Experience Sampling Method (ESM)

The Process

The basic process requires the subjects to record in a diary where they are at the moment the assessment is called for, what they are doing at that precise time, a list of their companions, if any, and what they are thinking about during the activity, as well as an appraisal of their cognitive and affective states of mind according to a variety of provided numerical scales. Seven variables are normally used to chart the relative experiential value of these activities, corresponding to these questions: (1) How intense is your current level of attention during the present activity? (2) How much do you appreciate your current activity? (3) How happy are you at this time, taking part in the current activity? (4) How intensive are your feelings toward your current activity? (5) How much do you want to be participating and engaging in your current activity? (6) How do you feel about yourself right now? (7) How important is your current activity to your plans for the future? The last question can focus on either the immediate future or the more distant future.

Recording takes place when the subject receives a signal, usually originating from either a provided beeper or the respondent's own resources (such as a watch or PDA), once every 2-hour period; full participation usually requires evaluations to take place over at least a week. The timing of the assessments is quite important and requires careful attention. As normal practice calls for reporting multiple times during the day, it is necessary to space the reports carefully to achieve a balance between random sampling and avoidance of taking two samples taken one after the other.

ESM for Media Research Purposes

Researchers have found that ESM has some particular strengths that make it well suited for media-related studies, including studies focusing on younger respondents. The usual difficulties relating to faulty or insecure memory and embellished response are minimized by the reporting methods inherent in the form. The [Page 313]simple, relatively short questionnaires are easy for children and adolescents to complete accurately and without confusion, decreasing the number of suspect submissions due to unfocused or mistaken responses.

The works of Mikhaly Csikszentmihalyi, Robert Kubey, and Reed Larson, in particular, are of note and utility. The detached methods inherent in ESM allow a researcher to explore the life and activities of a young adult without being viewed as an outsider during the process, which permits a more relaxed response. ESM studies have shown that many common assumptions regarding media use by adolescents have been incorrect, such as the assumption that the majority of media use by teens is a shared experience. ESM studies have shown, rather, that teens tend to spend more time alone with media sources than in groups or pairs. This finding alone calls into question many previous conclusions based on the hypothesis that adolescents tend to congregate during media use, influencing each other's choices. Another misconception that ESM studies have shown to be inaccurate is the notion that heavy television viewing accompanies adolescence in the United States and is a part of a separation from family activities. Although time spent listening to popular music increases with a subject's age, not only does television viewing decrease, but it seems to indicate a closer tie to family within a subject's life. Again, popular wisdom suggests otherwise, but a clearer picture is painted by studies in which respondents have no reason to prevaricate and are not influenced to adapt their answers to meet the expectations of a researcher.

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