Examining Temporal Processes in Diary Studies

Robert E. Wickham, C. Raymond Knee

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

57 Scopus citations

Abstract

Researchers have long recognized the utility of the diary method for studying variations in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Drawing on the idea that daily events have consequences that are realized both "in the moment" and prospectively over time, we describe a conceptual and statistical framework emphasizing the temporal aspect of diary data. Including temporal effects (i.e., Lagged and concurrent × Lagged terms) expands the scope of the hypothesis being tested by allowing the researcher to examine the association between prior day's event on the current day's outcome, as well as the extent to which a prior day's event makes an individual more or less responsive to an event today. Finally, we provide a detailed description of the procedures necessary to prepare the dataset, and secondary analysis of data from a recently published study illustrates our recommendations.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1184-1198
Number of pages15
JournalPersonality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Volume39
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • diary analysis
  • lagged effects
  • longitudinal methods
  • satiation
  • sensitization

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Examining Temporal Processes in Diary Studies'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this