Enabling flexible online and portable experiments in behavioural health sciences (360G-Wellcome-208368_Z_17_Z)

This project will bring a proven, flexible, popular software package into a new era of open, global, large-scale data collection. Many studies in behavioural sciences (psychology, neuroscience, linguistics and mental health) use computers to present stimuli and record responses in a precise manner. These studies are still typically conducted on small numbers of people in laboratory environments with dedicated hardware. With improved web technologies, high-speed broadband, and smart devices everywhere, studies can now run on the web without sacrificing high temporal precision. This is a “game changer” in terms of the research that can be conducted. Data can be collected on larger, more varied, international populations. We can study people in environments they don’t find intimidating, and multiple times per day, without data collection becoming impractical. We need better tools to create those studies. PsychoPy is a cross-platform open-source software package for creating experiments using OpenGL and Python. It is hugely popular mostly because relatively non-technical users can generate an enormous range of studies with high precision. This project will make it possible for those same studies to be conducted online, and on Android/iOS, by providing JavaScript/HTML/WebGL outputs and a secure server from which users can run their studies.