A system for collecting and analyzing experience sampling data

Online and sensor technologies promise to transform many areas of psychological enquiry. However, collecting and analyzing this data is challenging. In this paper, we introduce the unforgettable.me experience sampling platform. unforgettable.me includes an app that can collect image, GPS, accelerometry and audio data in a continual fashion and upload the data to a server. The data is then automatically augmented using online databases to identify the address, type of location and weather conditions as well as providing street view imagery. In addition, machine learning classifiers are run to identify aspects such as voice and traffic. The augmented data is available to participants in the form of a keyword search interface as well as several visualization mechanisms. In addition, Unforgettable Research Services partners with If This Then That (IFTTT) and so can accumulate data from any of over six hundred sources including social media, wearables and other devices. Through IFTTT, buttons can be added as icons to smartphones to allow participants to register mood conveniently, behaviors and physiological states like happiness, microaggressions or illness. Furthermore, unforgettable.me incorporates a mechanism that allows researchers to run experiments and analyze data within an authenticated environment without viewing users’ private data.