Experience sampling methods require more than numbers

The experience sampling method (ESM) collects people's real-time reports about their feelings, actions, and surroundings. While this method originally included both numerical and open-ended responses, most studies today focus only on the numbers. We argue that ESM researchers should collect and analyze open-ended responses again, as they are crucial for understanding what the numbers really mean, and for capturing parts of experience that numbers alone cannot, such as context, the "why" behind responses, and the temporal order of events. Open-ended responses can improve ESM data by grounding it in real-world experiences and phenomena as they are experienced in everyday life. Therefore, handbooks and guidelines on ESM should again include dedicated sections on collecting and analyzing open-ended text items. We highlight future work that is needed to achieve the systematic integration of open-ended items and their analysis into ESM research.