The same, only different: Smartphone-based dietary Ecological Momentary Assessment tools vary in complexity,...

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Nutritional Science
• Psychology

Background:

• Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) is widely used for real-time dietary intake assessment.
• Existing EMA tools vary significantly in features, impacting user experience and data collection.
• The complexity of EMA features may influence participant engagement and cognitive processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether more complex dietary assessment tools in EMA induce greater active information processing (AIP).
• To examine the relationship between the number and type of EMA features and participant AIP.
• To assess the impact of EMA tool complexity on eating-related cognitions, intentions, and behavior.

Main Methods:

• A preregistered, online, between-subjects experimental study.
• 373 participants were randomly assigned to view one of eight EMA protocol mock-ups.
• Participants rated protocol complexity, AIP, and perceived impact on eating behaviors.

Main Results:

• Protocols with more features were perceived as more complex.
• Increased perceived complexity correlated with higher AIP.
• No significant differences were found in perceived impact on eating-related cognitions, intentions, or behavior.

Conclusions:

• EMA tool complexity influences participant active information processing.
• Researchers must balance data needs with tool complexity to ensure compliance.
• Careful selection of EMA protocols is crucial for study validity.