Running Virtual Environment-Based Experiments Online

Author(s):

Benjamin T Files, Kimberly A Pollard, Ashley H Oiknine, and Bianca Dalangin

Abstract:

Conducting behavioral experiments online enables researchers to obtain large sample sizes quickly. Existing tools for online experiments are primarily suited for text and 2-D images, while bringing 3-D virtual environment experiences to the web for research remains a challenge. This technical note describes a process to present complex 3-D virtual environments to online participants and collect the resulting data. The process starts with a virtual environment built in Unity and describes the steps to display the virtual environment in the context of a Qualtrics questionnaire, including how to save data into a Qualtrics user record. Code and examples are provided with the hope that other researchers can conveniently follow this process to conduct online behavioral experiments using 3-D virtual environments.