Participation and engagement in online cognitive testing

Abstract

Web-based testing of cognitive abilities allows for large-scale assessments without geographical constraints. Yet, the extent to which it can reach populations beyond the typical demographic groups recruited for cognitive studies is unclear. This study focused on comparing the characteristics of individuals from a general population study (HUNT4) who chose to participate in a cognitive study (HUNT4-Hjernetrim) with those who did not. Additionally, we investigated participants' engagement and user experience. We obtained data on socio-demographics, health conditions (both physical and mental), self-reported cognitive or learning difficulties, and lifestyle factors of Hjernetrim participants and non-participants from the HUNT4 database. Hjernetrim involved 13 cognitive tests, administered through the online platform Memoro. We used logistic regressions to assess participation biases and linear regressions to assess participants' engagement and user experience. Of 65,851 HUNT4 participants invited via regular mail to Hjernetrim, 5634 (9.4%, aged 13-97, 54% women) participated. The best represented in the sample were 50-79-year-olds, women, tertiary educated, living alone, from urban areas, not occupationally active, and reporting memory complaints. Individuals who were aged 80+, had motor or vision impairments, and teenagers with learning disabilities, were underrepresented. Participants were more likely to have mental health problems, have or survived cancer and less likely to have cardiovascular disease. Participants logged on mainly during weekdays, the preferred time of day varied by age. On average, participants used 42 min and completed 78% of the tasks. Using PCs provided the most complete data. In terms of user experiences, 65% were positive while 14% were negative or reported technical difficulties. Overall, the study demonstrated that web-based methodology allowed for a relatively well-represented sample that included groups typically difficult to reach. The presence of somatic and mental diseases had a variable influence on participation. Participants finished most tests and reported positive experiences overall.

Keywords: Adolescents; Internet; Lifespan; Neuropsychology; Selection bias.

Figure 1

(a) Date of participation (year-month) in HUNT4 Hjernetrim (frequency = n). (b) Age and sex distribution of the Hjernetrim participants.

Figure 2

Flowchart showing the number of Hjernetrim participants with the number of people invited to the substudy and entire cohorts.

Figure 3

The odds ratio of age group, sex, and education on participation in Hjernetrim relative to participation in HUNT4. Fifty-year-olds, women, and those with secondary education were used as references as these were the most numerous subgroups. For details on variables and their frequency, see Tables 1 and 2.

Figure 4

The influence of self-reported somatic and mental health problems, as well as learning disabilities and self-reported memory problems in HUNT4 on the probability of participating in Hjernetrim. Each color represents a separate model. Fifty-year-olds, women, and those with secondary education were used as references as these were the most numerous subgroups. For details on variables and their frequency, see Tables 1 and 2.

Figure 5

The influence of self-reported lifestyle factors in HUNT4 on the odds ratio of participating in Hjernetrim. Each color represents a separate model. Fifty-year-olds, women, and those with secondary education were used as references as these were the most numerous subgroups. For details on variables and their frequency, see Tables 1 and 2.

Figure 6

Distribution of devices (a) and browser engines (b) used to log on to the web-based platform, subdivided by age group.

Figure 7

The distribution of Hjernetrim participants’ logging into the battery during the day by age group. The Y axis illustrates the participant density of each age group.

Figure 8

Time spent in Hjernetrim in (a) those who completed all tasks and (b) regardless of battery completion. The Y axis illustrates the participant density of each age group.

Figure 9

The mean number of completed tasks in Hjernetrim by device and age group. Frequencies below 5 and observations of unidentified hardware were not included in the figure.