___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ MATH EFFORT TASK (MET) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC Date: 03-02-2017 last updated: 02-24-2022 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC Script Copyright © 02-24-2022 Millisecond Software Millisecond Software thanks Karolin Gieseler for her help with this script! ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BACKGROUND INFO ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This script implements the Math Effort Task based on: Engle-Friedman, M., Riela, S., Golan, R., Ventuneac, A. M., Davis, C. M., Jefferson, A. D. and Major, D. (2003). The effect of sleep loss on next day effort. Journal of Sleep Research, 12: 113–124. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2869.2003.00351.x ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TASK DESCRIPTION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Participants work through 100 addition problems. Each problem consists of 4 numbers (default; possible range: 2-5 digits) that are flashed onto the screen one-by-one and participants are asked to add the numbers in their head. Once the last number is erased, a textbox is provided to collect the participants' responses. The max duration for this sequence (start of number presentation to clicking the submit button) is ~15s by default (for 4 numbers). The numbers for each problem are selected randomly but differ in their level of difficulty. Level 1: numbers are randomly selected from 1-3 Level 2: numbers are randomly selected from 3–9; Level 3: numbers are randomly selected from 7–15; Level 4: numbers are randomly selected from 7–25; Level 5: numbers are randomly selected from 7–35. The level of difficulty is under the participant's control. By default, participants select a level of difficulty for a batch of 5 problems. Nevertheless, after each problem they get the option to change their selection of difficulty. Once changed, the new level again applies to the next 5 problems by default. No feedback is provided during the task but the program keeps track of performance and calculates a final performance score that weighs the number of correct solutions by the problems' respective levels of difficulty. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DURATION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ the default set-up of the script takes appr. 20 minutes to complete ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DATA FILE INFORMATION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The default data stored in the data files are: (1) Raw data file: 'mathefforttask_raw*.iqdat' (a separate file for each participant)* build: The specific Inquisit version used (the 'build') that was run computer.platform: the platform the script was run on (win/mac/ios/android) date, time: date and time script was run subject, group, with the current subject/groupnumber session: with the current session id blockcode, blocknum: the name and number of the current block (built-in Inquisit variable) trialcode, trialnum: the name and number of the currently recorded trial (built-in Inquisit variable) Note: trialnum is a built-in Inquisit variable; it counts all trials run; even those that do not store data to the data file such as feedback trials. Thus, trialnum may not reflect the number of main trials run per block. nrDigits: stores the number of digits presented (possible range: 2-5) countTotalTrials: tally of the number of test problems run currentLevel: stores the level of difficulty of the current problem countTrialsCurrentLevel: tally of the number of trials run in the current batch number1: stores the number selected for number1 (random selection) number2: stores the number selected for number2 (random selection) number3: stores the number selected for number3 (random selection) Note: if fewer than 3 digits are presented, number3 = 0 number4: stores the number selected for number4 (random selection) Note: if fewer than 4 digits are presented, number4 = 0 number5: stores the number selected for number5 (random selection) Note: if fewer than 5 digits are presented, number5 = 0 solution: stores the correct solution to the current addition problem currentResponse: stores the response to the current addition problem ACC: 1: correct response provided; 0 = otherwise rt: stores the latency of responding; measured from onset of textbox until "continue" button is pressed changeLevel: 1 = participant opted to make a (potential) level change; 0 = otherwise countLevelChange: tallies the number of level changes countLevel1: tally of level 1 problems attempted countcorrectLevel1: tally of level 1 problems correctly solved countLevel2: tally of level 2 problems attempted countcorrectLevel2: tally of level 2 problems correctly solved countLevel3: tally of level 3 problems attempted countcorrectLevel3: tally of level 3 problems correctly solved countLevel4: tally of level 4 problems attempted countcorrectLevel4: tally of level 4 problems correctly solved countLevel5: tally of level 5 problems attempted countcorrectLevel5: tally of level 5 problems correctly solved (2) Summary data file: 'mathefforttask_summary*.iqdat' (a separate file for each participant)* inquisit.version: Inquisit version run computer.platform: the platform the script was run on (win/mac/ios/android) startDate: date script was run startTime: time script was started subjectid: assigned subject id number groupid: assigned group id number sessionid: assigned session id