Real-Time Research: How the Experience Sampling Method Is Changing Psychology

How do you design a study that captures human experience as it unfolds in real time? In this episode, Under the Cortex explores the Experience Sampling Method (ESM), a powerful approach for studying psychological processes. Host Özge Gürcanlı Fischer-Baum is joined by Jessica Fritz from Osnabruck University, and Marilyn Piccirillo from the Rutgers Addiction Research Center and Brain Health Institute, who are among the coauthors of a new article published in Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science. The paper outlines ten key design and implementation considerations for ESM studies, helping researchers apply this method with clarity, rigor, and real-world relevance.

If you're interested in learning more about this research, visit psychologicalscience.org.

Send us your thoughts and questions at [e-mail].