Felt but Not Detected: Salience Versus Detectability of Affective Change in Ambulatory Assessment
Abstract
Ambulatory assessment (AA) captures within-person fluctuations in daily life, yet not all observed change exceeds measurement error, and not all reliable change is subjectively experienced. We propose a preregistered dual-threshold framework distinguishing statistical detectability (smallest detectable change, SDC) from experiential salience (minimal important change, MIC). Adults (N = 250) completed a 14-day AA protocol with twice-daily and event-contingent assessments (5,982 observations), rating momentary stress, positive affect, and negative affect (0–4) and perceived change since the previous assessment. SDC₉₅ estimates ranged from 1.56 to 1.92 scale points, so roughly three-quarters of consecutive changes fell below reliable detection. Anchor-based MICs, in contrast, were 1 point for all constructs. Correspondence between detectable and perceived change was asymmetric: sensitivity was high (.77–.87), but specificity (.46–.56) and positive predictive values (.24–.31) were low, as participants frequently reported change without reliable change; directional reversals were rare. Reliable change strongly predicted perceived change (ORs 4.6–12.5). Event-contingent assessments, higher prior states, and person-level characteristics (e.g., impulsivity, emotion regulation) increased the general propensity to report change but did not moderate this link. Felt change thus precedes measurable change: detectability and salience are distinct thresholds that intensive longitudinal research must evaluate separately.
Related
- Social Context Moderates Mother-Infant Affective Synchrony in Everyday Life: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study
- Cognitive Control Neural Correlates of Negative Affective in Psychosis Spectrum Disorders: A Laboratory and Ecological Momentary Assessment Study
- From Mortality Salience to Existential Reflection: A Four-Level Model of Reflecting Upon Personal, Human, Biotic, and Cosmic Finitude
- Prosthesis embodiment predicts reduced amputation salience as reflected in dreams
- Nudging dietary transition in Czech canteens: impacts of vegan meal introduction and label salience
BibTeX
@misc{kaurin2026felt,
title = {{Felt but Not Detected: Salience Versus Detectability of Affective Change in Ambulatory Assessment}},
author = {Aleksandra Kaurin and Mario Wenzel and Paula Philippi and Jonas Dora},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/36zwq_v1},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/36zwq_v1/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Felt but Not Detected: Salience Versus Detectability of Affective Change in Ambulatory Assessment
AU - Aleksandra Kaurin
AU - Mario Wenzel
AU - Paula Philippi
AU - Jonas Dora
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/05
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/36zwq_v1
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/36zwq_v1/
AB - Ambulatory assessment (AA) captures within-person fluctuations in daily life, yet not all observed change exceeds measurement error, and not all reliable change is subjectively experienced. We propose a preregistered dual-threshold framework distinguishing statistical detectability (smallest detectable change, SDC) from experiential salience (minimal important change, MIC). Adults (N = 250) completed a 14-day AA protocol with twice-daily and event-contingent assessments (5,982 observations), rating momentary stress, positive affect, and negative affect (0–4) and perceived change since the previous assessment. SDC₉₅ estimates ranged from 1.56 to 1.92 scale points, so roughly three-quarters of consecutive changes fell below reliable detection. Anchor-based MICs, in contrast, were 1 point for all constructs. Correspondence between detectable and perceived change was asymmetric: sensitivity was high (.77–.87), but specificity (.46–.56) and positive predictive values (.24–.31) were low, as participants frequently reported change without reliable change; directional reversals were rare. Reliable change strongly predicted perceived change (ORs 4.6–12.5). Event-contingent assessments, higher prior states, and person-level characteristics (e.g., impulsivity, emotion regulation) increased the general propensity to report change but did not moderate this link. Felt change thus precedes measurable change: detectability and salience are distinct thresholds that intensive longitudinal research must evaluate separately.
ER -