Experience sampling method

Imagine that you have a special watch that can beep randomly throughout the day. When it beeps, it's like a little reminder to ask you, "What are you doing right now?" and "How do you feel?" This is called the experience sampling method. The idea is to get a little sample of your experience throughout the day, instead of just asking you about your day all at once.

So let's say the watch beeps while you're at school. You might say, "I'm listening to my teacher" and "I feel interested." Later, the watch might beep while you're playing with your toys at home. You might say, "I'm playing with my toys" and "I feel happy." Over time, lots of these little samples add up to a bigger picture of your experiences throughout the day.

Scientists often use the experience sampling method to study how people feel and what they do. They might use it to see if people are happier on weekends or if they're more productive at certain times of day. It's like taking little snapshots of your life to see what's going on.