Biases in online vs. paper-pencil number line tasks in older adults (Preprint)

UNSTRUCTURED Digital and web-based at-home tests are increasingly important in neuropsychological assessments, providing various advantages (e.g., automated response recording, standardization, time, and cost savings). Extensive comparability between standard paper-based and online testing has been demonstrated, in particular, among adults. Evidence of test-mode effects (i.e., differences between paper-based or online testing) in older adults (> 60 years), who often show minor digital adoption (e.g., affecting visual, perceptual, cognitive, and physical abilities) attributed to typical age-related changes, is limited. The present study compared the test-mode effects between supervised paper-based and web-based at-home testing using an unconscious but systematic neuropsychological phenomenon, the pseudoneglect, in simple (number) line bisection and number line estimation tasks in N = 77 neurologically healthy over (n = 41 males and n = 36 females over 60 years). Results showed that the pseudoneglect was present in both testing environments in all (number) line bisection tasks, while test mode did not affect this systematic perceptual bias or its variance. However, web-based at-home online testing resulted in a larger skew (i.e., more s-shaped curvature) of estimation in all number line estimation tasks. This bias can be explained by the amended response format (pencil vs. computer mouse) and the age-related inexperience with the test mode. In conclusion, we consider only online line bisection tasks in older adults to be directly comparable to paper-pencil testing, with all the advantages of online data acquisition.