Experience Sampling Method

History and Evolution

ESM was influenced by the methods of both questionnaires and diary studies. Questionnaires and surveys ask people questions about their experiences and activities. Diary methods ask participants to record their activities and emotions in a chronological report at specific intervals of time. Both survey and diary methods are useful in gathering data, and experience sampling has evolved to combine them. The first instance of ESM was published in 1977, when Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Reed Larson, and Suzanne Prescott combined survey techniques with the use of pagers as a way to examine people’s experiences in daily life. Since the early 2000s, the term experience sampling has been used to describe any repeated survey procedure that occurs in an everyday setting. Participants are prompted to answer a specific query in response to a random signal at pre-set times of the day or after a specific event. Experience sampling studies can persist from several days to several months and use a variety of technologies to signal participants to respond, including paper-and-pencil questionnaires, pagers, e-mail, text messaging, and instant messaging.

There are many useful approaches for devising experience sampling studies. Some procedures are easier to execute and less burdensome to participants than others. The first step is to determine the research question. The second step is to choose the most suitable sampling procedure (variable time-based, fixed time-based, or event-based) and signaling method (computerized vs. paper-and-pencil). Researchers need to consider the number of signal prompts they intend to send per day and the duration of the sampling period. Similarly, different technology platforms (e.g., computerized, paper-and-pencil) offer different benefits. Computerized methods require more technological knowledge but are often inexpensive. There are a number of methods, including e-mail, texting, and computer software programs, that are available for little monetary cost to researchers. Computer-based methods also provide the greatest control over timing elements because they can accurately control when reports are requested and time-date-stamp participants’ responses. Paper-and-pencil methods may be more comfortable for populations that are less familiar with technology and require less advance training and fewer resources for both researchers and participants.

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