Measuring coping strategies in daily life : a systematic review of experience sampling methodology and daily diary studies

Mikolič, Petra (author), Bugarinović, Sara (author), Zager Kocjan, Gaja (author)

Advances in daily diary methods and experience sampling method (ESM) have improved the study of coping strategies in daily life and their role in shaping health and well‐being. In this review, we examine study designs, measurement approaches, and analytical practices used to investigate coping in natural contexts. We performed a systematic review of studies published before 5 December 2025 that used daily diary or ESM to measure coping strategies over multiple days or moments. Studies were examined with regard to sampling schemes, assessment frequency and duration, measurement of coping strategies, incorporation of stressor appraisals, and analytic techniques used to model coping processes. Fifty‐five studies met the inclusion criteria. Results indicated that 80% employed end‐of‐day diary designs, generally lasting 1–3 weeks, whereas higher‐frequency ESM protocols were less common and ranged 2–14 days. Coping strategies were often assessed using abbreviated or single‐item measures, frequently adapted from established questionnaires. Many studies incorporated appraisals such as perceived stressor intensity or controllability, enabling tests of coping flexibility. Multilevel modelling was the dominant analytic approach, allowing researchers to distinguish within‐person dynamics from between‐person differences. However, analyses were predominantly concurrent, and temporally ordered models remained comparatively rare. Overall, the literature demonstrates substantial progress in capturing coping in everyday contexts, yet heterogeneity in measurement and limited use of temporal modelling constrain cumulative knowledge about the temporal links between coping and psychological and physiological health outcomes. Future research would benefit from greater alignment between theoretical assumptions, assessment strategies, and analytic methods.

• Language: English
• Keywords: coping strategies, daily diary, daily stressors, experience sampling method (ESM), systematic review
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 21 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 42, iss. 5, art. e70223
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-188386
• UDC: 61
• ISSN on article: 1532-3005
• DOI: 10.1002/smi.70223
• COBISS.SI-ID: 291177475
• Publication date in RUL: 22.09.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Stress and health
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• ISSN: 1532-3005
• COBISS.SI-ID: 436202

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: stres, spoprijemanje, dnevnik, metoda vzorčenja izkušenj ESM, pregledne študije

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P5-0110
• Name: Psihološki in nevroznanstveni vidiki kognicije