ABSTRACT
The large majority of experience sampling method (ESM) research to date has collected subjective self-reports concerning the respondent’s psychological states, behavior and symptoms. While researchers are beginning to apply this methodology as a form of clinical testing, the value of assessing cognitive functions through ESM has been largely ignored. Recent investigations have demonstrated that repeated assessments of cognitive functions in daily life may substantially reduce the margin of error associated with traditional neuropsychological assessments, whilst helping to identify context-, patient- and clinician-specific factors impacting on the data. This may allow investigation of cognitive deficits, including those associated with the early onset of cognitive disorders, which may therefore be characterized with greater reliability. In addition, information collected on diverse cognitive functions permits the identification of behavioral or environmental factors that may improve or reduce cognitive performance in daily life. Such information offers new opportunities for the development of prevention and early intervention strategies.
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