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Category: Analysis

Description: Internet-based assessment of response time (RT) and error rate (ERR) has recently become a well validated alternative to traditional laboratory-based assessment, because methodological research provided evidence for negligible setting- and setup-related differences in RT and ERR measures of central tendency. However, corresponding data on potential differences in the variability of such performance measures are still lacking to date. Hence, it was the aim of this study to conduct internet-based mental chronometry in poorly standardized domestic and highly standardized laboratory environments and to compare the variability of the corresponding performance measures. Using the Millisecond Inquisit4Web software, three different RT-based cognitive paradigms (i.e., Go/Nogo, 2-Back, Number-Letter) were completed by 127 mixed-sex participants. Each participant completed all paradigms in two environments (i.e., at home and in the laboratory) in a counterbalanced order with a time lag of seven days. Mixed-effects modeling was employed to estimate the between-setting variability across a comprehensive set of performance measures, including conventional measures of central tendency (i.e., mean RT and ERR) and further characterizing the joint distribution of RT/ERR. The latter were estimated using the diffusion model. Results suggested negligible differences between domestic and laboratory settings. Thus, this study provides novel evidence suggesting that the statistical power of internet-based mental chronometry is commonly not compromised by increased environmental variance. Within- and between-session reliabilities were in a satisfying range, that is, comparable to performance measures collected offline in laboratory settings. In consequence, our results support the broad applicability, robustness, and cost-efficiency of mental chronometry assessment using the internet.