Abstract
Experience sampling is considered one of the best methods for measuring behavior (Furr, 2009, https://doi.org/10.1002/per.724). When used for this purpose, it requires a coding system to transform diversified reports on what people are doing, provided as responses to an open-ended question, into interpretable data. We present a categorization of everyday behaviors that can be used to code responses from experience sampling and diary studies conducted with different groups of participants—from adolescents to elderly people. This categorization was developed and validated on a set of 19,840 responses to an open-ended question about participants’ recent activity, provided by 667 persons ranging in age from 12 to 66. As a result of the multistage work, we present a categorization system which forms a hierarchy from three broad categories to 97 narrow ones through middle levels of five, 23, and 63 categories of behaviors. The possible usage of the developed categorization is discussed.
Highlights
We present a categorization of everyday behaviors that can be used to code responses from experience sampling and diary studies conducted with different groups of participants—from adolescents to elderly people
Step 6 refers to the development of a set of narrow categories of behaviors that can be perceived as a lower level of the categorization hierarchy
We obtained 23 initial categories: Interactions with strangers, Interactions with friends, Time spent with animals, Time spent with family, Other interactions, Health and beauty, Indoor entertainment, Outdoor entertainment, Traditions and customs, Religion, School/Work, DIY/Manual activities, Errands, Transportation, Housework, Physical activity, Physiology, Hobbies, Shopping, Waiting, Unusual, Others, Unclassifiable
Summary
Our objective was to prepare a categorization of behaviors that can be applied in various experience sampling and diary studies, conducted on different age groups. Our aim was to prepare a categorization of momentary behaviors reported in ESM that can be considered more universal than other existing categorizations. We aimed to develop a number of categories large enough to differentiate them well, but small enough to be simple to use. Our aim was to find a-universal categorization of behaviors by reducing a pool of responses to a question about recent behavior asked in experience sampling studies. Our aim was to develop a categorization system for everyday behaviors
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