Methods

Diary studies

In diary studies, participants report at the end of the day on the emotions they experienced during the day. This method provides a detailed picture of people’s daily life.

Experience sampling studies

In experience sampling studies, we send participants short smartphone surveys asking them about their current activities and feelings. This method provides snapshots into people’s daily life while avoiding the impact of memory biases.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

In functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, we observe the neural changes underlying the temporal unfolding of an emotional response. This method allows to precisely locate activity in the brain while maintaining good temporal resolution.