New Insights from Intensive Longitudinal Data in the Sport Sciences : A Matter of (Continuous) Time
Abstract
In sport and exercise science, understanding how psychological or physiological processes evolve over time is critical for explaining fluctuations in physical activity behaviour, or sport performance. Affect, an inherently dynamic psychophysiological state, is one such process that both influences and is influenced by physical activity. While the bidirectional relationship between affect and physical activity is well documented, most prevailing theories and analytic approaches fail to account for how these processes dynamically evolve over time within individuals. Dr. Ruissen’s research program addresses this gap by applying a continuous-time modelling framework to investigate the within-person relationships between affective states and physical activity in sport, exercise, and free-living contexts. This framework can be readily extended to other temporally unfolding processes relevant to sport science.
Drawing on ambulatory assessment methods, this work leverages hierarchical Bayesian continuous-time structural equation modelling and introduces a novel meta-analytic technique to capture the temporal dependencies and within-person variability inherent in affective and behavioural processes. By moving beyond discrete-time assumptions, the continuous-time framework offers a more precise and flexible approach to modelling how affect and physical activity unfold across the day.
By using affective dynamics as a working example, this talk will demonstrate how continuous-time methods can deepen our understanding of intraindividual mechanisms that underpin physical activity, performance, and mental health. The continuous-time paradigm offers sport and exercise scientists a powerful analytic lens for modelling psychological or physiological states as they unfold, in real time, and in real life.
Recommended literature
Driver, C. C., & Voelkle, M. C. (2018). Hierarchical Bayesian continuous time dynamic modeling. Psychological Methods, 23(4), 774–799. https://doi.org/10.1037/met0000168
Ruissen, G. R., Beauchamp, M. R., Puterman, E., Zumbo, B. D., Rhodes, R. E., Hives, B. A., … & Wright, A. G. (2022). Continuous-time modeling of the bidirectional relationship between incidental affect and physical activity. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 56(12), 1284-1299. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaac024
Ruissen, G. R., Zumbo, B. D., Rhodes, R. E., Puterman, E., & Beauchamp, M. R. (2022). Analysis of dynamic psychological processes to understand and promote physical activity behaviour using intensive longitudinal methods: A primer. Health Psychology Review, 16(4), 492-525. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2021.1987953