Quantifying reactivity to digital dietary assessment and the moderating influence of active information processing

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Laura König
• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: from 2019 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 437275178

Digital tools for assessing behaviour, such as pedometers, smartphone sensors and smartphone apps including digital Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) are increasingly used in psychological research. These tools allow to assess behaviour in real-life and real-time, thus reduce recall bias and increase the validity of the findings. However, the validity of data collected using these tools still might be limited because of research participation effects such as measurement reactivity. While numerous studies have been conducted on measurement reactivity in self-report data, showing small but consistent effects across various health behaviours, it is not yet well understood whether and to what extent measurement reactivity occurs in digital objective assessment of behaviour. While first studies on physical activity and medication adherence suggest that also digital objective assessment is prone to measurement reactivity, no studies were yet conducted on other behaviours, including digital assessment of eating behaviour. The present project therefore aims to investigate whether and under which conditions measurement reactivity occurs in digital dietary assessment. Specifically, the first aim is to quantify the extent to which reactivity to digital dietary assessment occurs and how it changes across time. Second, it aims to investigate active information processing as a potential underlying mechanism of measurement reactivity. To address these aims, three consecutive studies will be conducted. The first two studies will investigate whether different digital dietary assessment protocols used in the literature differ in the degree of active information processing using an online survey (Study 1, N = 180) and a 7 day EMA followed by qualitative interviews (Study 2, N = 40). Based on the results, the digital dietary assessment protocols involving the least and the most active information processing will be selected to be further investigated in Study 2 (N = 400). Participants will be randomly allocated to one of four groups in which the degree of active information processing during and after the recording process will be manipulated, and record their food intake with the respective version of the study app for 14 consecutive days. Based on the collected data, measurement reactivity will be compared between groups and its time course will be studied across the study period. A deeper understand of the effect size, time course and underlying mechanisms of measurement reactivity in digital dietary assessment protocols will contribute to reduce measurement reactivity in future research by guiding the selection and development of digital dietary assessment tools. It will thus allow to provide more accurate insights into eating behaviour in real-life settings, which will ultimately benefit public health research.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: United Kingdom
• Host: Professor Dr. Stephen Sutton