Psychophysics in a Web browser? Comparing response times collected with JavaScript and Psychophysics Toolbox in a visual search task

Behavioral researchers are increasingly using Web-based software such as JavaScript to conduct response time experiments. Although there has been some research on the accuracy and reliability of response time measurements collected using JavaScript, it remains unclear how well this method performs r...

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Veröffentlicht in:Behavior research methods Jg. 48; H. 1; S. 1 - 12
Hauptverfasser: de Leeuw, Joshua R., Motz, Benjamin A.
Format: Journal Article
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: New York Springer US 01.03.2016
Springer Nature B.V
Schlagworte:
Adolescent
Adult
Behavioral Research - methods
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Computers
Experiments
Female
Humans
Internet
Male
Psychology
Psychophysics - methods
Reaction Time
Reliability
Reproducibility of Results
Responses
Software
Software packages
Visual Perception
Web Browser
Websites
Young Adult
Response times
Visual search
Psychophysics Toolbox
JavaScript
Online experiments
ISSN:1554-3528, 1554-3528
Online-Zugang:Volltext
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Zusammenfassung:Behavioral researchers are increasingly using Web-based software such as JavaScript to conduct response time experiments. Although there has been some research on the accuracy and reliability of response time measurements collected using JavaScript, it remains unclear how well this method performs relative to standard laboratory software in psychologically relevant experimental manipulations. Here we present results from a visual search experiment in which we measured response time distributions with both Psychophysics Toolbox (PTB) and JavaScript. We developed a methodology that allowed us to simultaneously run the visual search experiment with both systems, interleaving trials between two independent computers, thus minimizing the effects of factors other than the experimental software. The response times measured by JavaScript were approximately 25 ms longer than those measured by PTB. However, we found no reliable difference in the variability of the distributions related to the software, and both software packages were equally sensitive to changes in the response times as a result of the experimental manipulations. We concluded that JavaScript is a suitable tool for measuring response times in behavioral research.
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ISSN:1554-3528
1554-3528
DOI:10.3758/s13428-015-0567-2