RESEARCH
Explore the ways we are using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), ecological momentary intervention (EMI), and experience sampling methods (ESM), and what we’ve been discovering. Please let us know if you have any questions or ideas about applications or collaborations. Contact Us!
Publications
A Mixed Methods Experience Sampling Study of a Posttraumatic Growth Model for Addiction Recovery
It has been theorized that posttraumatic growth—psychological growth through suffering—provides a good model for addiction recovery. To test this, we examined predictors of relapse and growth in addiction recovery. In an initial study, we found that perceived social support—the sense that there are others who care for you—negatively predicted relapse, while impulsivity positively predicted it. We, then, used ESM examined a model for growth in recovery. In this model, while daily stressors promote impulsive behavior, such as alcohol and substance use, one aspect of posttraumatic growth—closeness with others—promotes positive emotions thereby decreasing the experience of daily stressors, while another aspect—personal strength—decreases impulsive behavior under stress. Not only did we find evidence in support of this model for growth in recovery, we also found that EMI targeting perceived social support increased personal strength and decreased impulsivity in a dose-dependent manner.
Runyan, J. D., Vermilya, S., St. Pierre, M., Brooks, N. W., Fowler, A., & Brewer, T. (2024). A mixed methods experience sampling study of a posttraumatic growth model for addiction recovery. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 3511.
Using Experience Sampling to Examine Links Between Compassion, Eudaimonia, and Pro‐Social Behavior
The aim of this study was to explore associations between compassion, eudaimonia or flourishing, and prosocial behavior in daily life using ESM. We were interested in compassion as a virtue (a stable disposition that promotes flourishing and prosocial behavior). Since it has been argued that virtues might not actually exist, we examined how stable peoples’ compassion was across everyday situations, and whether it predicted flourishing and prosocial behavior, such as generosity. Our findings indicated that compassion was relatively stable across situational factors, and predicted future flourishing and generosity specifically toward those in need. In addition to providing evidence that people express compassion as a virtue, these findings indicate that ESM is an effective way to study dispositions and habits that promote flourishing and prosocial behavior in daily life.
Runyan, J. D., Fry, B. N., Steenbergh, T. A., Arbuckle, N. L., Dunbar, K., & Devers, E. E. (2019). Using experience sampling to examine links between compassion, eudaimonia, and pro‐social behavior. Journal of personality, 87(3), 690-701.
Smartphone Delivery of a Hope Intervention: Another Way to Flourish
Here, we examine the feasibility and impact of an ecological momentary hope intervention. We test whether this intervention can prompt individuals to redirect their thoughts, help cultivate habits and dispositions toward a hopeful mindset, and increase psychological well-being. We report some evidence that it can.
Daugherty, D. A., Runyan, J. D., Steenbergh, T. A., Fratzke, B. J., Fry, B. N., & Westra, E. (2018). Smartphone delivery of a hope intervention: Another way to flourish. PLoS One, 13(6), e0197930.
Teaching Empathic Concern and Altruism in the Smartphone Age
In this study, we discuss how to teach empathy in the classroom. In particular, we review ways to teach students how to cultivate empathic concern—having positive feelings toward someone in need and wanting to help—and altruism—acting for the well-being of someone else. We explore how laboratory techniques to induce empathic concern and altruism can be used in the classroom to foster empathy and selfless responding. In doing this, we examine how smartphone-based EMI might be used to promote perspective-taking and empathic states. Specifically, we propose using smartphone notifications to redirect attention from oneself to others, and to imagine how one might help another in need, which may help nurture a compassionate disposition.
Fry, B. N., & Runyan, J. D. (2018). Teaching Empathic Concern and Altruism in the Smartphone Age. Journal of Moral Education, 47(1), 1-16.
Assessment and Intervention in the Wild: Possibilities for Redeeming the Smartphone
In this article, we explore the contribution of smartphones to therapy through EMA/EMI. We discuss the potential benefits of using smartphones to provide interventions that are: in-time within daily life, using smart notifications that are on-time, for when clients need them most, and which can extend over-time in cost-effective ways. The practicality and limitations of this approach are also highlighted for the purpose of discussing real-world applications and benefits.
Daugherty, D., Fratzke, B. J., Runyan, J. D., Steenbergh, T. A., & Fry, B. N. (2016). Assessment and intervention in the wild: possibilities for redeeming the smartphone. Journal of Psychology and Christianity.
Virtues, Ecological Momentary Assessment/Intervention and Smartphone Technology
In this review, we focus on how smartphone technology can be used to assess and develop virtues—or, that is, stable dispositions that promote flourishing and prosocial behavior—in everyday situations. Specifically, we examine how EMA can be a useful tool for deepening our understanding of virtues, and how EMI can be used to promote virtue development through situational interventions and practices.
Runyan, J. D., & Steinke, E. G. (2015). Virtues, ecological momentary assessment/intervention and smartphone technology. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 481.
Ecological Momentary Gratitude Intervention Produces Immediate Mood Effects
There is evidence that, while going after feelings of happiness has a negative effect on happiness, practicing virtues such as gratitude can have positive effects. We, thus, used a smartphone-based EMA/EMI to test the effects of a gratitude practice on peoples’ feelings of happiness, or mood. To do this, we randomly divided individuals into one of three groups:
(1) a control group, who received three notifications during the day, and one at the end, asking them to reflect on how they spent their time;
(2) a partial gratitude group, who received a notification at the end of the day asking them to reflect on three things they were grateful for; and
(3) a full gratitude group, who received three notifications during the day, and one at the end, also asking them to reflect on three things they were grateful for.
With each notification, individuals were also asked to rate their feelings of happiness. Interestingly, the mood of the group that practiced gratitude during the day, and at the end of the day, was higher and more stable.
Ragsdale, E., & Ringenberg, S. (2014). Ecological Momentary Gratitude Intervention Produces Immediate Mood Effects. Commons @ Butler University.
Runyan, J. D., Steenbergh, T. A., Daugherty, D. A., Woodard, H., LeFever, T., & Ragsdale, E. (2014). An ecological momentary gratitude intervention increases and stabilizes mood in the moment. Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention.
A Smartphone Ecological Momentary Assessment/Intervention “App” for Collecting Real-Time Data and Promoting Self-Awareness.
As the first smartphone-app based EMA/EMI study, our aim was to experiment with collecting real-time data by repeatedly asking people how they had spent the last 30 minutes. We were also interested in whether being repeatedly asked to report how one had spent one’s time promoted self-awareness. Using EMA, we were able to collect more accurate data about how people spent their time, measure how this varied or changed, and find evidence that people’s self-awareness increased as a result of repeated self-report.
Runyan, J. D., Steenbergh, T. A., Bainbridge, C., Daugherty, D. A., Oke, L., & Fry, B. N. (2013). A Smartphone Ecological Momentary Assessment/Intervention “App” for Collecting Real-Time Data and Promoting Self-Awareness. PLOS ONE, 8(8), e71325.