%0 Journal Article
%@ 1438-8871
%I JMIR Publications
%V 24
%N 1
%P e28368
%T A New Remote Guided Method for Supervised Web-Based Cognitive Testing to Ensure High-Quality Data: Development and Usability Study
%A Leong,Victoria
%A Raheel,Kausar
%A Sim,Jia Yi
%A Kacker,Kriti
%A Karlaftis,Vasilis M
%A Vassiliu,Chrysoula
%A Kalaivanan,Kastoori
%A Chen,S H Annabel
%A Robbins,Trevor W
%A Sahakian,Barbara J
%A Kourtzi,Zoe
%+ Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 48 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639818, Singapore, 65 6514 1052, victorialeong@ntu.edu.sg
%K web-based testing
%K neurocognitive assessment
%K COVID-19
%K executive functions
%K learning
%D 2022
%7 6.1.2022
%9 Original Paper
%J J Med Internet Res
%G English
%X Background: The global COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a fundamental reexamination of how human psychological research can be conducted safely and robustly in a new era of digital working and physical distancing. Online web-based testing has risen to the forefront as a promising solution for the rapid mass collection of cognitive data without requiring human contact. However, a long-standing debate exists over the data quality and validity of web-based studies. This study examines the opportunities and challenges afforded by the societal shift toward web-based testing and highlights an urgent need to establish a standard data quality assurance framework for online studies. Objective: This study aims to develop and validate a new supervised online testing methodology, remote guided testing (RGT). Methods: A total of 85 healthy young adults were tested on 10 cognitive tasks assessing executive functioning (flexibility, memory, and inhibition) and learning. Tasks were administered either face-to-face in the laboratory (n=41) or online using remote guided testing (n=44) and delivered using identical web-based platforms (Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery, Inquisit, and i-ABC). Data quality was assessed using detailed trial-level measures (missed trials, outlying and excluded responses, and response times) and overall task performance measures. Results: The results indicated that, across all data quality and performance measures, RGT data was statistically-equivalent to in-person data collected in the lab (P>.40 for all comparisons). Moreover, RGT participants out-performed the lab group on measured verbal intelligence (P<.001), which could reflect test environment differences, including possible effects of mask-wearing on communication. Conclusions: These data suggest that the RGT methodology could help ameliorate concerns regarding online data quality—particularly for studies involving high-risk or rare cohorts—and offer an alternative for collecting high-quality human cognitive data without requiring in-person physical attendance. 
%M 34989691
%R 10.2196/28368
%U https://www.jmir.org/2022/1/e28368
%U https://doi.org/10.2196/28368
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34989691