Science in the Time of COVID-19: The Feasibility of Online Data Collection in Developmental Populations

COVID-19 restrictions resulted in many scientists pausing data collection (Maga et al., 2020). Virtual data collection may be an option and has been used for over a decade for experiments with adult participants (Buhrmester et al., 2016). Using virtual or remote data collection has not been well studied in developmental science given the nature of the populations that are studied (infants and toddlers). We evaluated the feasibility of virtual data collection, using a website called Lookit, for examining word learning in toddlers. Participants (N=49), ages 18-36 months, were presented with novel spoken word-shape pairs as their eye movements were recorded. All data were collected on Lookit. Parents were given explicit directions on experimental set up and study procedures. Toddlers then completed the experiment using their home computer and webcam. Video recordings of each experimental session were analyzed for parent adherence to study procedures and overall video quality. Results suggested that most parents followed the study directions. Video quality was generally good and appeared adequate for coding eye movements. In conclusion, virtual data collection appears to be a promising resource for developmental scientists