number elapsedTime: time it took to run script (in ms); measured from onset to offset of script completed: 0 = script was not completed (prematurely aborted); 1 = script was completed (all conditions run) nrDigits: stores the number of digits presented (possible range: 2-5) countTotalTrials: tally of the number of test problems run METScore: final METScore, calculated by adjusting the number of correctly solved problems on each level by the difficulty factor of that level: difficulty factor for level 5 => 5/5 = 1 difficulty factor for level 4 => 4/5 = 0.8 difficulty factor for level 3 => 3/5 = 0.6 difficulty factor for level 2 => 2/5 = 0.4 difficulty factor for level 1 => 1/5 = 0.2 MES_score = (correct solutions to level 5 problems x 1) + (correct solutions to level 4 problems x 0.8) + (correct solutions to level 3 problems x 0.6) + (correct solutions to level 2 problems x 0.4) + (correct solutions to level 1 problems x 0.2) countLevelChange: tallies the number of level changes countLevel1: tally of level 1 problems attempted countcorrectLevel1: tally of level 1 problems correctly solved countLevel2: tally of level 2 problems attempted countcorrectLevel2: tally of level 2 problems correctly solved countLevel3: tally of level 3 problems attempted countcorrectLevel3: tally of level 3 problems correctly solved countLevel4: tally of level 4 problems attempted countcorrectLevel4: tally of level 4 problems correctly solved countLevel5: tally of level 5 problems attempted countcorrectLevel5: tally of level 5 problems correctly solved * separate data files: to change to one data file for all participants (on Inquisit Lab only), go to section "DATA" and follow further instructions ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Intro Block with a demonstration of a problem taken from each of the five levels of difficulties. 2. Test Block: 100 trials (default) - at the start of the test block, participants select the default level of difficulty that automatically applies to the next 5 (default) problems UNLESS participant opts to change level sooner. - numbers are selected randomly with replacement from the level-corresponding pools of numbers Problem Sequence: Max duration: ~15s (default) GetReady (ITI: 1000ms) -> Start of Problem: Number1 (800ms)-> ISI (500ms) -> Number2 (800ms)-> ISI (500ms) -> Number3** (800ms)-> ISI (500ms) -> Number4** (800ms)-> textbox* -> *During the test, participants also receive a second question that allows them to change the level of difficulty for the next question(s) ** Experimenter can set how many digits should be presented under section Editable Parameters Number Selections: Level 1: numbers are randomly selected from 1-3 Level 2: numbers are randomly selected from 3–9; Level 3: numbers are randomly selected from 7–15; Level 4: numbers are randomly selected from 7–25; Level 5: numbers are randomly selected from 7–35. Scoring Algorithm (suggested by Millisecond Software): The number of correctly solved problems at each of the 5 levels are weighted by their level of difficulty and summed up: MES_score = (correct solutions to level 5 problems x 1) + (correct solutions to level 4 problems x 0.8) + (correct solutions to level 3 problems x 0.6) + (correct solutions to level 2 problems x 0.4) + (correct solutions to level 1 problems x 0.2) The highest possible score (with 100 test problems): 100 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ STIMULI ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Number presented in Arial, black on white, in the middle of the screen. Size is proportional to the canvas height (default: 15%, can be set under section Editable Parameters) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ INSTRUCTIONS ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ instructions are not original to Engle-Friedman et al (2003). They are provided by Millisecond Software and can be edited under section Editable Instructions. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EDITABLE CODE ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ check below for (relatively) easily editable parameters, stimuli, instructions etc. Keep in mind that you can use this script as a template and therefore always "mess" with the entire code to further customize your experiment. The parameters you can change are: /numberSize: the size of the presented numbers proportional to the canvas height (default: 15%) /numberDuration: the time (in ms) that each number is visible (default: 800ms) /ISI: the interstimulus interval (white screen) that is presented after the first three numbers (default: 500ms) /RW: the max. Duration (in ms) the textbox is provided to submit the response. Note: the max.trialduration (measured from onset of first number to removal of testbox): default: 4700ms + 10300ms = 15000ms 4700ms => the duration of the number presentation sequence for 4 numbers (4700ms = 4*800 + 3*500) /ITI: the intertrial interval (the duration of the 'get ready') in ms (default: 1000ms) /maxNrTrials: the maximum number of test trials (default: 100) /numberBatchedProblems: the number of problems in a default problem batch (default: 5) /presentFinalScore: true (1): the final score is presented to the participant at the end of this script (default) false (0): the final score is not presented to the participant at the end of this script /numberOfDigits: the number of digits that should be presented (possible range 2-5) Note: numbers outside the possible range get automatically adjusted to be either 2 or 5