Timing Research Forum 4

Chair:David Melcher(New York University Abu Dhabi)

The ability of the brain to represent, integrate, and segregate events over time lies at the core of human cognition and behaviour. From low-level sensory processing to high-level cognitive functions, temporal processing shapes how we perceive the world, allocate attention, and make decisions. 
Traditionally, research on temporal processing has relied on highly controlled laboratory settings. These environments enable millisecond-level precision for stimulus presentation and response recording, providing powerful tools to uncover the temporal structure of perception. However, lab-based experiments have notable limitations: they often rely on narrow participant pools, limiting generalizability and statistical power, and they require significant resources, physical space, and specialized equipment.
While laboratories remain the gold standard in timing research, these constraints highlight the growing appeal of web-based experimentation (Bridges et al. 2020). Recent advances in online platforms have improved the precision and reliability of behavioural and psychophysical tasks conducted remotely, creating new opportunities for high-quality timing research outside the lab. Similarly, the widespread use of smartphones and tablets has enabled novel methods to study temporal dynamics in ecologically valid, real-world contexts (Marsicano et al. 2022; 2024). Both web-based and mobile approaches, though offering reduced experimental control, allow for scalable data collection across diverse populations and can track within-subject variability across time and settings.
This symposium presents recent empirical evidence on the potential and limitations of web- and smartphone-based experimentation for investigating temporal perception and cognition. We highlight studies showing that, with appropriate tools and procedures, online platforms can achieve high levels of temporal precision comparable to traditional lab settings. These include web-based experiments on temporal integration and segregation across uni- and multisensory modalities and responses to rhythmic sensory stimulation (Marsicano et al., 2022; 2024; Deodato et al., 2024; Lamprou-Kokolaki et al., 2024). We also emphasize the benefits of accessing large, heterogeneous samples online, which supports the identification of individual differences and distinct temporal processing profiles. In addition, we introduce a smartphone-based approach for estimating individual alpha oscillation frequency via a visual illusion (Xu et al., 2025). This method uses perceived jitter to infer temporal characteristics of neural activity, capturing individual variability, mood-related changes, and diurnal patterns under naturalistic conditions. Across the symposium, we compare behavioural patterns and performance metrics across web, mobile, and lab contexts, showing broadly comparable data quality and variability. We also address key methodological challenges, such as device heterogeneity, participant attention, and timing uncertainty, and propose strategies to improve reproducibility, including calibration routines, browser-based latency checks, and frame-locked stimulus presentation. We review commonly used platforms (e.g., PsychoPy/PsychoJS, jsPsych) and evaluate the strengths of mobile tools for timing research. By integrating this diverse body of evidence, the symposium highlights how web and mobile technologies are expanding the reach of timing research, offering scalable, inclusive, and ecologically valid approaches to investigating the temporal dynamics of cognition.