How do participant preferences, expectancies, and perceptions of ecological momentary assessment impact adherence? A mixed-methods analysis.
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Clinical researchers using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods design study protocols to optimize adherence. These decisions can sacrifice the scope, temporal granularity, and observational power of resultant data and are often based on limited empirical evidence. The present mixed-methods study queried participant preferences on EMA design and expectancies regarding a hypothetical EMA protocol (Sample 1, N = 1,495). We used a concurrent triangulation approach to analyze quantitative survey and qualitative interview data assessing implementation outcomes from a subset of Sample 1 individuals (a majority of whom reported clinical levels of anxiety/stress or frequent alcohol use) who enrolled and completed at least 2 weeks EMA (Sample 2; n = 59). Participants completed three EMA surveys for up to 112 days (M = 76.8 days, SD = 37.88) with an average within-person compliance of 73.8% (SD = 17.18). Descriptive statistics and a hybrid inductive-deductive coding approach were used to analyze quantitative and qualitative data, respectively, to understand factors that influence adherence. Participants perceived daily variability in most health-related domains (e.g., mental health symptoms, rest) and frequently reported positive expectations for EMA (e.g., anticipated increased awareness). Most participants reported that EMA helped increase awareness of their daily patterns (n = 37, 62.7%) but that study protocols were long and burdensome (n = 44, 74.6%). Qualitative themes were related to deductive implementation outcomes with significant inductive nuances that varied by level of adherence. Results help to guide EMA protocol decisions to improve adherence based on participant preferences, expectations, and experiences during EMA. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
Source: Psychological Assessment
DOI: 10.1037/pas0001381
Institution: University of Washington
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funders: Institute of Translational Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Awards: Using Advanced Methodologies to Investigate the Effect of Social Influences on Alcohol Use Across Development, G2200544976, Digital Phenotyping of Anxiety and Anxiety-Related Alcohol Comorbidity and Treatment, G3940836704, Heterogeneity in joint real-time and developmental influences of positive and negative social media experiences on socioemotional vulnerability and psychopathology across adolescence, G9000173947, eHaRT-A: Adapting an evidence-based, in-person harm reduction treatment into a virtual care telehealth intervention for people with lived experience of homelessness and alcohol use disorder, Digital Phenotyping of Anxiety and Anxiety-Related Alcohol Comorbidity and Treatment, Mind-Body Peer Support for Family Caregivers to Patients with Severe Acute Brain Injury, Institute of Translational Health Sciences, Developing and Testing an Online Intervention for Decreasing Alcohol and Cannabis Misuse and Increasing Healthy Relationship Skills among Young Adult Couples: A Comprehensive Mixed-Methods Approach
OpenAlex ID: W4415962019