6533b870fe1ef96bd12d04a3

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Ecological Sampling Methods for Studying Everyday Situations

Matthias R. MehlCornelia Wrzus

subject

Experience sampling methodNaturalistic observationApplied psychologyMobile sensingDaily diaryPsychologySocial psychology

description

This chapter reviews existing and emerging methodologies for the ambulatory assessment of real-world situations. It distinguishes between first-person/subjective and third-person/objective approaches and provides research examples for each reviewed ecological assessment method. The chapter opens with a discussion of why it is important to assess situations directly in daily life. The following two main sections review approaches for (a) the first-person assessment of real-world situation experiences and perceptions, such as experience sampling and daily diary approaches, and (b) the third-person assessment of objective real-world situation cues, such as naturalistic observation and mobile sensing. Finally, the chapter provides a methodological discussion of the cue-perception interplay and highlights potential future directions in the study of everyday situations.

https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190263348.013.13