No Time Like the Present: Discovering the Hidden Dynamics in Intensive Longitudinal Data

Abstract

There has been a strong increase in the number of studies based on intensive longitudinal data, such as those obtained with experience sampling and daily diaries. These data contain a wealth of information regarding the dynamics of processes as they unfold within individuals over time. In this article, we discuss how combining intensive longitudinal data with either time-series analysis, which consists of modeling the temporal dependencies in the data for a single individual, or dynamic multilevel modeling, which consists of using a time-series model at Level 1 to describe the within-person process while allowing for individual differences in the parameters of these processes at Level 2, has led to new insights in clinical psychology. In addition, we discuss several methodological and statistical challenges that researchers face when they are interested in studying the dynamics of psychological processes using intensive longitudinal data.