Does Assessment Alter Responses? An Examination of Measurement Reactivity in an Ecological Momentary Assessment of Body Comparisons

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 304-332
Author(s):  
Rachel I. Macintyre ◽  
Kristin E. Heron ◽  
Charlotte A. Dawson ◽  
Kelly B. Filipkowski ◽  
Danielle Arigo
Keyword(s):  
Individual Difference ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Loss Of Control ◽  
Undergraduate Women ◽  
Measurement Reactivity ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment

Introduction: Body comparisons have been implicated in body dissatisfaction and eating disorder development. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) has been used to capture body comparisons in everyday life; however, the potential for measurement reactivity this approach has on EMA responses has yet to be examined. The present study systematically evaluated measurement reactivity in EMA of body comparisons. Methods: Undergraduate women (N = 75) completed four surveys daily for 11 days; Days 1–4 did not include comparison assessments and Days 5–11 did. Changes were examined in related EMA measures between these time periods and individual difference measures pre- and post-EMA. Results: A within-person MANOVA showed no significant change in the individual difference measures. Multilevel analyses revealed that participants reported fewer comparisons as day of study increased. When they completed EMA with versus without comparison items, they reported fewer occasions of loss of control while eating and less pleasant social company at time of assessment. Discussion: Findings suggest limited concern for reactivity in this approach, though researchers examining body comparisons, loss of control eating, and perceptions of social company should be cautious when interpreting their findings and consider examining reactivity directly. Future research on body comparisons should also consider using run-in periods to improve data quality.

Temporal Dynamics of PERMA Building Blocks and Well-being in Daily Life: An Ecological Momentary Assessment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeideh Heshmati ◽  
Zita Oravecz
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Dynamical Features ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment

Most assessments of well-being have relied on retrospective accounts, measured by global evaluative well-being scales. Following the recent debates focused on the assessment of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being based on the elements of the PERMA theory, the current study aimed to shed further light onto the measurement of PERMA elements in daily life and their temporal dynamics. Through an Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) design (N=160), we examined the dynamics of change (e.g., baselines and intra-individual variability) in the PERMA elements using the mPERMA measure, which is an EMA-adapted version of the PERMA Profiler. Findings revealed that momentary experiences of well-being, quantified via PERMA elements, map onto their corresponding hedonic or eudaimonic well-being components, and its dynamical features provide novel insights into predicting global well-being. This work offers avenues for future research to assess well-being in real-time and real-world contexts in ecologically valid ways, while eliminating recall bias.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of Ecological Momentary Assessment of Diet: Implications and Perspectives for Nutritional Epidemiology

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2696 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Maugeri ◽  
Martina Barchitta
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Dietary Assessment ◽  
Nutritional Epidemiology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment

The ecological momentary assessment (EMA) of eating behaviors represents an innovative, detailed and valid approach to capture the complexity of food intake and to overcome limitations of traditional dietary assessment methods. Moreover, EMA studies might generate a large variety of data (e.g., dietary, behavioral, physical, sociopsychological, and contextual information), thereby enabling to examine concurrent exposures and events. Due to the increasing number of studies in this field of research, here we systematically reviewed EMA methods for the assessment of dietary intake in epidemiological studies, and discussed implications and perspectives for future research. Our study summarized several protocols and platforms that may be applied to assess diet in terms of eating frequency, choices, and habits. Nearly 38% of studies used an event-contingent strategy by asking participants to report foods and beverages consumed in real-time at each eating occasion. Instead, approximately 55% of studies used a signal-contingent prompting approach that notified the participants to record their dietary consumption. The remaining studies used a combination of event- and signal-contingent protocols to compare their accuracy or to improve the assessment of dietary data. Although both approaches might improve the accuracy and ecological validity of dietary assessment—also reducing the burden for participants—some limitations should nevertheless be considered. Despite these limitations, our systematic review pointed out that EMA can be applied in various fields of nutritional epidemiology, from the identification of determinants of dietary habits in healthy people to the management of patients with eating or metabolic disorders. However, more efforts should be encouraged to improve the validity and the reliability of EMA and to provide further technological innovations for public health research and interventions.

scholarly journals Negative Affect and Loss of Control Eating Among Bariatric Surgery Patients: an Ecological Momentary Assessment Pilot Investigation

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 2382-2387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail A. Williams-Kerver ◽  
Kristine J. Steffen ◽  
Kathryn E. Smith ◽  
Li Cao ◽  
Ross D. Crosby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bariatric Surgery ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Loss Of Control ◽  
Loss Of Control Eating ◽  
Pilot Investigation ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment

scholarly journals Concordance and predictors of concordance of children’s dietary intake as reported via ecological momentary assessment and 24 h recall

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1019-1027 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sydney G O’Connor ◽  
Wangjing Ke ◽  
Eldin Dzubur ◽  
Susan Schembre ◽  
Genevieve F Dunton
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Energy Drinks ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment

