Detect the device the participant is using while running experiment online

zenmule

Hello everyone,

I'm designing a perceptual study to test the participants' pitch perception.

I want to know if the participant is using a headphone or not.

How do I detect the device that the participant is using in opensesame and log it down?

Miao Zhang

cvanbuck

Hi @zenmule,

Unless I’m mistaken, for privacy and security reasons, it’s generally tricky to access detailed information about a participant’s hardware output device (whether they are using headphones, speakers, etc.) in OSWeb or through browsers in general. And even more tricky to do so without violating ethical guidelines...

However, a straightforward solution is to rely on self-reports. You can include a question at the start of your experiment asking participants to specify their audio setup, such as "Headphones," "Earphones," or "Speakers." A form item would be a simple way to implement this. Be sure to log the response so that it’s included in your data file.

If you want to get more creative, maybe you could also try a sound detection pre-test (e.g., mono vs. stereo sounds? I don't know), but 1) it may increase your experiment duration, and 2) if you’re already trusting participants enough to run the study online, it’s reasonable to trust them with the headphone question as well. :)

Hope this helps!

Claire