Abstract
This article reviews the Electronically Activated Recorder or EAR as an ecological assessment tool for real–world
(acoustic) observations of daily behavior. Technically, the EAR is an audio recorder that intermittently records
snippets of ambient sounds while participants go about their lives. Conceptually, it is a naturalistic observation
method that yields an acoustic log of a person’s day as it unfolds. The power of the EAR lies in unobtrusively
collecting authentic real–life observational data. In preserving a high degree of naturalism at the level of the raw
recordings, it resembles ethnographic methods and lends itself to a qualitative research approach. Through its
sampling and quantitative behavioral coding, it also enables empirical studies. This article provides an overview of
the EAR method and reviews its validity and utility for studying psychological phenomena directly in everyday life.
