Psychological Experiments on the Internet

Until recently, most psychological research was conducted using subject samples in close proximity to the investigators--namely university undergraduates. In recent years, however, it has become possible to test people from all over the world by placing experiments on the internet. The number of people using the internet for this purpose is likely to become the main venue for subject pools in coming years. As such, learning about experiments on the internet will be of vital interest to all research psychologists.

Psychological Experiments on the Internet is divided into three sections. Section I discusses the history of web experimentation, as well as the advantages, disadvantages, and validity of web-based psychological research. Section II discusses examples of web-based experiments on individual differences and cross-cultural studies. Section III provides readers with the necessary information and techniques for utilizing the internet in their own research designs.

Contributors.
Introduction to Psychological Experiments on the Internet.
General Issues:
M.H. Birnbaum, Decision Making in the Lab and on the Web.
J.H. Krantz and R. Dalal, Validity of Web-Based Psychological Research.
J. Musch and U.-D. Reips, A Brief History of Web Experimenting.
U.-D. Reips, The Web Experiment Method: Advantages, Disadvantages, and Solutions.
Individual Differences and Cross-Cultural Studies:
T. Buchanan, Potential of the Internet for Personality Research.
R.D. Bailey, W.E. Foote and B. Throckmorton, Human Sexual Behavior: A Comparison of College and Internet Surveys.
D. Pagani and L. Lombardi, An Intercultural Examination of Facial Features Communicating Surprise.
J.H. Mueller, D.M. Jacobsen and R. Schwarzer, What Are Computing Experiences Good For: A Case Study in On-Line Research.
Computer Techniques for Internet Experimentation:
K.O. McGraw, M.D. Tew and J.E. Williams, PsychExps: An On-Line Psychology Laboratory.
J. Baron and M. Siepmann, Techniques for Creating and Using Web Questionnaires in Research and Teaching.
G. Francis, I. Neath, and A. Surprenant, The Cognitive Psychology Online Laboratory.
W.C. Schmidt, The Server Side of Psychology Web Experiments.
Conclusion.
References.
Glossary of Web Terms.
Index.