Summary
Emotion Sampling Device is a series of questions yielding to the emotion the user is experiencing as the result of an event. It is based on Cognitive Appraisal Theory (CAT) and Emotional Appraisal System. It asks about the causes of the emotion, rather than about the emotion itself, to avoid the typical problems of verbal assessment of emotions.
Description
ESD uses a series of questions whose answers lead along different pathways to identify 17 different emotions as defined in the Emotional Appraisal Theory.
Strengths
Emotion assessment without expensive equipment or hard-to-understand emotional terms. Predefined set of questions and the resulting set of 17 emotions make the method quick and easy.
Weaknesses
Requires a functional system and preferably real use cases (questions e.g. about match with the motive, level of control)
References describing the method
Roseman, I.J., Antoniou, A.A., Jose, P.E. Appraisal determinants of emotions: constructing a more accurate and comprehensive theory, Cognition and Emotion 10:3, (1996), 241-277.