Ambulatory assessment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ambulatory assessment (AA) is computer-assisted methodology for self-reports, behavior records or psychological measurements, while the subject undergoes normal activities in daily life.[1][2]
AA is used in clinical psychology to investigate symptoms, predict the recurrence or onset of new symptoms, monitor treatment effects, prevent relapse, and indicate necessary interventions.[3]
In the early ambulatory assessment, personal digital assistants and interactive voice response systems were used. They have now been replaced by smartphones, and this has made data collection more feasible.[4]
- The recording takes place in real-life situations
- A computer-assisted methodology is widely used
- The evaluator attempts to minimise the method dependent reactivity and strives to achieve a high degree of ecological balance[2]
- The assessment can be continuous, event-based, interactive, time-based, or randomly prompted
- It is idiographic in focus and allows for the examination of multiple individual processes[4]
The Ambulatory assessment can be applied in various areas of psychology and other behavioral sciences.