6533b854fe1ef96bd12af333

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Mobile Diary Methods in Studying Daily Family Life

subject

description

This chapter introduces a mobile diary data collection tool and discusses its use in the field of family research. Although the mobile diary method is a newcomer in the field of family research, its history is rooted in the larger context of the development of methods for investigating daily life. Mobile phones offer several advantages for studying daily family dynamics: user friendliness, cost-effectiveness, the ability to capture daily emotions, interactions and significant moments, and data reliability and validity. Mobile diaries utilize various mobile phone services, including SMSs and applications, and they are increasingly used also with children. The benefits of mobile diaries in family interventions include their ability to elicit reflection and help clients to keep the aim of the intervention in mind. The future possibilities of mobile diaries in family research and interventions are discussed later in this chapter.