Pilot-tested Mobile Experience Sampling — Validated In-the-Moment Data Collection via Smartphone

Pilot-tested mobile experience sampling (mESM) is a data collection approach that combines smartphone-delivered, real-time self-report prompts — the Experience Sampling Method — with a structured pilot phase to validate the instrument, signal timing, burden level, and response quality before full deployment. The pilot phase is not optional decoration; it is the core quality gate that separates a rigorously validated mESM study from an ad hoc one.