Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Affect Variability And Predictability: Using Recurrence Quantification Analysis To Better Understand How The Dynamics Of Affect Relate To Health, Brooke N. Jenkins, John F. Hunter, Michael J. Richardson, Tamlin S. Conner, Sarah D. Pressman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Changes in affect over time have been associated with health outcomes. However, previously utilized measurement methods focus on variability of affect (e.g., standard deviation, root mean squared successive difference) and ignore the more complex temporal patterns of affect over time. These patterns may be an important feature in understanding how the dynamics of affect relate to health. Recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) may help alleviate this problem by assessing temporal characteristics unassessed by past methods. RQA metrics, such as determinism and recurrence, can provide a measure of the predictability of affect over time, indexing how often patterns within affective experiences repeat. …