Measurement and Analysis of Situation as a Context Variable: A Feasibility Study using EMA and Network Modeling

Abstract Background Situational context is central to adaptation and maladaptation, influencing health and psychopathology. This feasibility study examined subjective situational similarity, assessed via EMA, as a pragmatic proxy for personally relevant situational context in daily life, defined as the resemblance of the current situation to a previously identified everyday situation in which maladaptive patterns typically occur. Methods Guided by the research team, twenty-four students developed individualized models specifying one everyday situation and associated maladaptive processes (cognitions, emotions, behaviors, information processing, motivational schemata). These models were assessed using EMA three times daily over five weeks. Feasibility was evaluated in terms of response scale coverage, compliance, and perceived burden. Linear mixed-effects models and dynamic network models explored within-person associations. Results Situational similarity could be derived, with responses covering the full range of the scale, adequate compliance, and moderate perceived burden, although substantial zero inflation was observed. Linear mixed-effects models indicated systematic associations between situational similarity and all psychological processes. Bayesian networks were estimated for 18 participants and revealed pronounced heterogeneity. Conclusions Findings provide preliminary support for the feasibility of assessing situational similarity in EMA designs. The study highlights important methodological challenges and proposes concrete design refinements to improve the assessment of contextual dynamics.