Out of sight out of mind? Experimenter presence in an online experiment with children during Covid-19

The initial plan for my MSc research – which explores if metacognitive measures can predict accuracy in children – was to recruit child participants in schools. However, Covid-19 meant that I needed to pivot to online testing. Children (aged four to eight) completed a memory task while I guided and recorded the session via Zoom. Here, I reflect on my experiences and consider empirical evidence about experimenter effects in virtual studies. Specifically, should the experimenter have their camera turned on or off? Research suggests there are advantages and disadvantages for both methods, presenting a novel challenge for conducting virtual studies with children.