Assessing the reliability of web-based measurements of visual function

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Vision Science
• Psychology

Background:

• Web-based experiments offer scalable replication of behavioral phenomena.
• Validation of web-based versus lab-based objective measures is crucial for clinical and scientific adoption.
• The oblique effect, an enhancement in visual discrimination for cardinal orientations, serves as a key indicator of early visual cortical function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the reliability of web-based tasks for assessing early visual cortical function.
• To evaluate the agreement between remote, web-based and traditional lab-based performance measures.
• To examine the 'oblique effect' using both temporal and spatial orientation-identification tasks.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-nine participants completed web-based, two-alternative forced choice (2AFC) orientation-identification tasks (temporal and spatial).
• Orientation-identification thresholds were measured for cardinal (horizontal, vertical) and oblique orientations.
• Reliability was assessed in 18 participants who repeated the tasks under laboratory conditions.

Main Results:

• A robust oblique effect was observed, with lower thresholds for cardinal compared to oblique orientations in both web- and lab-based measures.
• High levels of agreement were found between web-based and lab-based orientation-identification thresholds.
• Both temporal and spatial 2AFC tasks demonstrated reliable measurement of the oblique effect.

Conclusions:

• Web-based testing provides a reliable and valid method for assessing early visual cortical function.
• The high agreement between web- and lab-based measures supports the use of remote testing for visual assessments.
• Future research should explore the utility of these web-based tasks in clinical populations for screening and monitoring.