Are Retrospective Assessments Means of People’s Experiences? Accounting for Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Variability when Comparing Retrospective Assessment Data to Ecological Momentary Assessment Data

Retrospective Assessment (RA) scores are often found to be higher than the mean of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) scores about a concurrent period. This difference is generally interpreted as bias towards salient experiences in RA. During RA, participants are often asked to summarize their experiences in unspecific terms, which may indeed facilitate bias. At least in this unspecific form, the summary that participants apply to their remembered experiences can take many different forms. In this study, we reanalyzed an existing dataset (N = 92) using a repeated N = 1 approach. We reported on interindividual differences between EMA data and RA score, and assessed for each participant whether it was likely that their RA score was an approximation of the mean of their experiences as captured by their EMA data. We found considerable interpersonal differences in the difference between EMA scores and RA scores, as well as some extreme cases. Furthermore, for a considerable part of the sample (n = 46 for positive affect, n = 60 for negative affect), we did not reject the null hypothesis that their RA score represented the mean of their experiences as captured by their EMA data. We conclude that in its current unspecific form, RA may facilitate bias, although not for everyone. Future studies may determine whether more specific forms of RA reduce bias, while acknowledging interindividual differences.

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Mobile Ecological Momentary Assessment and Intervention and Health Behavior Change among Adults in Rakai, Uganda: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.22693 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Laura Kristen Beres ◽

Ismail Mbabali ◽

Aggrey Anok ◽

Charles Katabalwa ◽

Jeremiah Mulamba ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Behavior Change ◽

Health Behaviors ◽

Mobile Phone ◽

Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽

Vegetable Consumption ◽

The Mean ◽

Ecological Momentary ◽

Ema Data ◽

Momentary Assessment ◽

Health Messaging

BACKGROUND An extraordinary increase in mobile phone ownership has revolutionized opportunities to employ mHealth approaches in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) and Intervention (EMAI) uses mobile technology to gather data and deliver timely, personalized behavior change interventions in an individual’s natural setting. To our knowledge, there have been no previous trials of EMAI in sub-Saharan Africa. OBJECTIVE To advance the evidence base for mHealth interventions in LMICs, we conducted a pilot randomized trial to assess the feasibility of EMAI and to establish estimates of the potential effect of EMAI on a range of health-related behaviors in Rakai, Uganda. METHODS This prospective, parallel group, randomized pilot trial compared health behaviors between adult participants submitting EMA data and receiving behaviorally-responsive interventional health messaging (EMAI) to those submitting EMA data, alone. Using a fully-automated mobile phone application, participants submitted daily reports on five different health behaviors during a 30-day period prior to randomization (P1). Participants were then block randomized to control arm, continuing EMA reporting through exit, or intervention arm, EMA reporting plus behavioral health messaging receipt. Participants exited after 90 days of follow-up, divided into study Periods 2 (P2: randomization+29 days) and 3 (P3: 30 days post-randomization to exit). We used descriptive statistics to assess EMAI feasibility through completeness of data, and differences in reported behaviors between time periods and study arms. RESULTS The study included 24 participants per arm (48% female, median age 31 years). EMA data collection was feasible, with 85.5% of the combined 4,418 days reporting some behavioral data. There was a decrease in the mean proportion of days when alcohol was consumed in both arms over time (control: P1, 9.6% of days to P2, 4.3% of days, P=.03; intervention P1, 7.2% of days to P3, 2.4% of days, P=.01). Decreases in sex with a non-long-term partner without a condom were also reported in both arms (P1 to P3 control: 1.9% of days to 1.0% of days, P=.02, intervention: 6.6% of days to 1.3% of days P=.03). An increase in fruit and vegetable consumption was found in the intervention (P1 to P3 fruit: 78.6% of days to 87.0% of days, P=<.001; vegetable: 65.6% of days to 76.6% of days, P =.03 ) but not the control arm. Between arms, there was a significant difference in the change in reported vegetable consumption between P1 and P3 (control: 7.99% decrease in the mean proportion of days vegetables consumed, intervention: 11.05% increase, P=.01). CONCLUSIONS Preliminary estimates suggest that EMAI may be a promising strategy to promote behavior change across a range of behaviors. Larger trials examining the effectiveness of EMAI in LMICs are warranted. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04375423; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04375423.

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A Review of Explicit and Implicit Assumptions When Providing Personalized Feedback Based on EMA Data.

10.31234/osf.io/r9s7k ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

IJsbrand Leertouwer ◽

Angélique Odette Joanne Cramer ◽

Jeroen K. Vermunt ◽

Noémi Katalin Schuurman

Keyword(s):

Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽

Data Driven ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Personalized Feedback ◽

Retrospective Assessment ◽

Different Types ◽

Ecological Momentary ◽

Ema Data ◽

The Impact ◽

Momentary Assessment

Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), in which participants report on their moment-to-moment experiences in their natural environment, is a hot topic. An emerging field in clinical psychology based on either EMA, or what we term Ecological Retrospective Assessment (ERA) as it requires retrospectivity, is the field of personalized feedback. In this field, EMA/ERA-data-driven summaries are presented to participants with the goal of promoting their insight in their functioning. Underlying this procedure are some fundamental assumptions about (1) the relation between true moment-to-moment experiences and retrospective evaluations of those experiences, (2) the translation of these experiences and evaluations to different types of data (3) the comparison of these different types of data (4) the impact of a summary of moment-to-moment experiences on retrospective evaluations of those experiences. We argue that these assumptions deserve further exploration, in order to create a strong evidence-based foundation for the personalized feedback procedure.

