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Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience
Controlling for Participants' Viewing Distance in Large-Scale, Psychophysical Online Experiments Using a Virtual Chinrest
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Paper Summary
Conflicts of Interest
Identified Weaknesses
Rating Explanation
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Paper Summary
Paperzilla title
Say Goodbye to Chinrests! Measuring Your Viewing Distance Online
The study introduces the "Virtual Chinrest," a method for measuring viewing distance online using the blind spot. The method was validated in laboratory experiments and used in a large online study (N=1153) replicating previous findings on visual crowding, showing increased crowding with greater eccentricity and in individuals with dyslexia.
Possible Conflicts of Interest
None identified
Identified Weaknesses
Small sample size for validation
The sample size for the in-lab validation experiments is small (19 and 12 participants respectively). Larger samples would strengthen the validation of the Virtual Chinrest.
Self-reported data
While the online sample is large, the reliance on self-reported data (e.g., dyslexia diagnosis) can introduce inaccuracies and biases.
Uncontrolled environment
The online environment is uncontrolled. Factors like screen brightness, ambient lighting, and participant attentiveness can influence results and add noise to the data.
Limited demonstration of generalizability
The paper focuses on visual crowding. While a useful example, the Virtual Chinrest’s applicability to a wider range of psychophysical experiments needs further investigation.
Rating Explanation
This paper presents a novel and potentially valuable tool for online psychophysical research. The methodology is sound, and the validation experiments, although limited by sample size, provide reasonable support for the accuracy of the Virtual Chinrest. The large-scale online experiment successfully replicated established findings and extended them to a more diverse population, which is a significant contribution. However, the limitations regarding the uncontrolled online environment and the reliance on self-reported data warrant a rating of 4 rather than 5.
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Topic Hierarchy
File Information
Original Title:
Controlling for Participants' Viewing Distance in Large-Scale, Psychophysical Online Experiments Using a Virtual Chinrest
File Name:
s41598-019-57204-1.pdf
[download]
File Size:
1.54 MB
Uploaded:
July 14, 2025 at 10:35 AM
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