Applying experience sampling methods to partner violence research: safety and feasibility in a 90-day study of

Tami P Sullivan1, Enna Khondkaryan, Nancy P Dos Santos

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 389 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. tami.sullivan@yale.edu

Violence Against Women
|February 11, 2011
PubMed

An experience sampling method (ESM) rarely has been applied in studies of intimate partner violence (IPV) despite the benefits to be gained. Because ESM approaches and women who experience IPV present unique challenges for data collection, an empirical question exists: Is it safe and feasible to apply ESM to community women who currently are experiencing IPV? A 90-day, design-driven feasibility study examined daily telephone data collection, daily paper diaries, and monthly retrospective semistructured interview methods among a community sample of 123 women currently experiencing IPV to study within-person relationships between IPV and substance use. Findings suggest that ESM is a promising method for collecting data among this population and can elucidate daily dynamics of victimization as well as associated behaviors and experiences. Lessons learned from the application of ESM to this population are also discussed.

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