Comparing Performance Between Online and In-Person Research with an Audiovisual Experimental Paradigm
Comparing Performance Between Online and In-Person Research with an Audiovisual Experimental Paradigm
Date
2022-02-02
Authors
Soma Tsutsuse, K
Vibell, J
Sinnett, S
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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many researchers and educators to operate
primarily from an online platform. While online information dissemination is fast, efficient, and
inexpensive (Buhrmester, Talaifar, & Gosling, 2018), it is imperative that the data are reliable.
One of the popular online platforms used is Zoom. Previously, psychometric studies found that
web-based assessments disseminated via Zoom yield similar results to paper-based
questionnaires (Riva, Teruzzi, & Anolli, 2003). However, the dissemination of information
online may differ from in-person methods, as online platforms for presenting information have
shown less precision and more variability in reaction times compared to in-person methods
(Bridges et al., 2020). This could raise questions for the potential of using experimental methods
online, as the utility of experimental studies via Zoom has yet to be evaluated.
Objectives: The present study aims to investigate the reliability of using Zoom with an
audiovisual motion perception paradigm and compare performance between in-person and online
presentations.
Methods: Participants met with a researcher either in-person or via Zoom to complete thew
experiment on Labvanced. Screenshare and remote control functions were used to share the
paradigm and complete participation. The paradigm required participants to select an oddball
video out of three videos. Reaction time, accuracy, and lag (ITI) was analyzed and compared
across in-person versus Zoom to determine if these types of psychophysical experiments can be
replicated online.
Results: Participant ages ranged from 18 to 52 years of age (M = 21.3, SD = 5.2). 35 participants
were female, and 11 were male. In-person (n = 24) and online (n = 22) results were very similar
in terms of reaction time, however, sound was shown to improve accuracy when detecting the
oddball video for online participants. This differed from in-person results, as participants were
less accurate when a sound was paired with the oddball video.
Discussion: The current study showed very little variation in reaction time for Zoom versus inperson
performance, however, accuracy results with audiovisual stimuli differed. Given that the
current study utilized Labvanced, a browser based platform, other studies have found variability
in the precision of stimulus presentation via browser-based experiments (Bridges et al., 2020).
Therefore, results from the current study fall in line existing literature, although studies
investigating online presentation of stimuli suggest that online methods can be suitable for a
wide range of applications in research and education as long as sources of variability are
considered. However, a limitation of the current study is the small sample size and limited power
due to the lack of participants. Future extensions of this study will include recruiting more
participants to increase the sample size, as in-person recruitment for this study was interrupted
by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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