Arthur A. Stone, Saul Shiffman, Audie A. Atienza, & Linda Nebeling, Eds. (2007). The Science of Real-Time Data Capture.
Oxford University Press.
Length: 416 pp.
List price - $55.00
ISBN 0195178718
For more information on this book: Click here
FEB/MAR 2008
Volume 14 - No. 1
Book Review: The Cigarette Century
Book Review: The Science of Real-Time Data Capture
Book Review: Public Health Advocacy and Tobacco Control: Making Smoking History
Research Activities at a Featured Program: Twin and Family Research
SRNT Newsletter
February/March 2008, Volume 14, Number 1
Book Review
This book is a collection of intelligent and captivating reports on the present state and future possibilities of collecting data in real-time, or ecological momentary assessment (EMA). The first section of the book takes the reader through rationale for the importance and benefits of EMA while also pointing out significant challenges and potential pitfalls. One of the primary benefit of EMA is removing, or at least minimizing, retrospective recall bias, thus ensuring greater data reliability and validity. However, a subject’s state of mind at the time that the subject is prompted to complete an assessment could still introduce reporter bias, thus EMA is not free of bias, just perhaps free of some types of recall bias. In addition, because of the relative intrusiveness of EMA, there may be a selection bias in individuals who would be willing to undergo such protocols. Indeed, the high retention rates reported across various studies in the second part of the book suggest the possibility of such selection bias, which would limit generalizability.
The second part of the book is a collection of reports on the application of EMA to health behaviors such as substance use, diet, or physical activity, to health conditions or psychopathology, to monitoring mood, in special populations such as ethnic minorities or ovarian cancer patients, and to the study of the interaction between health and the environment. It is clear from each of these reports that an EMA study design has to be driven by substantive research questions, it has to carefully consider the ratio of subject burden to data reliability and validity, and it has to have the necessary infrastructure (e.g., software design, technicians available to answer questions or troubleshoot unexpected equipment failures) to maximize success. In addition, some statistical savvy is necessary for most efficient and correct data analysis. Considering the significant resources and subject burden in EMA studies as currently conceived, strong rationale and judicious use of this data collection approach is warranted.
The final section of the book recapitulates strengths and weaknesses of the EMA approach and paints a picture of the future of data collection beyond momentary assessment toward continuous monitoring of physiological, behavioral, auditory, and visual information. It is easy to imagine how further miniaturizing of devices coupled with decreasing costs will make it possible to collect data of any sort using wireless technology, wearable devices (e.g., jewelry that monitors heart rate), and sensing devices (e.g., global positioning system). This scenario necessitates innovations in statistical methodology, and new or different ways of ensuring subject confidentiality.
The insightful and candid evaluation of EMA presented in this book invites and encourages progress and refinement of this data collection strategy. This book is an excellent resource for individuals interested in learning about EMA and for those who may be considering incorporating EMA into their own research.
About the Author: Christina N. Lessov-Schlaggar, Ph.D. is Research Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Her research focuses on the etiology of tobacco dependence in genetically informative samples.