Embracing Disruptive Innovation in Developmental Sciences: Transforming Remote Assessments for Better Outcomes

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted developmental sciences, particularly in data collection for longitudinal studies. However, this disruption has also led to innovative methodologies that can improve remote assessments and make them a permanent part of research protocols. This blog post discusses key recommendations from the research article "Disruption Leads to Methodological and Analytic Innovation in Developmental Sciences: Recommendations for Remote Administration and Dealing With Messy Data" to help practitioners enhance their skills and encourage further research.

Adapting Remote Administration

The pandemic necessitated the rapid adaptation of traditional in-person assessments to remote formats. The following steps are crucial for successfully transitioning to remote administration:

• Utilize video conferencing tools like Zoom for data collection, ensuring the correct settings for recording behavioral responses.
• Develop clear and concise PowerPoint presentations to guide participants through the assessment process.
• Provide families with a visit box containing necessary materials for the assessments, shipped in advance.
• Conduct a home setup call to address any technological issues and ensure the family is comfortable with the remote setup.

Technological Challenges and Solutions

Several challenges arose during the transition to remote assessments, including:

• Issues with screen recording and audio quality in Zoom, which were resolved by adjusting settings and using additional devices.
• Ensuring that families had the necessary technology, such as a computer or tablet, to participate in the assessments.
• Providing technological support to caregivers during remote visits to maintain the fidelity of administration and scoring.

Maintaining Scientific Integrity

Adapting assessments for remote administration required careful consideration of scientific integrity and measurement validity. Key strategies included:

• Modifying protocols to ensure that standardized practices were maintained as much as possible.
• Recording remote assessments to allow for review and ensure fidelity of task administration and scoring.
• Developing clear and user-friendly instructions for caregivers to follow during the assessments.

Addressing Missing and Messy Data

The pandemic introduced new challenges related to missing and messy data. To address these issues:

• Document and track reasons for missingness and deviations from the original protocol.
• Use robust statistical methods, such as multiple imputation and full information maximum likelihood (FIML), to handle missing data.
• Conduct sensitivity analyses to determine the impact of missing data on study findings.

Future Directions

The innovations driven by the pandemic have the potential to improve representation in research and make data collection more accessible. Moving forward, developmental scientists should consider:

• Continuing to use remote assessment protocols to engage a more diverse participant pool.
• Evaluating whether less burdensome methods, such as questionnaires, can effectively answer research questions.
• Incorporating both remote and in-person assessments to optimize data collection and reduce participant burden.

To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Disruption Leads to Methodological and Analytic Innovation in Developmental Sciences: Recommendations for Remote Administration and Dealing With Messy Data.