Moving visual world experiments online? A web-based replication of Dijkgraaf, Hartsuiker, and Duyck (2017) using PCIbex and WebGazer.js

Abstract

The visual world paradigm is one of the most influential paradigms to study real-time language processing. The present study tested whether visual world studies can be moved online, using PCIbex software (Zehr & Schwarz, 2018) and the WebGazer.js algorithm (Papoutsaki et al., 2016) to collect eye-movement data. Experiment 1 was a fixation task in which the participants looked at a fixation cross in multiple positions on the computer screen. Experiment 2 was a web-based replication of a visual world experiment by Dijkgraaf, Hartsuiker and Duyck (2017). Firstly, both experiments revealed that the spatial accuracy of the data allowed us to distinguish looks across the four quadrants of the computer screen. This suggest that the spatial resolution of WebGazer.js is fine-grained enough for most visual world experiments (which typically involve a four-by-four quadrant-based set-up of the visual display). Secondly, both experiments revealed a delay of roughly 300 ms in the time course of the eye movements, most likely caused by the internal processing speed of the browser or WebGazer.js. This delay can be problematic in studying questions that require a fine-grained temporal resolution and requires further investigation.

Developmental psychologists should adopt citizen science to improve generalization and reproducibility

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Turkish-German heritage speakers' predictive use of case: webcam-based vs. in-lab eye-tracking

“…Our study builds on Özge et al (2019) findings that monolingual Turkish-speaking preschool children and adults have predictive abilities in thematic role assignment and test it with bilingual heritage Turkish-German adults. The study has three key purposes: (1) to conceptually replicate Özge and colleagues' hypothesis by extending it to a new population; (2) to compare whether predictive abilities in HSs can be successfully investigated in the Visual World eye-tracking Paradigm (VWP) remotely using a web-based camera on a participant's laptop (Slim and Hartsuiker, 2021;Vos et al, 2021); and (3) explore individual differences in predictive abilities of HSs.…”