AbstractObjectiveTo provide preliminary evidence in support of using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), a real-time data capture method involving repeated assessments, to measure dietary intake in children by examining the concordance of children’s dietary reports through EMA and 24 h recall.DesignChildren completed eight days of EMA surveys, reporting on recent dietary intake of four pre-specified food categories (‘Fruits or Vegetables’, ‘Chips or Fries’, ‘Pastries or Sweets’, ‘Soda or Energy Drinks’), and completed two 24 h recalls during the same period. Concordance of children’s reports of intake during matched two-hour time windows from EMA and 24 h dietary recall was assessed using cross-tabulation. Multilevel logistic regression examined potential person-level (i.e. sex, age, ethnicity and BMI category) predictors of concordance.SettingChildren in Los Angeles County, USA, enrolled in the Mothers’ and Their Children’s Health (MATCH) study.SubjectsOne hundred and forty-four 144 children (53 % female; mean age 9·6 (sd 0·9) years; 34·0 % overweight/obese).ResultsTwo-hour concordance varied by food category, ranging from 64·9 % for ‘Fruits/Vegetables’ to 89·9 % for ‘Soda/Energy Drinks’. In multilevel models, overweight/obese (v. lean) was associated with greater odds (OR; 95 % CI) of concordant reporting for ‘Soda/Energy Drinks’ (2·01; 1·06, 4·04) and ‘Pastries/Sweets’ (1·61; 1·03, 2·52). Odds of concordant reporting were higher for Hispanic (v. non-Hispanic) children for ‘Pastries/Sweets’ (1·55; 1·02, 2·36) and for girls (v. boys) for ‘Fruits/Vegetables’ (1·36; 1·01, 1·83).ConclusionsConcordance differed by food category as well as by person-level characteristics. Future research should continue to explore use of EMA to facilitate dietary assessment in children.

scholarly journals Brief Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Fibromyalgia: Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Replicated Single-Case Design

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
María Camino Gómez-Pérez ◽  
Azucena García-Palacios ◽  
Diana Castilla ◽  
Irene Zaragozá ◽  
Carlos Suso-Ribera
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Psychological Treatment ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Routine Care ◽  
Single Case Design ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment ◽  
Case Design

Objective. Overall, the literature on the effectiveness of psychological treatments in general and those for fibromyalgia in particular has been dominated by research designs that focus on large groups and explore changes on average, so the treatment impact at the individual level remains unclear. In this quasi-experimental, replicated single-case design, we will test the feasibility and effectiveness of a brief acceptance and committed therapy intervention using ecological momentary assessment supported by technology. Methods. The sample comprised 7 patients (3 in the individual condition and 4 in the group condition) who received a brief, 5-week psychological treatment. Patient evolution was assessed one week prior to treatment onset and during the whole study with a smartphone app. Because ecological momentary assessment and the use of an app are not frequent practices in routine care, we also evaluated the feasibility of this assessment methodology (i.e., compliance with the app). Change was investigated with a nonoverlap of all pairs index. Outcomes were pain interference with sleep and social activities, fatigue, sadness, and pain intensity. Results. Patient change was not uniform across outcomes. Four patients (two in each condition) showed relatively moderate levels of change (approximately 60% nonoverlap in several outcomes). The remaining patients showed more modest improvements which affected a reduced number of outcomes. Based on nonoverlapping indices, there was no clear evidence in favor of any treatment format. Conclusions. An alternative design to large-scale trials, one that focuses on the individual change, exists and it can be implemented in pain research. The use of technology (e.g., smartphones) simplifies such designs by facilitating ecological momentary assessment. Based on our findings showing that changes were not homogeneous across patients or outcomes, more single-case designs and patient-centered analyses (e.g., responder and moderation analyses) are required.

scholarly journals mHealth technology for ecological momentary assessment in physical activity research: a systematic review

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e8848 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Zapata-Lamana ◽  
Jaume F. Lalanza ◽  
Josep-Maria Losilla ◽  
Eva Parrado ◽  
Lluis Capdevila
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Psychological State ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Lifestyle Behaviors ◽  
Mhealth Technology ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment

