Putting the "experience" back in experience sampling: A phenomenological approach

This article discusses the concept of "experience" in experience sampling. A central challenge of clinical science is understanding psychopathological constructs and their manifestations. In conventional definitions and measures of psychopathology, subjective experience of mental disorder is often lost. The authors argue for an integration of phenomenology-or prioritization of subjectivity-in psychopathological construct definition and measurement, particularly through experience sampling methods (ESMs). ESMs capture idiographic, contextual, and longitudinal elements of lived experience that can expand our current conceptualizations and classifications of psychopathology. The authors propose three novel applications and extensions: (a) leveraging ESM for subjective construct definition (i.e., phenomena detection), (b) mixed-methods approaches, like cognitive interviewing, to improve the validity of ESM measures and (c) incorporation of novel ESM approaches (e.g., audiovisual data capturing) to expand understanding of subjective, daily experience of psychopathology. Merging phenomenological tradition with ESM serves to expand our understanding of psychopathology and bring "experience" back into experience sampling. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).