Table 1.
A Comparison of self-report-based Ambulatory Monitoring Methods and the EAR Method
| Self-Report-Based Ambulatory Monitoring | EAR-Method | |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Naturalistic | Naturalistic |
| Medium | Paper & Pencil, Electronic (handheld computer or mobile phone) | Electronic (handheld computer or mobile phone) |
| Mode | Active (data provided through voluntary response) | Passive (data collected through automatic recording) |
| Method | Self-report | Behavioral Observation |
| Perspective | Self (Agent) | Other (Observer) |
| Awareness of Assessment | High | Low after Habituation |
| Burden for Participant | Practical (Interruption of Daily Life) | Psychological (Intrusion of Privacy) |
| Burden for Researcher | Preparing Participants (Instruction and Training) | Preparing the Sound Data (Coding and Transcribing) |
| Data Collection Limited By | Response Burden | Privacy Considerations, Lab Capacity for Data Coding |
| Optimized for Assessment of | Subjective Experiences and Perceptions | Objective Social Environments and Interactions |
Note: Adapted from Mehl and Conner (2012). Copyright 2012 by Guilford Press. Adapted by permission.