desirability, and experience-sampling reports of intentional and unintentional mind wandering during an online cognitive task. The results indicated that the SDMWS were better fitted with a two-factor than a one-factor solution, although the fit was improved with the exclusion of one item. The scales exhibited strong measurement invariance across gender and time, and moderately high test-retest reliability. Spontaneous mind wandering predicted Generalized anxiety disorder and experience-sampling reports of unintentional mind wandering, whereas Deliberate mind wandering predicted Openness and experience-sampling reports of intentional mind wandering. Furthermore, Spontaneous mind wandering showed a negative association with social desirability of weak-to-medium strength. In sum, the scales generally showed favorable psychometric properties.

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