Capturing the moments: Concerns of in situ leisure research

In situ assessments are part of a general diversification from traditional research methods within the social sciences. The need for in situ sampling methods in leisure, recreation, and tourism exists because: (1) they distinguish between questions about situations and questions about persons; and (2) their minimum reliance on information associated with the inaccuracies of human memory and cognitive processing. Because of their focus on the present moment, in situ designs provide information about recreational situations largely inaccessible with traditional methods. Such information addresses traditional questions from a new perspective and allows exploration of new questions. The limitations of in situ designs are discussed regarding: (1) self-report and the alteration of experience; (2) repeated self-report and the alteration of experience; and (3) lack of compliance with the self-administration of self-report.