Grant Details
Grant Number: |
1R01CA085819-01 Interpret this number |
Primary Investigator: |
Stone, Arthur |
Organization: |
State University New York Stony Brook |
Project Title: |
Utility of Momentary Versus Recalled Self Reports |
Fiscal Year: |
2000 |
Abstract
DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the Applicant's Abstract): This proposal was prepared
in response to NIH Program Announcement (PA-98-031) entitled "Methodology and
measurement in the behavioral and social sciences." Research on
autobiographical memory has shown that numerous cognitive processes have the
potential to bias retrospective reports of personal experiences. Behavioral and
medical scientists and practitioners rely heavily on recall procedures in their
research endeavors and for treating patients. Measures of symptoms, pain,
treatment efficacy, adherence, and traumatic experiences, for example, are
typically based on retrospective data, sometimes for periods of several months
or even years. The primary aims of this proposal involve comparing assessments
of momentary experiences, based on a procedure we have called Ecological
Momentary Assessment (EMA), with those of recalled experiences in an effort to
determine 1) the relationship between the two types of data and 2) the meaning
and practical utility of each type of data. The first aim seeks to understand
how people summarize their experiences and create a recall. It will also
explore situational influences and characteristics of the person that influence
recall ratings. The second aim is grounded in the hypothesis that summaries of
experiences based upon momentary ratings versus recall carry information that
may be useful for different purposes, which could have important theoretical
and practical consequences for scientists and practitioners. Secondary aims
investigate several methodological issues pertain to the conduct of EMA studies
including potential reactivity effects, participant burden, frequency of
momentary sampling, optimal statistical methods for analyzing EMA data, and
methods for improving recall of experiences. Outcome variables for testing
these questions are mood and pain. Both are constructs with wide basic and
applied utility in behavioral and medical domains. These measures will be
intensively examined in patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis,
some with recent diagnoses and others with chronic conditions in order to
ensure variability in mood and pain over time. Results from these studies
should have implications for understanding the meaning of recalled mood and
pain measures, addressing the questions: how do people summarize their
experiences and what factors influence those summaries? They will also increase
knowledge about when momentary versus recalled summary measures should be used
for addressing basic and applied questions. Finally, the study will provide
practical information for researchers using momentary assessment methods.
Publications
None