Development of a methodology for assessing daily experiences

Abstract

Serious shortcomings in existing instruments for assessing life events coupled with the inadequacy of retrospective designs in evaluating hypotheses concerning the causal impact of experience led to the development of a new methodology for assessing daily occurrences. First, using diary recordings a sample supplied a pool of events. These events were then categorized, arranged in outline form and linked to a set of dimensions used to rate psychological reactions to the events which were experienced. This initial instrument was pilot-tested for two weeks with husbands (targets) reporting their own experiences and their wives completing the form as observers. The instrument allowed husbands to adequately record their daily experiences and several predictions (e.g., LIST 8 NAVY MISCELLANEOUS

Does Maternal Prenatal Stress Adversely Affect the Child’s Learning and Memory at Age Six?

“…First, the frequency of daily hassles, in the past 2 months, was measured with the Everyday Problem List (Alledaagse Problemen Lijst, APL; Vingerhoets, Jeninga, & Menges, 1989). This questionnaire is based on different questionnaires: the Daily Life Experience Questionnaire (Stone & Neale, 1982), the Daily Hassles Scale (Kanner, Coyne, Schaefer, & Lazarus, 1981), and the Everyday Problem Scale (Burks & Martin, 1985). This self-report questionnaire was used to assess the number of daily hassles during the past 2 months.…”

Drinking to regulate negative romantic relationship interactions: The moderating role of self-esteem

“…Each evening participants completed a 101-item daily events checklist that was adapted from the Inventory of Small Life Events (Zautra, Guarnaccia, Reich, & Dohrenwend, 1988) and the Assessment of Daily Experience (Stone & Neale, 1982). The events were in the domains of work, health, financial, household, recreation, relationship, friends, family, and children.…”

Chronic strain, daily work stress and pain among workers with rheumatoid arthritis: Does job stress make a bad day worse?

“…Following the recommendation of Stone and Neale (1982) the DWD was in the form of a small booklet including a checklist of 86 work-related events as well as detailed instructions and a description of how to classify experiences using an event appraisal rating. Workers were asked to check off an item in the DWD during their midday break if it occurred that morning, and at the end of the workday if it occurred in the afternoon.…”