An Alternative to Gorilla Experiment Builder: Facing the Challenge of Online Experiments
In the world of scientific research, the value of online experiments, such as cognitive and behavioral experiments, cannot be overstated. Tools like the Gorilla Experiment Builder have gained prominence for their role in facilitating these experiments, especially within the realm of psychological research. However, they're not without their shortcomings, which can present researchers with significant challenges.
The Limitations of Gorilla Experiment Builder
While functional and beneficial in some ways, Gorilla falls short when it comes to important aspects like user-friendliness and cost-effectiveness. It also lacks some crucial features needed for advanced cognitive tasks and experiments, making running experiments more difficult than necessary.
Exploring Alternatives
Consequently, the search for an alternative is inevitable. One platform that proves an ideal substitute is Cognition. It's not just a platform for running experiments, but also an environment for designing and creating them. It natively supports jsPsych, a widely-used JavaScript library for running behavioral experiments in a web browser. This versatility makes it a suitable tool for online, remote studies.
How to Migrate
Migrating from Gorilla to another system like Cognition is not as cumbersome as one might fear. First, existing experiment templates and tasks can be exported from Gorilla and then suitably formatted as per the requirements of the new platform. For instance, Cognition accepts cognitive tasks coded with jsPsych. Once reformatted, these tasks can easily be uploaded and run on the platform.
Migrating Cost
Finally, regarding the cost associated with such a migration, it mainly entails time invested in understanding the structure and functioning of the new system and in the reformatting of existing tasks. Especially with adept platforms like Cognition and the assistance they offer, these costs can be significantly managed.
To sum up, while the road to remote experimental research may initially seem challenging, the discovery of right tools and platforms can lead the way to fruitful results. So, let's step into the future of psychological research, replete with efficient and resourceful systems like Cognition.