Objective To systematically review the publications on ecological momentary assessment (EMA) relating to physical activity (PA) behavior in order to classify the methodologies, and to identify the main mHealth technology-based tools and procedures that have been applied during the first 10 years since the emergence of smartphones. As a result of this review, we want to ask if there is enough evidence to propose the use of the term “mEMA” (mobile-based EMA). Design A systematic review according to PRISMA Statement (PROSPERO registration: CRD42018088136). Method Four databases (PsycINFO, CINALH, Medline and Web of Science Core Collection) were searched electronically from 2008 to February 2018. Results A total of 76 studies from 297 potential articles on the use of EMA and PA were included in this review. It was found that 71% of studies specifically used “EMA” for assessing PA behaviors but the rest used other terminology that also adjusted to the inclusion criteria. Just over half (51.3%) of studies (39) used mHealth technology, mainly smartphones, for collecting EMA data. The majority (79.5%) of these studies (31 out of 39) were published during the last 4 years. On the other hand, 58.8% of studies that only used paper-and-pencil were published during the first 3 years of the 10-year period analyzed. An accelerometer was the main built-in sensor used for collecting PA behavior by means of mHealth (69%). Most of the studies were carried out on young-adult samples, with only three studies in older adults. Women were included in 60% of studies, and healthy people in 82%. The studies lasted between 1 and 7 days in 57.9%, and between three and seven assessments per day were carried out in 37%. The most popular topics evaluated together with PA were psychological state and social and environmental context. Conclusions We have classified the EMA methodologies used for assessing PA behaviors. A total of 71% of studies used the term “EMA” and 51.3% used mHealth technology. Accelerometers have been the main built-in sensor used for collecting PA. The change of trend in the use of tools for EMA in PA coincides with the technological advances of the last decade due to the emergence of smartphones and mHealth technology. There is enough evidence to use the term mEMA when mHealth technology is being used for monitoring real-time lifestyle behaviors in natural situations. We define mEMA as the use of mobile computing and communication technologies for the EMA of health and lifestyle behaviors. It is clear that the use of mHealth is increasing, but there is still a lot to be gained from taking advantage of all the capabilities of this technology in order to apply EMA to PA behavior. Thus, mEMA methodology can help in the monitoring of healthy lifestyles under both subjective and objective perspectives. The tendency for future research should be the automatic recognition of the PA of the user without interrupting their behavior. The ecological information could be completed with voice messages, image captures or brief text selections on the touch screen made in real time, all managed through smartphone apps. This methodology could be extended when EMA combined with mHealth are used to evaluate other lifestyle behaviors.

scholarly journals PENERAPAN GRATITUDE JOURNAL UNTUK MENURUNKAN GEJALA DEPRESIF PADA PENDERITA KANKER: STUDI DENGAN ECOLOGICAL MOMENTARY ASSESSMENT

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
Eric Sucitra ◽  
Samsunuwijati Mar’at ◽  
Sri Tiatri
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Signed Rank ◽  
Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test ◽  
Signed Rank Test ◽  
Inferential Style ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment

Kanker adalah sebuah masalah medis serius yang memiliki dampak yang signifikan terhadap kualitas hidup penderita secara holistik, termasuk masalah kejiwaan yang mengarah pada gejala depresif. Negative inferential style, yakni sebuah gaya pikir yang cenderung memproses peristiwa hidup secara lebih negatif dari biasanya, diduga sebagai salah satu faktor yang memicu penderita kanker untuk mengembangkan gejala depresif. Studi ini bertujuan untuk memeriksa penerapan intervensi yang berfokus pada aspek kognitif individu dalam bentuk aktivitas gratitude journal untuk mengurangi gejala depresif partisipan. Penelitian ini juga menggunakan ecological momentary assessment untuk memeriksa fluktuasi mood depresif dalam partisipan. Enam partisipan wanita dengan berusia antara 35 sampai 56 tahun (x̅ = 44.83) dengan diagnosis kanker dan gejala depresif (skor BDI-II > 0) direkrut dan menyelesaikan aktivitas gratitude journal selama dua minggu. Uji statistik non-parametrik Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test dan Kruskall-Wallis Test dilakukan untuk menganalisis data. Studi ini juga melakukan analisis tematik dalam bentuk coding untuk menemukan protective factors terhadap depresi yang terkandung dalam gratitude journal. Studi ini tidak menemukan perbedaan bermakna pada skor pretest-posttest trait gratitude, namun menemukan penurunan skor yang signifikan pada gejala depresif. Terakhir, peneliti tidak menemukan adanya perbedaan bermakna dalam gejala depresif pada tiga kondisi waktu yang berbeda. Studi ini menunjukkan bahwa gratitude journal dapat digunakan sebagai jenis intervensi yang dapat mendampingi intervensi lain karena karakteristik aktivitasnya yang sederhana. Akan tetapi, masih dibutuhkan penelitian lebih lanjut yang memeriksa penerapan gratitude journal terhadap penderita depresi klinis sebelum konklusi mengenai efektivitas dari aktivitas gratitude journal dapat ditegakkan. Cancer is a group of medical diseases that has detrimental impacts on the sufferers’ quality of life holistically, which includes psychological issues that may lead them to heightened depressive symptoms. Negative inferential style, defined as the tendency to interpret or attribute negative life events in maladaptive ways, has been suggested to be a risk factor contributing to the development of depressive symptoms. The current study aimed to investigate the application of cognitive-based intervention in the form of gratitude journal to reduce depressive symptoms. In addition, the study was designed to explore the fluctuative depressive mood among cancer sufferers by utilizing ecological momentary assessment. Six partisipants with age range from 35 to 56 years old (x̅ = 44.83), with cancer diagnosis and depressive symptoms (BDI-II > 0) were recruited and completed gratitude journal activity for two weeks. Non-parametric statistical analyses in the form of Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and Kruskall-Wallis Test were conducted to analyse the data. Findings showed no significant differences between gratitude trait pretest-posttest scores. In contrast, there were significant differences among depressive scores, indicating that the intervention helps to reduce depressive symptoms among cancer sufferers. It was further revealed that the analyses failed to find significant depressive symptoms’ differences among three different time points. The findings suggest that gratitude journal can be used as an effective side-intervention that complements other type of intervention to reduce depressive symptoms due to its “easy-to-do” nature. However, future research is necessary to establish its efficacy to treat individuals with more serious depressive symptoms. 

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