title: Experience Sampling of Positive Affect in Adolescents with Autism: Feasibility and Preliminary Findings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Experience sampling is a powerful method for obtaining ecologically valid data from research participants in real-world contexts. Given the urgent need for innovative and sensitive outcome measures in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research, the present study sought to examine the feasibility of using experience sampling of positive affect and behavior in adolescents with ASD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen high functioning adolescents with ASD and 20 sex and age matched controls completed smartphone- and Qualtrics® -based experience sampling of positive affect and behavior six times over four days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adherence was excellent: adolescents with ASD completed 85% of the assessments, compared to 93% in controls, and response rates were not impacted by age or IQ. Groups did not differ in positive affect overall or as a function of activities, nor did groups differ in the proportion of assessments completed during social or nonsocial activities. However, groups did differ in the proportion of assessments completed during preferred activities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest that smartphone- and Qualtrics® -based experience sampling with high functioning adolescents with ASD is feasible and captures real-world behaviors that would not be possible using laboratory-based measures.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School Psychology Program, School of Education, Chapel Hill, USA.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kovac
authors.affiliation: UNC Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mosner
authors.affiliation: Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Eleanor K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Hanna
authors.affiliation: UNC Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Gabriel S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Dichter
keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; experience sampling; positive affect; restricted interests