Experience sampling during field studies, so that the participant reports their experience at a certain point of time.
There are several ways to do Timed ESM. Either the participants report the experience themselves at the predefined point in time, or the system prompts them.
The users may be asked to report many kinds of data, e.g. what they feel right now, what feelings were triggered in previous interactions, or their overall evaluation about the system. The data format that users will produce may be questionnaire choices, free text, audio recording, image, or video.
Allows the researchers to collect experience data without being with the participant on the field.
The method is suitable for collecting retrospective information, not momentary (see weaknesses).
The point of time may be inappropriate for reporting user’s experience. The user might not be using the system when the reporting time comes. The query might interrupt the experience and trigger negative emotions.
Hektner et al., 2007 J.M. Hektner, J.A. Schmidt and M. Csikszentmihalyi, Experience Sampling Method: Measuring the Quality of Everyday Life, Sage Publications Inc. (2007)