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Understanding Contexts of Smoking and Vaping Among Dual Users: Analysis of Ecological Momentary Assessment Data

Addiction ◽

10.1111/add.15747 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Megan E. Piper ◽

Timothy B. Baker ◽

Deejay Zwaga ◽

Daniel M. Bolt ◽

Kate Kobinsky ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽

Assessment Data ◽

Ecological Momentary ◽

Momentary Assessment

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Latent trait shared-parameter mixed models for missing ecological momentary assessment data

Statistics in Medicine ◽

10.1002/sim.7989 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 38 (4) ◽

pp. 660-673 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

John F. Cursio ◽

Robin J. Mermelstein ◽

Donald Hedeker

Keyword(s):

Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽

Mixed Models ◽

Latent Trait ◽

Assessment Data ◽

Ecological Momentary ◽

Momentary Assessment

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Differences in Affective Dynamics Among Eating-Disorder Diagnostic Groups

Clinical Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/2167702620917196 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (5) ◽

pp. 857-871

Author(s):

Gail A. Williams-Kerver ◽

Stephen A. Wonderlich ◽

Ross D. Crosby ◽

Li Cao ◽

Kathryn E. Smith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorder ◽

Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽

Mixed Models ◽

Emotional Experience ◽

Affect Intensity ◽

Emotion Differentiation ◽

Affective Experiences ◽

Ecological Momentary ◽

Ema Data ◽

Momentary Assessment

Emotion-regulation theories suggest that affect intensity is crucial in the development and maintenance of eating disorders. However, other aspects of emotional experience, such as lability, differentiation, and inertia, are not as well understood. This study is the first to use ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine differences in several daily negative affect (NA) indicators among adults diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), or binge-eating disorder (BED). We used EMA data from three large studies to run a series of linear mixed models; the results showed that participants in the AN and BN groups experienced significantly greater NA intensity and better emotion differentiation than participants in the BED group. Alternatively, the BN group demonstrated significantly greater NA lability than the AN group and greater NA inertia than the BED group. These results suggest that several daily affective experiences differ among eating-disorder diagnostic groups and have implications toward distinct conceptualizations and treatments.

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Use of ecological momentary assessment to detect variability in mood, sleep and stress in bipolar disorder

BMC Research Notes ◽

10.1186/s13104-019-4834-7 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Han Li ◽

Dahlia Mukherjee ◽

Venkatesh Basappa Krishnamurthy ◽

Caitlin Millett ◽

Kelly A. Ryan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽

Sleep Time ◽

Control Group ◽

Social Stressors ◽

Parallel Group ◽

Healthy Control ◽

The Difference ◽

Ecological Momentary ◽

Momentary Assessment

Abstract Objective Our aim was to study within-person variability in mood, cognition, energy, and impulsivity measured in an Ecological Momentary Assessment paradigm in bipolar disorder by using modern statistical techniques. Exploratory analyses tested the relationship between bipolar disorder symptoms and hours of sleep, and levels of pain, social and task-based stress. We report an analysis of data from a two-arm, parallel group study (bipolar disorder group N = 10 and healthy control group N = 10, with 70% completion rate of 14-day surveys). Surveys of bipolar disorder symptoms, social stressors and sleep hours were completed on a smartphone at unexpected times in an Ecological Momentary Assessment paradigm twice a day. Multi-level models adjusted for potential subject heterogeneity were adopted to test the difference between the bipolar disorder and health control groups. Results Within-person variability of mood, energy, speed of thoughts, impulsivity, pain and perception of skill of tasks was significantly higher in the bipolar disorder group compared to health controls. Elevated bipolar disorder symptom domains in the evening were associated with reduced sleep time that night. Stressors were associated with worsening of bipolar disorder symptoms. Detection of symptoms when an individual is experiencing difficulty allows personalized, focused interventions.

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Affect fluctuations examined with ecological momentary assessment in patients with current or remitted depression and anxiety disorders

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291720000689 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

R. A. Schoevers ◽

C. D. van Borkulo ◽

F. Lamers ◽

M.N. Servaas ◽

J. A. Bastiaansen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Anxiety Disorders ◽

Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽

Affect Regulation ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Remitted Depression ◽

Ecological Momentary ◽

Ema Data ◽

Momentary Assessment ◽

A Current

Abstract Background There is increasing interest in day-to-day affect fluctuations of patients with depressive and anxiety disorders. Few studies have compared repeated assessments of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) across diagnostic groups, and fluctuation patterns were not uniformly defined. The aim of this study is to compare affect fluctuations in patients with a current episode of depressive or anxiety disorder, in remitted patients and in controls, using affect instability as a core concept but also describing other measures of variability and adjusting for possible confounders. Methods Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data were obtained from 365 participants of the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety with current (n = 95), remitted (n = 178) or no (n = 92) DSM-IV defined depression/anxiety disorder. For 2 weeks, five times per day, participants filled-out items on PA and NA. Affect instability was calculated as the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD). Tests on group differences in RMSSD, within-person variance, and autocorrelation were performed, controlling for mean affect levels. Results Current depression/anxiety patients had the highest affect instability in both PA and NA, followed by remitters and then controls. Instability differences between groups remained significant when controlling for mean affect levels, but differences between current and remitted were no longer significant. Conclusions Patients with a current disorder have higher instability of NA and PA than remitted patients and controls. Especially with regard to NA, this could be interpreted as patients with a current disorder being more sensitive to internal and external stressors and having suboptimal affect regulation.

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