Workshops

On the Thursday after the conference, three state-of-the-art workshops on central SAA topics are organized at the Vrije University Campus, located next to the vibrant South-axis district. The workshops take place in the NU building of the Vrije University, rooms NU-3A65 and NU-3A67.

The focus of these workshops will center around the more practical side of ambulatory assessment research. The workshops cover a broad range of topics, including Open Science Framework conform preregistration, a primer on advanced statistical power analysis for EMA studies, and hands-on experience in prolonged (multi-day, multi-week) wearable physiology recording and signal processing.

We will break for tea and coffee. Lunch can be enjoyed at the nearby student refectory.

Currently, these workshops have been confirmed:

Thursday 8 June 9:00-12:30

Room: NU-3A65

Sample size planning for intensive longitudinal studies

 

Ginette Lafit^(1,2), Jordan Revol⁽¹⁾, Mihai A. Constantin⁽³⁾, & Eva Ceulemans⁽¹⁾

 

⁽¹⁾Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

⁽²⁾Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, Department of Psychology and Education Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

⁽³⁾Department of Methodology and Statistics, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands

 

In recent years the popularity of procedures to collect intensive longitudinal data such as the Experience Sampling Method has increased immensely. The data collected using such designs allow researchers to study the dynamics of psychological processes, and how these dynamics differ across individuals. A fundamental question when designing a study is how to determine the sample size, which is closely related to the replicability and generalizability of empirical findings. Even though multiple statistical guidelines are available for sample size planning, it still remains a demanding enterprise in complex designs. The goal of this workshop is to address this crucial question by presenting methodological advances for sample size planning for intensive longitudinal designs. First, we provide an overview of methods for sample size planning with special emphasis on a priori power analysis. Second, we focus on how to conduct power analysis in the N=1 case when the goal is to model within-person processes using VAR(1) models. Subsequently, we consider the extension to multilevel data in which multiple individuals are measured over time. We introduce an approach for conducting power analysis for multilevel models that explicitly accounts for the temporal dependencies that characterize the data collected in intensive longitudinal studies. In addition, we showcase how to perform power analysis for these models using a user-friendly and open-source application. Finally, we consider an alternative criterion for conducting sample size planning that targets the predictive accuracy of a model for unseen data. Focusing on VAR(1) models in an N=1 context, we introduce a novel approach, called predictive accuracy analysis, to assess how many measurement occasions are required in order to optimise predictive accuracy.

 

Thursday 8 June 9:00-12:30

Room: NU-3A67

Ambulatory recording of the impedance cardiogram to index autonomic activity in daily life

 

Martin Gevonden ⁽¹⁾, Sjors van de Ven ⁽¹⁾, Nicole Huizinga ⁽¹⁾

 

⁽¹⁾Department Biological Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

 

Impedance cardiography (ICG) is a non-invasive measurement technique that can be used to record respiration, and the pumping action and blood flow from the heart. These signals, combined with the electrocardiogram (ECG), allow for separate and simultaneous indexing of the sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) branches of the autonomic nervous system. The pre-ejection period (PEP) and peak-valley Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA), both ICG+ECG derived measures, are the cleanest non-invasive measures of SNS and PNS activity available, and allow for more detailed study of the physiological stress response than measuring only heart rate with ECG or pulse plethysmography. Additional ICG-derived parameters of interest relevant to ambulatory studies include respiratory frequency and cardiac output.

Two well-validated and widely used wearable impedance cardiography systems are currently on the market and accessible for ambulatory research, the Mindware Mobile (MWM) and the VU-Ambulatory Monitoring System (VU-AMS). Both systems have an associated software package for data cleaning, scoring, and analysis. In the current workshop, we aim to give participants interested in integrating the method into their studies an overview of the workflow for an ambulatory experiment involving ICG.

First we will give a brief introduction in the underlying autonomic and cardiac physiology, why it is relevant to measure, and how it is captured using ICG. Then we will demonstrate how to record with both the MWM and VU-AMS systems, while addressing practicalities and discussing research design. Finally participants will be guided through the process of cleaning, scoring, and analysing ICG data, in a hands-on practical using pre-recorded data on their own computer. By the end of the workshop, participants should be able to make an informed decision on whether ICG could enrich their research practice and how they could practically implement it in their studies.

 

Thursday 8 June 13:30-17:00

Room: NU-3A65

Getting started with pre- and post-registration of Experience Sampling Method studies

 

Olivia J. Kirtley ⁽¹⁾  & Julie J. Janssens ⁽¹⁾

 

⁽¹⁾Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Belgium

 

Against the backdrop of the replicability crisis in psychological science, increasing numbers of researchers are adopting open science practices to increase transparency, reproducibility, and replicability of scientific research. Preregistration is an open science practice in which researchers create a locked, uneditable, time-stamped record of a study’s hypotheses, research questions, and analysis plan, before collecting data. More recently, the concept of registration has been broadened to include ‘post-registration’, to accommodate registration of research using pre-existing data. But where should ESM researchers start with learning how to pre- and post-register their studies, and what are the opportunities and challenges of working with study registration? In this workshop, we offer a gentle, hands-on introduction to study registration using the registration template and tutorial for ESM research as our guide. We will cover key considerations for registering studies prior to and after data collection, including which platforms to use for registration, and how to work with the Registered Reports article format, an advanced form of preregistration. Registration is a scientific skill and like any other scientific skill takes time and guidance to learn, therefore, we will also provide practical advice for researchers about how to overcome common challenges with study registration. The workshop is open to researchers from all areas within the ambulatory assessment field and to researchers at all career stages, from masters students to principal investigators. No prior experience with pre- or post-registration is necessary to participate in the workshop. Attendees will require a laptop.