TY - JOUR
T1 - Can smartphones be used to bring computer-based tasks from the lab to the field?
T2 - A mobile experience-sampling method study about the pace of life
AU - Stieger, Stefan
AU - Lewetz, David
AU - Reips, Ulf-Dietrich
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017, Psychonomic Society, Inc.
PY - 2018/12/1
Y1 - 2018/12/1
N2 - Researchers are increasingly using smartphones to collect scientific data. To date, most smartphone studies have collected questionnaire data or data from the built-in sensors. So far, few studies have analyzed whether smartphones can also be used to conduct computer-based tasks (CBTs). Using a mobile experience-sampling method study and a computer-based tapping task as examples (N = 246; twice a day for three weeks, 6,000+ measurements), we analyzed how well smartphones can be used to conduct a CBT. We assessed methodological aspects such as potential technologically induced problems, dropout, task noncompliance, and the accuracy of millisecond measurements. Overall, we found few problems: Dropout rate was low, and the time measurements were very accurate. Nevertheless, particularly at the beginning of the study, some participants did not comply with the task instructions, probably because they did not read the instructions before beginning the task. To summarize, the results suggest that smartphones can be used to transfer CBTs from the lab to the field, and that real-world variations across device manufacturers, OS types, and CPU load conditions did not substantially distort the results.
AB - Researchers are increasingly using smartphones to collect scientific data. To date, most smartphone studies have collected questionnaire data or data from the built-in sensors. So far, few studies have analyzed whether smartphones can also be used to conduct computer-based tasks (CBTs). Using a mobile experience-sampling method study and a computer-based tapping task as examples (N = 246; twice a day for three weeks, 6,000+ measurements), we analyzed how well smartphones can be used to conduct a CBT. We assessed methodological aspects such as potential technologically induced problems, dropout, task noncompliance, and the accuracy of millisecond measurements. Overall, we found few problems: Dropout rate was low, and the time measurements were very accurate. Nevertheless, particularly at the beginning of the study, some participants did not comply with the task instructions, probably because they did not read the instructions before beginning the task. To summarize, the results suggest that smartphones can be used to transfer CBTs from the lab to the field, and that real-world variations across device manufacturers, OS types, and CPU load conditions did not substantially distort the results.
KW - Adolescent
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Data Collection/methods
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Mobile Applications
KW - Quality of Life/psychology
KW - Smartphone
KW - Young Adult
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85037089224&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3758/s13428-017-0991-6
DO - 10.3758/s13428-017-0991-6
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 29214425
SN - 1554-351X
VL - 50
SP - 2267
EP - 2275
JO - Behavior Research Methods
JF - Behavior Research Methods
IS - 6
ER -