Going Virtual: A Step-by-Step Guide to Taking the In-Person Experimental Lab Online

Authors

David Danz, University of Pittsburgh
Neeraja Gupta, University of Pittsburgh
Marissa Lepper, University of Pittsburgh
Lise Verterlund, University of Pittsburgh
K. Pun Winichakul, University of PittsburghFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-2021

Abstract

This guide provides a detailed account of procedures for conducting traditional in-person laboratory experiments in a “virtual setting.” The main objective of these procedures is to maintain the control of traditional in-person lab studies when conducting studies over the internet. Using the participant pool of the in-person lab the key procedural steps include participants having their webcams on throughout the experiment, technical screenings and attention pledges, playing pre-recorded instructions out loud, upholding clear experimenter roles and communication protocols when interacting with participants, and finally detailed and scripted procedures for managing participants throughout the session. The described procedures have been used for more than 100 sessions and have secured results that are indistinguishable from those from the in-person lab.

Keywords

Experiments, Methodology, Research Practice

Comments

Author's submitted manuscript.

Recommended Citation

Danz, David; Gupta, Neeraja; Lepper, Marissa; Verterlund, Lise; and Winichakul, K. Pun, "Going Virtual: A Step-by-Step Guide to Taking the In-Person Experimental Lab Online" (2021). Economics: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/eco_facpubs/98