Child and Youth Affective Computing—Challenge Accepted

A primer on sampling rates of ambulatory assessments.

“…Moreover, there can exist between-subject variation in the precise timing and length of these rhythms, either through endogenous differences (e.g., chronotype) or different zeitgebers that influence synchronization and entrainment (e.g., working hours). Examples are shift workers with irregular sleep-wake cycles (James et al, 2017), adolescents that undergo a transition to a later chronotype (Jankovic et al, 2022) and a higher fluctuation of emotional states (Löchner & Schuller, 2022), or patients with mental health disorders, many of which have been associated with disrupted circadian clock-controlled responses (Walker et al, 2020). This variation can independently skew data by producing differences between subjects resulting solely from phase shifts, as illustrated in Figure 2B (Halberg et al, 1993).…”

“…In long-lasting observation periods, within-person changes in the form of trends in the data can occur. These can be part of the subjects' natural change processes, for example, developments in child and adolescent populations, or an increase in agreeableness and consciousness throughout adulthood (Löchner & Schuller, 2022;Roberts et al, 2006). On the other hand, they can also represent study-induced changes in response behaviors, such as participants becoming more fatigued and burdened over time as the sampling continues.…”